Drug & supplement interaction

Banderol + Mefenamic Acid

Mefenamic Acid brand name: Ponstel.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated February 2023
The bottom line Moderate

Mefenamic Acid falls into 2 drug categories that Banderol can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Small lab studies have found that Banderol may inhibit OATP1B1 (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1), which is a membrane protein responsible for the uptake of various drugs, hormones, and other biologically active substances into the cells of the liver and other tissues.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceA
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Banderol and Mefenamic Acid

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Banderol interacts with whole categories of medication. Mefenamic Acid falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Banderol in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Mefenamic Acid

Mefenamic Acid falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES — the group Banderol interacts with.

Small lab studies have found that Banderol may inhibit OATP1B1 (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1), which is a membrane protein responsible for the uptake of various drugs, hormones, and other biologically active substances into the cells of the liver and other tissues. It is often referred to as a drug transporter. It is a member of the OATP family of transporters and is known to play a critical role in the pharmacokinetics of many drugs. When OATPs are inhibited, it can cause problems with the elimination of drugs and result in a sudden rise in the concentration of the drug in the bloodstream and the extent to which it is absorbed (AUC) for drugs that rely on these transporters. This can increase the likelihood of adverse side effects associated with the therapy.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence A

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for these two together: Banderol may slow down a liver transporter called OATP that helps shuttle certain drugs into cells so your body can clear them. If that transporter gets blocked, a drug that relies on it can build up in your bloodstream. With mefenamic acid, an NSAID for pain and cramps, higher levels could mean a bigger chance of the usual NSAID side effects, like stomach upset, heartburn, belly pain, or even stomach bleeding, and added strain on the kidneys.

I want to be honest, though: this is based on small lab (test-tube) studies, not on real people taking these two together, so it's more of a theoretical concern than a proven problem. Mefenamic acid is not a prodrug, so the worry is more, not less, of it. Before combining them, please check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Mefenamic Acid also falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES.

Small lab studies have found that Banderol may also inhibit OATP1B3 (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B3), in addition to OATP1B1. If a drug is a substrate for both transporters, the risk of interaction with Banderol increases but the overall clinical significance is not well understood.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence A

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the short version: Banderol may slow down certain transporter proteins that help shuttle drugs around your body, including ones that move mefenamic acid (Ponstel). If those transporters get blocked, a little more of the drug could hang around in your system instead of being cleared out normally.

If that happens, you might notice the usual NSAID-type side effects a bit more, things like stomach upset, heartburn, nausea, or in some cases kidney strain. That said, this is built mostly on small lab studies, and honestly the real-world importance isn't well understood yet. Mefenamic acid is not a prodrug, so it doesn't need activating. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but since both touch these transporters, it's worth running it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Banderol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Banderol has 176 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Mefenamic Acid one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 176 No known interaction 2,654 (incl. Mefenamic Acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Banderol

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Banderol. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Mefenamic Acid

This page covers Banderol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Mefenamic Acid page lists 118 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 86 moderate · 27 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Mefenamic Acid page

“Mefenamic acid (Ponstel), an NSAID mostly used for menstrual cramps and short-term pain, has a supplement list that earns genuine caution, and the five major-rated entries are where to start. Beer and wine are two of them, because alcohol plus any NSAID raises the risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Mefenamic Acid interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Banderol and Mefenamic Acid Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Banderol
Top half

#641 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Mefenamic Acid
Top half

#1,265 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Banderol

What is Banderol?

Banderol
  • Lyme disease support
  • Antimicrobial
  • Antifungal
  • Immune support
  • Inflammation

Banderol is a Nutramedix-branded herbal extract made from the bark of the Amazonian tree Otoba parvifolia, most often promoted as part of alternative Lyme disease protocols. There is very little high-quality human research to support its use, so the evidence behind its benefits is weak and largely preliminary. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and never use it to replace proven treatments.

Read the full Banderol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Mefenamic Acid

What Is Mefenamic Acid Used For?

Brand name: Ponstel

Mefenamic acid capsules are approved to manage mild to moderate pain in adults and adolescents 14 years of age and older, but only for short-term use — no longer than 7 days.

They are also approved to treat primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods), started at the onset of bleeding and associated symptoms.

See full Mefenamic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Banderol

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Banderol — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
176Moderate
0Minor
2,653No known interaction
176 Moderate 2,653 No interaction
Moderate

176 interactions

Showing 60 of 176 moderate interactions — see all 176 on the Banderol page.

No interaction 2,653 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Banderol against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,653 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banderol list.

See the full Banderol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Mefenamic Acid, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Banderol monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Mefenamic Acid supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Mefenamic Acid, ranked by severity Mefenamic Acid drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Banderol and Mefenamic Acid Together: Common Questions

Can you take Banderol with Mefenamic Acid?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Banderol and Mefenamic Acid?
Mefenamic Acid belongs to more than one drug category, and Banderol interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Banderol and Mefenamic Acid interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Mefenamic Acid and Banderol?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.