Drug & supplement interaction

Bitter Orange + Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine brand name: Desoxyn.

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

Methamphetamine falls into 2 drug categories that Bitter Orange can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, bitter orange might increase the risk of hypertension and adverse cardiovascular effects when taken with stimulant drugs.

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

Bitter Orange and Methamphetamine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Bitter Orange interacts with.

Theoretically, bitter orange might increase the risk of hypertension and adverse cardiovascular effects when taken with stimulant drugs.
Bitter orange appears to have stimulant effects.
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: methamphetamine (Desoxyn) is already a strong stimulant. It speeds up your heart and can push your blood pressure up. Bitter orange contains synephrine, which is a mild stimulant of its own, structurally similar to adrenaline. So you'd basically be stacking one stimulant on top of another.

Together they could add up to a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, jitteriness, headache, chest discomfort, or palpitations. To be fair, this concern is largely theoretical and rated moderate, but the direction is clear: both push in the same stimulant direction. I would not combine them without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you have any heart issues or high blood pressure.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Penzak SR, Jann MW, Cold JA, et al. Seville (sour) orange juice: synephrine content and cardiovascular effects in normotensive adults. J Clin Pharmacol 2001;41:1059-63. PubMed
  2. Keogh AM, Baron DW. Sympathomimetic abuse and coronary artery spasm. Br Med J 1985;291:940.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Methamphetamine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, bitter orange might increase levels of drug metabolized by CYP2D6.
In vitro research shows that octopamine, a constituent of bitter orange, weakly inhibits CYP2D6 enzymes. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor 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 situation if you're taking methamphetamine (Desoxyn) and thinking about a bitter orange supplement. Methamphetamine is partly broken down by a liver enzyme called CYP2D6. One compound in bitter orange (octopamine) has shown a weak ability to block that enzyme, but only in test tube studies, not in actual people. In theory, slowing that breakdown could let methamphetamine build up a bit, which might mean more of its stimulant effects: a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, jitteriness, or trouble sleeping.

The bigger real-world concern is simpler: bitter orange is itself a stimulant. Stacking two stimulants can add up and strain your heart, even if the enzyme effect turns out to be tiny. I wouldn't panic over this, but please run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Liu Y, Santillo MF. Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 3A4 enzyme inhibition by amine stimulants in dietary supplements. Drug Test Anal. 2016;8(3-4):307-10. 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

Bitter Orange Also Interacts With Other Medications

Bitter Orange has 10 major, 875 moderate, 71 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Methamphetamine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 10 Moderate 875 Minor 71 No known interaction 1,874 (incl. Methamphetamine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bitter Orange

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Bitter Orange or Methamphetamine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Bitter Orange or Methamphetamine, 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 Methamphetamine

This page covers Bitter Orange only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methamphetamine page lists 126 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 99 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Methamphetamine page

“Prescription methamphetamine (Desoxyn) is a potent stimulant, usually given for ADHD, and this is a list I would want anyone taking it to read closely. Six of the 126 supplement and herbal ingredients on file carry a major rating, and those six deserve your attention first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Methamphetamine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,000 real supplement products containing Bitter Orange, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bitter Orange. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Methamphetamine too, on top of Bitter Orange — 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 Bitter Orange and Methamphetamine 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 Bitter Orange
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Methamphetamine
Top 5%

#31 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 Bitter Orange

What is Bitter Orange?

Bitter Orange
  • Weight loss
  • Athletic performance and energy
  • Digestive upset
  • Appetite control
  • Aromatherapy for stress (neroli oil)

Bitter orange is a citrus fruit whose extracts contain synephrine, a mild stimulant often added to weight-loss and energy supplements. Evidence that it works for weight loss or performance is limited, and because it can raise heart rate and blood pressure, people with heart problems, high blood pressure, or who are pregnant should avoid it. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other stimulants.

Read the full Bitter Orange monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Methamphetamine

What Is Methamphetamine Used For?

Brand name: Desoxyn

Methamphetamine hydrochloride tablets are approved to treat attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) in children 6 years of age and older. It is used as part of a broader treatment plan that typically also includes psychological, educational, and social support.

The drug targets a specific group of symptoms: significant distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional instability, and impulsivity that are developmentally inappropriate for the child's age.

See full Methamphetamine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bitter Orange

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

10Major
875Moderate
71Minor
1,873No known interaction
10 Major 875 Moderate 71 Minor 1,873 No interaction
Major

10 interactions

Moderate

875 interactions

Showing 60 of 875 moderate interactions — see all 875 on the Bitter Orange page.

Minor

71 interactions

Showing 60 of 71 minor interactions — see all 71 on the Bitter Orange page.

No interaction 1,873 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,873 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Bitter Orange list.

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

Can you take Bitter Orange with Methamphetamine?
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 Bitter Orange and Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine belongs to more than one drug category, and Bitter Orange 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 Bitter Orange and Methamphetamine 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 Methamphetamine and Bitter Orange?

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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.