Drug & supplement interaction

Bishop's Weed + Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine

Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine brand name: Ricotuss.

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

Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine

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. Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine

Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 gist of this one. Bishop's Weed contains natural compounds called psoralens that make your skin much more sensitive to sunlight. Your cough and cold combo (Ricotuss, which is carbetapentane, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine) has been flagged as a drug that can also cause sun sensitivity in some people. So the worry is that using them together could stack that effect, making you more likely to burn quickly or break out in a rash after time outdoors.

I'll be honest, this is a theoretical caution based mostly on anecdotal reports, not strong studies, so I don't want you to panic. None of these ingredients is an active medicine the other one switches on or off. If you do combine them, just wear sunscreen, cover up, and check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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

Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 simple version. This combo cough and cold product (Ricotuss) contains a cough suppressant, an antihistamine, and a decongestant. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear some of these ingredients. A compound in Bishop's Weed, called bergapten, has been shown in lab studies to slow that same enzyme down. In theory, that could let levels of the drug build up a bit more than usual.

If that happened, you might notice the usual side effects feeling stronger, like extra drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, a fast or pounding heartbeat, or trouble sleeping from the decongestant. Keep in mind this is mostly test-tube evidence, not a proven real-world problem. Still, since Bishop's Weed isn't something to take on your own anyway, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
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 955 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 955 No known interaction 1,875 (incl. Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine)
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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine

This page covers Bishop's Weed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine page

“Ricotuss pairs a cough suppressant and an antihistamine with phenylephrine, a decongestant that raises blood pressure, so the supplement interactions for carbetapentane, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine have real teeth. Ten of the 229 ingredients on file rate major, and those deserve your attention first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine
Top 5%

#127 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
955Moderate
0Minor
1,874No known interaction
955 Moderate 1,874 No interaction
Moderate

955 interactions

Showing 60 of 955 moderate interactions — see all 955 on the Bishop's Weed page.

No interaction 1,874 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,874 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Bishop's Weed list.

See the full Bishop's Weed interactions page
See every supplement checked against Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, 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
Bishop's Weed monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine, 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 Bishop's Weed and Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Bishop's Weed with Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine?
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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine?
Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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 Carbetapentane, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine 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.