Drug & supplement interaction

Beet + Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine

Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine brand names: Histalet Forte, Poly Hist Forte, Vanex Forte.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Beet has a moderate interaction with Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine. Theoretically, beet might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

Beet and Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine

Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Beet interacts with.

Theoretically, beet might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that betanin, the major pigment in beet, competitively inhibits CYP3A4 in a dose-dependent manner similarly to strong CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole.
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

This combination product pairs an antihistamine (chlorpheniramine and pyrilamine) with decongestants (phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine). The idea behind this interaction is that a pigment in beets, called betanin, may block a liver enzyme (CYP3A4) that helps clear some of these ingredients. If that enzyme slows down, the medicine could linger a bit longer and feel stronger than usual.

In practice that might mean more drowsiness or dry mouth from the antihistamines, or a touch more of the jittery, racing-heart, blood-pressure-raising effects from the decongestants. Honestly though, this is only based on lab dish studies, not real people, so the actual risk looks small. Eating beets or drinking beet juice as food is very unlikely to cause trouble. If you take concentrated beet supplements regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Lim SH, Bae S, Lee HS, Han HK, Choi CI. Effect of Betanin, the Major Pigment of Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.), on the Activity of Recombinant Human Cytochrome P450 Enzymes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023;16(9):1224. PubMed

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

Beet Also Interacts With Other Medications

Beet has 642 moderate, 218 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Beet

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine

This page covers Beet only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine page lists 229 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Grapefruit (major), Henbane (major) and Lithium (major).

By severity: 10 major · 175 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine page

“Ephedra is the first thing I would take off the shelf for anyone using chlorpheniramine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, and pyrilamine (Histalet Forte, Poly Hist Forte, Vanex Forte). This cold and allergy combination contains two decongestants that already raise blood pressure and heart rate, and 44 ingredients on this list, ephed…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Beet as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 4,785 real supplement products containing Beet, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Beet. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine too, on top of Beet — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Beet and Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine 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 Beet
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine
Top half

#1,046 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 Beet

What is Beet?

Beet
  • High blood pressure
  • Exercise and athletic performance
  • Heart and circulation support
  • General antioxidant/anti-inflammatory support
  • Liver and digestive support

Beet, especially beetroot juice, is a nitrate-rich food that may modestly lower blood pressure and slightly improve exercise performance in some people. It is generally safe as a food, but supplement effects are modest and not a substitute for prescribed treatment, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before relying on it.

Read the full Beet monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Beet

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

0Major
642Moderate
218Minor
1,969No known interaction
Moderate

642 interactions

Showing 60 of 642 moderate interactions — see all 642 on the Beet page.

Minor

218 interactions

Showing 60 of 218 minor interactions — see all 218 on the Beet page.

No interaction 1,969 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Beet and Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beet with Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine?
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.
How serious is the Beet and Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine 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 Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Pyrilamine and Beet?

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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.