Drug & supplement interaction

Black Seed + Ibuprofen, Oxycodone

Ibuprofen, Oxycodone brand name: Combunox.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Ibuprofen, Oxycodone falls into 2 drug categories that Black Seed can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use with drugs that have sedative properties may cause additive effects.

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

Black Seed and Ibuprofen, Oxycodone

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Ibuprofen, Oxycodone

Ibuprofen, Oxycodone falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Black Seed interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with drugs that have sedative properties may cause additive effects.
Animal research suggests that black seed may have CNS depressant effects.
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

The medicine you're asking about (Combunox) pairs ibuprofen with oxycodone, an opioid pain reliever. Oxycodone already slows down the brain a bit, which is why it can make you feel drowsy, foggy, or relaxed. The concern here is simple addition: black seed has shown possible calming, brain-slowing effects in lab and animal studies, so stacking the two could, in theory, leave you more sedated than expected.

Keep in mind this is early evidence only, from animal and test-tube work, not from people. Food amounts of black seed as a spice are very unlikely to matter. Concentrated oil capsules are the bigger question mark. If you take both, watch for extra sleepiness, dizziness, or slowed breathing, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Al Naggar, T. B., Gomez-Serranillos, M. P., Carretero, M. E., and Villar, A. M. Neuropharmacological activity of Nigella sativa L. extracts. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003;88(1):63-68. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Ibuprofen, Oxycodone also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, black seed may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro and animal research suggests that black seed extract can inhibit platelet aggregation and clotting, and increase bleeding time. In addition, decreased platelet counts have occurred in a human case report and in animal research.
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

The medicine you're asking about, Combunox, combines ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory pain reliever) with oxycodone (an opioid). The piece that matters here is the ibuprofen. Like other NSAIDs, ibuprofen already nudges up bleeding risk on its own because it makes platelets a little less sticky and can irritate the stomach lining.

Black seed may add to that. Lab and animal studies suggest it can slow clotting and lengthen bleeding time, and a few reports noted lower platelet counts. So stacking concentrated black seed on top of ibuprofen could mean more bruising, nosebleeds, or stomach upset and bleeding. Keep in mind this is theoretical and based on weak evidence, and a little black seed used as a spice is unlikely to matter. Still, check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining the supplement dose.

References
  1. Enomoto, S., Asano, R., Iwahori, Y., Narui, T., Okada, Y., Singab, A. N., and Okuyama, T. Hematological studies on black cumin oil from the seeds of Nigella sativa L. Biol.Pharm.Bull 2001;24(3):307-310. PubMed
  2. Al Jishi, S. A. and Abuo, Hozaifa B. Effect of Nigella sativa on blood hemostatic function in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003;85(1):7-14. PubMed
  3. Awad, E. M. and Binder, B. R. In vitro induction of endothelial cell fibrinolytic alterations by Nigella sativa. Phytomedicine 2005;12(3):194-202. PubMed
  4. Wang X, Jiang A, Batra V. Severe thrombocytopenia associated with black seed oil and evening primrose oil. Cureus. 2020;12(6):e8390. PubMed
  5. Alkharfy K, Jan B, Alotaibi K, et al. Clopidogrel-herb Interactions: A Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Assessment in a Rat Model. Curr Drug Metab 2021;22(12):969-977. 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

Black Seed Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Seed has 911 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ibuprofen, Oxycodone 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 Black Seed

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Black Seed or Ibuprofen, Oxycodone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Black Seed or Ibuprofen, Oxycodone, 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 Ibuprofen, Oxycodone

This page covers Black Seed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ibuprofen, Oxycodone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).

By severity: 13 major · 303 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ibuprofen, Oxycodone page

“Combunox puts oxycodone, an opioid, together with the NSAID ibuprofen, and I want you to read this page carefully rather than skim it. Of the 356 supplements and herbs on file, 202 can raise your bleeding risk on top of what ibuprofen already does, and 78 can deepen the drowsiness and slowed breathing that come with oxycodone.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ibuprofen, Oxycodone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 226 real supplement products containing Black Seed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Seed. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ibuprofen, Oxycodone too, on top of Black Seed — 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 Black Seed and Ibuprofen, Oxycodone 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 Black Seed
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ibuprofen, Oxycodone
Steady interest

#1,680 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 Black Seed

What is Black Seed?

Black Seed
  • Respiratory support (asthma, allergies, cough)
  • Digestive upset
  • Immune support
  • Blood sugar and cholesterol support
  • General inflammation

Black seed (Nigella sativa) is a traditional spice and remedy that has been studied for asthma, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, with early research showing some promise but no firmly proven benefits. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but supplement-strength doses are less studied, so talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it—especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Black Seed monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Seed

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

0Major
911Moderate
0Minor
1,918No known interaction
Moderate

911 interactions

Showing 60 of 911 moderate interactions — see all 911 on the Black Seed page.

No interaction 1,918 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 Black Seed and Ibuprofen, Oxycodone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Seed with Ibuprofen, Oxycodone?
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 Black Seed and Ibuprofen, Oxycodone?
Ibuprofen, Oxycodone belongs to more than one drug category, and Black Seed 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 Black Seed and Ibuprofen, Oxycodone 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.