Drug & supplement interaction

Bay Leaf + Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine

Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine brand names: Panlor DC, Panlor SS, DHC Plus.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine falls into 2 drug categories that Bay Leaf can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking bay leaf in large amounts may enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of sedatives.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Bay Leaf and Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine

Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Bay Leaf interacts with.

Theoretically, taking bay leaf in large amounts may enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of sedatives.
Bay leaf contains methyl eugenol. Animal research shows that methyl eugenol has sedative properties. Avoid concomitant use.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

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 practical takeaway: one ingredient in your combo pill is dihydrocodeine, an opioid pain reliever that can already make you drowsy, slow your thinking, and relax your breathing. Bay leaf contains a compound called methyl eugenol, which had a sedative (sleepiness-causing) effect in animal studies. So in theory, large amounts of bay leaf could pile on top of that opioid and leave you feeling more sluggish or foggy than usual.

I want to be honest about the strength here: this is a theoretical concern based on lab and animal work, not proven in people. The pinch of bay leaf you'd use in soup or stew is not a worry. Concentrated bay leaf supplements or essential oils are the real question mark. If you're considering those, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
Moderate

NARCOTIC DRUGS

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine also falls under NARCOTIC DRUGS.

Theoretically, taking bay leaf in large amounts may enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of narcotics. Avoid concomitant use.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

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 with this combo pill (which pairs acetaminophen and caffeine with the opioid dihydrocodeine). The concern on file is that large, concentrated amounts of bay leaf might add to the calming, pain-relieving effects of the narcotic part. In plain terms, your dihydrocodeine could feel a bit stronger, which also means more of its usual downsides: extra drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, or slowed breathing.

I want to be honest that this is theoretical, based on pharmacology rather than real patient reports. The bay leaf you toss into soup or stew is not a worry at all. If you're thinking about bay leaf capsules or essential oil while on this medicine, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

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

Bay Leaf Also Interacts With Other Medications

Bay Leaf has 334 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 334 No known interaction 2,496 (incl. Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bay Leaf

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine

This page covers Bay Leaf only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine page lists 303 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 15 major · 244 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine page

“Anything else that sedates you is the headline risk with this combination painkiller. Panlor and DHC Plus pair acetaminophen and caffeine with the opioid dihydrocodeine, and 78 of the 303 supplements on file, kava and even beer or wine among them, can deepen the opioid's drowsiness and, at the extreme, dangerously slow breathing.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Bay Leaf and Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine 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 Bay Leaf
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine
Top half

#746 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 Bay Leaf

What is Bay Leaf?

Bay Leaf
  • Cooking and flavoring
  • Digestive upset
  • Blood sugar support
  • Colds and congestion
  • Joint and muscle discomfort

Bay leaf is a common culinary herb that is safe in the small amounts used in cooking. Some people take it for digestion, blood sugar, or colds, but strong human evidence for these uses is lacking. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements or essential oils.

Read the full Bay Leaf monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bay Leaf

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

0Major
334Moderate
0Minor
2,495No known interaction
334 Moderate 2,495 No interaction
Moderate

334 interactions

Showing 60 of 334 moderate interactions — see all 334 on the Bay Leaf page.

No interaction 2,495 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,495 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Bay Leaf list.

See the full Bay Leaf interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine, 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
Bay Leaf monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine, ranked by severity 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 Bay Leaf and Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Bay Leaf with Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine?
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 Bay Leaf and Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine?
Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine belongs to more than one drug category, and Bay Leaf 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 Bay Leaf and Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Dihydrocodeine 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

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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.