Drug & supplement interaction

Blue Cohosh + Bosentan

Bosentan brand name: Tracleer.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Blue Cohosh has a moderate interaction with Bosentan. Constituents in blue cohosh might increase blood pressure by causing coronary vasoconstriction.

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

Blue Cohosh and Bosentan

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Bosentan

Bosentan falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Blue Cohosh interacts with.

Constituents in blue cohosh might increase blood pressure by causing coronary vasoconstriction. Theoretically, concomitant use might decrease the effectiveness of drugs used for angina and high blood pressure; use with caution. Some antihypertensive drugs include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), Amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.
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

Here's the concern with pairing blue cohosh and bosentan (Tracleer). Bosentan works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels in your lungs to lower the pressure there. Blue cohosh contains plant compounds that may do the opposite, tightening blood vessels and nudging blood pressure up. In theory, that could work against bosentan and make it less effective at controlling your pulmonary arterial hypertension.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern based on how blue cohosh behaves, not on solid human studies. Still, with a serious condition like PAH, I'd rather you not gamble. Blue cohosh also carries real heart safety worries on its own. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before using it alongside bosentan.

References
  1. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

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

Blue Cohosh Also Interacts With Other Medications

Blue Cohosh has 258 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Bosentan 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 Blue Cohosh

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Bosentan

This page covers Blue Cohosh only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bosentan page lists 266 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Apple (major) and Beer (major).

By severity: 11 major · 216 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Bosentan interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Blue Cohosh as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 126 real supplement products containing Blue Cohosh, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Blue Cohosh. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Bosentan too, on top of Blue Cohosh — 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 Blue Cohosh and Bosentan 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 Blue Cohosh
Steady interest

#1,096 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Bosentan
Steady interest

#1,675 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 Blue Cohosh

What is Blue Cohosh?

  • Inducing labor or starting menstruation
  • Menstrual cramps and irregular periods
  • Symptoms of menopause
  • Pelvic or uterine discomfort
  • Traditional Native American remedy

Blue cohosh is a traditional herb historically used by Native Americans and midwives to bring on labor or menstruation, but it carries serious safety concerns, especially for the heart and during pregnancy. There is very little reliable human evidence that it works, and reports of harm—including serious problems in newborns—make it an herb most people should avoid without close professional supervision.

Read the full Blue Cohosh monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bosentan

What Is Bosentan Used For?

Brand name: Tracleer

Bosentan is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. In adults, it helps improve the ability to exercise and slows how quickly the disease gets worse.

In children aged 3 years and older with idiopathic (no known cause) or congenital (present from birth) PAH, bosentan is used to lower resistance in the lung blood vessels, which is expected to improve exercise ability. Tracleer is one brand approved for both adults and pediatric patients with PAH.

See full Bosentan drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Blue Cohosh

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

0Major
258Moderate
0Minor
2,571No known interaction
Moderate

258 interactions

Showing 60 of 258 moderate interactions — see all 258 on the Blue Cohosh page.

No interaction 2,571 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 Blue Cohosh and Bosentan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Blue Cohosh with Bosentan?
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 Blue Cohosh and Bosentan 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 Bosentan and Blue Cohosh?

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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.