Drug & supplement interaction

Black Tea + Salmeterol

Salmeterol brand name: Serevent.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Black Tea has a moderate interaction with Salmeterol. Theoretically, concomitant use of large amounts of black tea might increase cardiac inotropic effects of beta-agonists.

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

Black Tea and Salmeterol

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

BETA-ADRENERGIC AGONISTS

Why this applies to Salmeterol

Salmeterol falls under BETA-ADRENERGIC AGONISTS — the group Black Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of large amounts of black tea might increase cardiac inotropic effects of beta-agonists.
Black tea contains caffeine. Caffeine can increase cardiac inotropic effects of beta-agonists.
Severity Moderate 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 simple version. Salmeterol is a long-acting inhaler medicine that opens up your airways, but like other drugs in its family it can also gently stimulate the heart. The caffeine in black tea can do a little of the same thing. So when you stack them together, in theory you might notice a bit more of a racing or pounding heartbeat, jitteriness, or a slightly faster pulse than usual.

I want to be honest about how strong this is: it's a theoretical concern based on how these two work, not something proven to cause real problems in most people. A normal cup or two of tea is very unlikely to matter. If you tend to drink a lot of tea or use caffeine supplements, or you ever feel your heart fluttering, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

References
  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

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 8 major, 571 moderate, 114 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Salmeterol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Salmeterol

This page covers Black Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Salmeterol page lists 141 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major), Ephedra (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 7 major · 105 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Salmeterol page

“Salmeterol (Serevent) is the long-acting inhaler taken twice daily for asthma or COPD, and its supplement list is one I would approach with real caution. Seven of the 141 ingredients on file rate major: grapefruit can raise salmeterol levels by blocking the enzyme that clears it, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Salmeterol 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 Salmeterol 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 Salmeterol 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Salmeterol
Top half

#904 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
Medication

About Salmeterol Oral Inhalation

What Is Salmeterol Oral Inhalation Used For?

Brand name: Serevent

Serevent Diskus (salmeterol inhalation powder) is used for three main purposes: treating asthma in patients aged 4 and older alongside an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients aged 4 and older, and providing long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with COPD — including chronic bronchitis and emphysema — in adults.

Important: Serevent Diskus is not a rescue inhaler. It will not relieve a sudden asthma or COPD attack. For asthma, it must always be used together with an inhaled corticosteroid — using it alone for asthma is contraindicated due to a serious risk of asthma-related death.

See full Salmeterol Oral Inhalation drug information
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.

8Major
571Moderate
114Minor
2,136No known interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

571 interactions

Showing 60 of 571 moderate interactions — see all 571 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
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 Tea and Salmeterol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Tea with Salmeterol?
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.
How serious is the Black Tea and Salmeterol 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.