Drug & supplement interaction

Black Tea + Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine

Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine brand name: Amesec.

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

Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine falls into 2 drug categories that Black Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk for simulant adverse effects.

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

Black Tea and Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Major

EPHEDRINE

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine

Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine falls under EPHEDRINE — the group Black Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk for simulant adverse effects.
Black tea contains caffeine. There is evidence that using ephedrine with caffeine might increase the risk of serious life-threatening or debilitating adverse effects such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, seizures, and death. Tell patients to avoid taking caffeine with ephedrine and other stimulants.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing to watch with this combo: your medication already contains ephedrine, which is a stimulant, and it's often paired with aminophylline (a relative of caffeine). Black tea brings its own dose of caffeine to the party. Stacking these stimulants together can push your heart and blood vessels harder than any of them would alone.

In real life that can mean a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, higher blood pressure, and feeling wired or anxious. The evidence here is mostly anecdotal, but because the worst-case outcomes (severe blood pressure spikes, irregular heartbeat, even seizures) are serious, I'd play it safe. A cup of tea now and then is different from energy-drink-level caffeine, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor before mixing them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haller CA, Benowitz NL. Adverse cardiovascular and central nervous system events associated with dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1833-8. PubMed
  2. Shekelle PG, Hardy ML, Morton SC, et al. Efficacy and safety of ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2003;289:1537-45.. PubMed
  3. Kockler DR, McCarthy MW, Lawson CL. Seizure activity and unresponsiveness after hydroxycut ingestion. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:647-51.. PubMed
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 2

Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine also falls under STIMULANT DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Black tea contains caffeine. Due to the central nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects of caffeine, concomitant use with stimulant drugs can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: this old combination product (Amesec) already packs two stimulants, the asthma medicine aminophylline (which is closely related to caffeine) and ephedrine. Black tea adds even more caffeine on top. So when you stack them, you're really piling stimulant on stimulant, and that can push the side effects higher: a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, shakiness, trouble sleeping, anxious feelings, or a short bump in blood pressure.

This is mostly an expert-opinion concern, not a dramatic danger, and an occasional cup is unlikely to cause trouble for most people. But several cups a day, or strong tea, can add up. If you take Amesec, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor about how much tea is okay for you.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Institute of Medicine. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309082587/html/index.html. DOI

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 Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Tea has 7 major, 572 moderate, 114 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 7 Moderate 572 Minor 114 No known interaction 2,137 (incl. Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Tea

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine

This page covers Black Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine page lists 151 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), Beer (major), Caffeine (major) and Coffee (major).

By severity: 21 major · 108 moderate · 22 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine page

“Amesec is an unusual mix, a sedative barbiturate (amobarbital) plus the stimulant ephedrine and the asthma drug aminophylline, so its interaction list pulls hard in both directions and deserves real care, with 21 of the 151 ingredients rated major. The most everyday hazard is caffeine.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 271 real supplement products containing Black Tea, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Tea. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine too, on top of Black Tea — 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 Tea and Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine 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 Tea
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine
Top 5%

#90 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 Tea

What is Black Tea?

  • Mental alertness and energy
  • Heart health support
  • Blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Digestive complaints
  • Weight management
  • Antioxidant support

Black tea is a popular caffeinated drink made from the fully oxidized leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, and it contains caffeine and antioxidant plant compounds. Moderate tea drinking is generally safe for most adults and may modestly support heart health and alertness, but it is not a proven treatment for any disease. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, sensitive to caffeine, or taking medicines, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Black Tea monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Tea

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

7Major
572Moderate
114Minor
2,136No known interaction
7 Major 572 Moderate 114 Minor 2,136 No interaction
Major

7 interactions

Moderate

572 interactions

Showing 60 of 572 moderate interactions — see all 572 on the Black Tea page.

Minor

114 interactions

Showing 60 of 114 minor interactions — see all 114 on the Black Tea page.

No interaction 2,136 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,136 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Black Tea list.

See the full Black Tea interactions page
See every supplement checked against Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine, 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
Black Tea monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine, 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 Black Tea and Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Tea with Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Black Tea and Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine?
Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine belongs to more than one drug category, and Black Tea 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 Tea and Aminophylline, Amobarbital, Ephedrine interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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.