Drug & supplement interaction

Bishop's Weed + Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine

Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine brand name: Super Cold Tabs.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine falls into 2 drug categories that Bishop's Weed can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Bishop's weed constituents seem to cause photosensitivity.

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

Bishop's Weed and Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine

Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine falls under PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS — the group Bishop's Weed interacts with.

Bishop's weed constituents seem to cause photosensitivity. Theoretically, concomitant use of bishop's weed with photosensitizing drugs might result in increased photosensitivity.
Some drugs that cause photosensitivity include amitriptyline (Elavil), quinolones (Ciprofloxacin, others), sulfa drugs (Septra, Bactrim, others), and tetracycline.
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 thing to know about pairing Bishop's Weed with a combo cold tablet like Super Cold Tabs (acetaminophen, phenylephrine, and chlorpheniramine). The concern isn't about your liver or how the medicine works in your body. Bishop's Weed contains psoralens, natural compounds that make your skin much more sensitive to sunlight. So if you're taking both, the idea is that your skin could burn or react more easily out in the sun.

I'll be honest with you: this is mostly a theoretical worry, and it leans on weak, anecdotal evidence. The cold-medicine ingredients themselves aren't strong sun-sensitizers. Still, Bishop's Weed alone can cause serious skin and eye reactions, so it really shouldn't be self-treated. If you're using it, wear sunscreen, cover up, and check in with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Ossenkoppele PM, van der Sluis WG, van Vloten WA. [Phototoxic dermatitis following the use of Ammi majus fruit for vitiligo]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1991;135:478-80.
  2. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Available at: http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/.
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Bergapten, a constituent of bishop's weed, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vitro. Theoretically, bishop's weed might inhibit elimination and increase blood levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include alprazolam (Xanax), amitriptyline (Elavil), amiodarone (Cordarone), buspirone (Buspar), cerivastatin (Baycol), citalopram (Celexa), felodipine (Plendil), fexofenadine (Allegra), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), lansoprazole (Prevacid), losartan (Cozaar), lovastatin (Mevacor), ondansetron (Zofran), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), sertraline (Zoloft), sibutramine (Meridia), sildenafil (Viagra), simvastatin (Zocor), verapamil (Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin), and many others.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 cold tablet. Bishop's Weed contains a compound (bergapten) that may slow down a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. In a test-tube setting, blocking that enzyme could let certain medicines build up a little higher than usual. Of the three ingredients in your Super Cold Tabs, chlorpheniramine (the antihistamine) is partly handled by this pathway, so in theory it could hang around a bit longer.

What that might look like in real life: more drowsiness, dry mouth, or grogginess from the chlorpheniramine. Honestly though, this is mostly theoretical and based on weak lab data, so for most people taking a short course of a cold medicine, it's unlikely to cause real trouble. Still, since Bishop's Weed itself can be risky, I'd check with your pharmacist before mixing them.

References
  1. Malhotra S, Bailey DG, Paine MF, Watkins PB. Seville orange juice-felodipine interaction: comparison with dilute grapefruit juice and involvement of furocoumarins. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2001;69:14-23. 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

Bishop's Weed Also Interacts With Other Medications

Bishop's Weed has 953 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bishop's Weed

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Bishop's Weed. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine

This page covers Bishop's Weed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine page lists 289 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), Ephedra (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 14 major · 229 moderate · 46 minor.

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

“Super Cold Tabs earns more caution than a cold remedy usually gets. It combines acetaminophen, the decongestant phenylephrine, and the antihistamine chlorpheniramine, and 14 of the 289 supplements on file interact at a major level, so those are the ones to understand first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Bishop's Weed as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 83 real supplement products containing Bishop's Weed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bishop's Weed. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine too, on top of Bishop's Weed — 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 Bishop's Weed and Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine 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 Bishop's Weed
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine
Top half

#748 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 Bishop's Weed

What is Bishop's Weed?

Bishop's Weed
  • Vitiligo (loss of skin color)
  • Psoriasis
  • Digestive complaints
  • Asthma and breathing problems
  • Kidney stones
  • Diuretic (increasing urine)

Bishop's Weed (Ammi majus) is a flowering plant whose seeds contain natural light-sensitizing compounds called psoralens, which have been studied mainly for skin conditions like vitiligo and psoriasis when combined with light therapy. The plant is potentially toxic and can cause severe skin and eye reactions when exposed to sunlight, so it is not something to take on your own. If you are interested in psoralen-based treatments, work with a dermatologist rather than self-treating.

Read the full Bishop's Weed monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bishop's Weed

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

0Major
953Moderate
0Minor
1,876No known interaction
Moderate

953 interactions

Showing 60 of 953 moderate interactions — see all 953 on the Bishop's Weed page.

No interaction 1,876 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 Bishop's Weed and Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Bishop's Weed with Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine?
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 Bishop's Weed and Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine?
Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine belongs to more than one drug category, and Bishop's Weed 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 Bishop's Weed and Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine 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.