Drug & supplement interaction

Berberine + Levonorgestrel

Levonorgestrel brand names: Plan B, Mirena, Levonelle One Step, Levonelle 1500, Norgeston, and others.

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

Berberine has a moderate interaction with Levonorgestrel. Theoretically, berberine might increase serum levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Berberine and Levonorgestrel

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Levonorgestrel

Levonorgestrel falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Berberine interacts with.

Theoretically, berberine might increase serum levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research and preliminary clinical research show that berberine moderately inhibits CYP3A4. Theoretically, use of berberine with drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 might increase drug levels and increase the risk of adverse effects.
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 simple version: your body uses a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break down levonorgestrel, the active progestin in Plan B and similar products. Berberine appears to slow that enzyme down a bit, so in theory levonorgestrel could hang around in your system a little longer and at slightly higher levels. Levonorgestrel is already an active hormone (not a prodrug), so more of it means more of its usual effects, which might include nausea, breast tenderness, headache, or some irregular spotting.

I want to be honest that this is mostly theoretical and based on lab and early research, so it's not a strong alarm. Still, since timing matters with emergency contraception, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Wu X, Li Q, Xin H, Yu A, Zhong M. Effects of berberine on the blood concentration of cyclosporin A in renal transplanted recipients: clinical and pharmacokinetic study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2005;61:567-72. PubMed
  2. Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82. PubMed
  3. Guo, Y., Chen, Y., Tan, Z. R., Klaassen, C. D., and Zhou, H. H. Repeated administration of berberine inhibits cytochromes P450 in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2012;68(2):213-217. PubMed
  4. Hermann, R. and von, Richter O. Clinical evidence of herbal drugs as perpetrators of pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Planta Med 2012;78(13):1458-1477. 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

Berberine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Berberine has 1 major, 1,158 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Levonorgestrel one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 1 Moderate 1,158 No known interaction 1,671 (incl. Levonorgestrel)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Berberine

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Berberine or Levonorgestrel

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Berberine or Levonorgestrel, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levonorgestrel

This page covers Berberine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levonorgestrel page lists 191 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 142 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levonorgestrel page

“St. John's wort tops my worry list for anyone using levonorgestrel (Plan B, Mirena, and other birth control).”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levonorgestrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 908 real supplement products containing Berberine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Berberine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levonorgestrel too, on top of Berberine — 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 Berberine and Levonorgestrel 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 Berberine
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levonorgestrel
Top half

#1,070 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 Berberine

What is Berberine?

Berberine
  • Blood sugar control
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart and metabolic health
  • Digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Weight management

Berberine is a yellow plant compound that has shown promise for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol in some studies, but the quality of research varies and it is not a replacement for prescribed medicine. It can cause stomach upset and should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you take other medications.

Read the full Berberine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Levonorgestrel

What Is Levonorgestrel Used For?

Brand names: Plan B, Mirena, Levonelle One Step, Levonelle 1500, Norgeston, Skyla, Liletta, Kyleena

Levonorgestrel is used in two very different ways depending on the product. As an intrauterine system (IUS), Mirena and Liletta prevent pregnancy for up to 8 years and also treat heavy menstrual bleeding for up to 5 years in people who choose intrauterine contraception. Kyleena prevents pregnancy for up to 5 years, and Skyla prevents pregnancy for up to 3 years — neither Kyleena nor Skyla is indicated for heavy menstrual bleeding.

As an oral tablet, products such as AfterPill, AfterPlan, Amazon Basic Care Levonorgestrel, Econ Morning After, Emergency Contraceptive, and Empowered Choice are used as emergency (backup) contraception to reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. The oral tablet is not intended for routine birth control.

See full Levonorgestrel drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Berberine

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

1Major
1,158Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
1 Major 1,158 Moderate 1,670 No interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

1,158 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,158 moderate interactions — see all 1,158 on the Berberine page.

No interaction 1,670 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,670 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Berberine list.

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

Can you take Berberine with Levonorgestrel?
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 Berberine and Levonorgestrel 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 Levonorgestrel and Berberine?

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.