Drug & supplement interaction

Bittersweet Nightshade + Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole brand name: Nizoral.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Ketoconazole and Bittersweet Nightshade in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Bittersweet Nightshade at all — not against Ketoconazole, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Bittersweet Nightshade safety at a glance

Bittersweet Nights... overall Avoid The plant contains toxic alkaloids and is generally considered unsafe to take by mouth without medical supervision.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. The alkaloids of the plant, solasodine, soladulcine, and related compounds have been linked to birth defects in animals; avoid using. There is... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When orally; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bittersweet nightshade when used topically; avoid using. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Ketoconazole and Bittersweet Nightshade? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Bittersweet Nightshade

    “When used orally, the leaves and berries of bittersweet nightshade may be unsafe. There is limited information available about the adverse effects of the stem of bittersweet nightshade when used in medicinal amounts.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: The leaves and berries can cause toxicity, including circulatory and respiratory depression, convulsions, cyanosis, diarrhea, dilated pupils, gastrointestinal blee…”

    Bittersweet Nightshade · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    “Orally, bittersweet nightshade leaf and berry can cause diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, scratchy throat, vomiting and (6).”

    Bittersweet Nightshade · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

    Ketoconazole

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ketoconazole. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Bittersweet Nightshade

    “Orally, bittersweet nightshade leaf and berry can cause convulsions, headache, speech difficulties, subnormal temperature, and vertigo (6).”

    Bittersweet Nightshade · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

    Ketoconazole

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ketoconazole. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    Bittersweet Nightshade

    Recorded for Bittersweet Nightshade in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Bleeding or bruising above.

    Ketoconazole

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ketoconazole. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Bittersweet Nightshade but not commonly for Ketoconazole: bleeding in the gut, sore throat, seizures and low mood.

Effects for Ketoconazole come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Bittersweet Nightshade come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Bittersweet Nightshade in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. The alkaloids of the plant, solasodine, soladulcine, and related compounds have been linked to birth defects in animals; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bittersweet nightshade when used topically during pregnancy; avoid using.

Lactation Likely Unsafe

When orally; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bittersweet nightshade when used topically; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Bittersweet Nightshade or Ketoconazole

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

This page covers Bittersweet Nightshade only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ketoconazole page lists 182 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 · 135 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ketoconazole page

“Ketoconazole (Nizoral) is already hard on the liver, so treat its 182 interacting supplements with genuine care, starting with the six rated major. Most of the list runs through CYP3A4, the liver enzyme ketoconazole strongly blocks, so it can raise levels of over a hundred herbal ingredients, while grapefruit pushes ketoconazole itself…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ketoconazole interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 14 real supplement products containing Bittersweet Nightshade, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bittersweet Nightshade. Even though Bittersweet Nightshade itself has no known interaction with Ketoconazole, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole 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 Bittersweet Nightshade
Steady interest

#1,202 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ketoconazole
Steady interest

#1,889 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Bittersweet Nightshade reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Bittersweet Nightshade

What is Bittersweet Nightshade?

Bittersweet Nightshade
  • Skin conditions like eczema and warts
  • Inflammation and joint discomfort
  • Muscle spasms
  • Respiratory complaints
  • Mild fluid retention (traditional 'cleansing' use)

Bittersweet nightshade is a traditional herb with toxic compounds, especially in its berries, and there is very little reliable human evidence that it works for any health condition. Because it can cause serious poisoning, it is not recommended for self-treatment, and it should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Solanum dulcamara · Solanaceae · Stems (twigs), leaves, and sometimes berries · Dried stems, teas, tinctures, topical ointments or creams, homeopathic preparations

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Bittersweet Nightshade is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Bittersweet Nightshade record says about it on its own.

Bittersweet Nightshade: dosing

There is no established safe or standardized dose for bittersweet nightshade. Because the plant is toxic and the amount of active alkaloids can vary widely, it is not possible to give a reliable, safe amount to take by mouth.If you encounter a commercial product (such as a topical cream or a homeopathic remedy), follow the label exactly and do not exceed the recommended use. We do not recommend taking bittersweet nightshade internally for self-treatment.

From our Bittersweet Nightshade monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Bittersweet Nightshade monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ketoconazole

What Is Ketoconazole Used For?

Brand name: Nizoral

Ketoconazole 2% shampoo and foam are used to treat tinea versicolor (also called pityriasis versicolor) — a fungal infection caused by Pityrosporum orbiculare (also known as Malassezia furfur), a yeast that naturally lives on the skin.

This infection creates light or dark patches, most often on the trunk, neck, arms, and upper thighs. Even after the fungus is cleared, those skin patches may take months to return to their normal color — that's normal, and depends on your skin type and sun exposure. Tinea versicolor can also come back, since the fungus lives on healthy skin even when there's no active infection.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ketoconazole

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Pruritus 984 reports
Fatigue 975 reports
Nausea 873 reports
Rash 858 reports
Diarrhea 814 reports
See full Ketoconazole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bittersweet Nightshade

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Bittersweet Nightshade list.

See the full Bittersweet Nightshade interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ketoconazole, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Bittersweet Nightshade References

The 1 references that drive our Bittersweet Nightshade monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Bittersweet Nightshade with Ketoconazole?
We do not list a known interaction between Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Bittersweet Nightshade and Ketoconazole have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Does Ketoconazole interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ketoconazole has documented interactions with 182 supplements in our database — Bittersweet Nightshade is not one of them. The Ketoconazole interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Bittersweet Nightshade monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ketoconazole drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Ketoconazole supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ketoconazole, 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 References The 1 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ketoconazole and Bittersweet Nightshade?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.