Drug & supplement interaction

Boldo + Dexamethasone

Dexamethasone brand names: Decadron, Hexadrol, Dexone, Ozurdex, Dexycu, and others.

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 Boldo and Dexamethasone 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

Boldo and Dexamethasone

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 Dexamethasone and Boldo 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.

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.

Boldo safety at a glance

Boldo overall Use caution May be used short-term in low doses, but the ascaridole in the leaf and oil can harm the liver.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of... 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 Dexamethasone and Boldo? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Dexamethasone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Dexamethasone is filed under 8 classifications — including corticosteroids, cytochrome p450 2b6 (cyp2b6) substrates, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers. Boldo has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), hepatotoxic drugs (moderate) and lithium (moderate) — and none of Dexamethasone’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Boldo Does Interact With Other Medications

Boldo has 482 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Dexamethasone isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 482 No known interaction 2,348 (incl. Dexamethasone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Boldo

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Boldo and Dexamethasone 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Fainting / An irregular heartbeat Worth acting on Additional detail

    Boldo

    “In one report, a 39-year-old obese female developed palpitations and syncope after taking a weight loss supplement containing a combination of boldo, dandelion, and bladderwrack for 3 weeks. The patient was found to have prolonged QT-interval on ECG and frequent episodes of sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.”

    Boldo · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in obesity.

    1 source cited
    1. 14321. Agarwal SC, Crook JR, Pepper CB. Herbal remedies -- how safe are they? A case report of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation induced by herbal medication used for obesity. Int J Cardiol 2006;106:260-1. PubMed

    Dexamethasone

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

  • A fast or pounding heartbeat Additional detail

    Boldo

    Recorded for Boldo in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Fainting / An irregular heartbeat above.

    Dexamethasone

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

  • Tiredness reported in 5.8% of FDA reports for Dexamethasone Additional detail

    Boldo

    “Orally, boldo is thought to potentially cause hepatotoxicity. The volatile oil from the boldo leaf contains the liver toxin, ascaridole. In one case report, a manufacturer of an herbal laxative reformulated their product to contain boldo.”

    Boldo · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in alcohol-related liver disease.

    3 sources cited
    1. 13178. Piscaglia F, Leoni S, Venturi A, et al. Caution in the use of boldo in herbal laxatives: a case of hepatotoxicity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005;40:236-9. PubMed
    2. 100304. Ribeiro RJ, Silvestre C, Duarte C. Hidden risks of alternative medicines: a case of boldo-induced hepatotoxicity. J Diet Suppl 2017;14(2):186-90. PubMed
    3. 106431. Oliveira Sá A, Pimentel T, Oliveira N. Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Case of Unexplained Jaundice. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020;7(12):002116. PubMed

    Dexamethasone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Dexamethasone, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Boldo

    “Orally, boldo is generally well tolerated when used in amounts commonly found in foods. However, when used in medicinal amounts, boldo can cause significant adverse effects such as hepatotoxicity. There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of topical boldo;”

    Boldo · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    “Topically, boldo can be irritating when applied to the skin (4). In one case report, a healthy 64-year-old patient experienced allergic contact dermatitis in an airborne pattern on the face, arms, and dorsum of both hands following airborne exposure to boldo. After exposure to boldo was avoided, the dermatitis resolved.”

    Boldo · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 106433. Valdes R, Feuereisen A, Bellinghausen M. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Boldo. Dermatitis 2021;32(2):e31-e32. PubMed

    Dexamethasone

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

  • Nausea / Vomiting reported in 4.8% of FDA reports for Dexamethasone Additional detail

    Boldo

    Recorded for Boldo in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A skin rash above.

    Dexamethasone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Dexamethasone, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Boldo but not commonly for Dexamethasone: stomach upset, liver problems, stomach pain and weight loss.

Effects for Dexamethasone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Boldo come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 308,307 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Dexamethasone that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Boldo in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of boldo is a liver toxin.

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 Boldo or Dexamethasone

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

This page covers Boldo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dexamethasone page lists 221 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 182 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dexamethasone page

“People take dexamethasone for serious reasons, a chemotherapy course, an autoimmune flare, brain swelling, so I want anyone on it to give its 221 supplement interactions genuine attention, starting with the four rated major. Grapefruit and St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dexamethasone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 173 real supplement products containing Boldo, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Boldo. Even though Boldo itself has no known interaction with Dexamethasone, 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 Boldo and Dexamethasone 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 Boldo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dexamethasone
Top 25%

#683 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 Boldo reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Boldo and Dexamethasone records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Boldo

What is Boldo?

Boldo
  • Indigestion and bloating
  • Mild constipation
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Appetite stimulation
  • Urinary complaints

Boldo is a South American shrub whose leaves are traditionally used for digestive and gallbladder complaints, but good human evidence is very limited. The leaves and oil contain ascaridole, which can be toxic to the liver, so only ascaridole-free products should be used and only for short periods. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Peumus boldus · Monimiaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Tea, dried leaf, tincture, capsules, essential oil

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

Boldo: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for boldo, and products vary widely in strength and in how much ascaridole they contain. Because of this, it is best to follow the directions on the product label and use it only for short periods.Choose products labeled as ascaridole-free when possible, and avoid the pure essential oil.

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

Read the full Boldo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dexamethasone

What Is Dexamethasone Used For?

Brand names: Decadron, Hexadrol, Dexone, Ozurdex, Dexycu, Hemady, Dextenza

Dexamethasone is used to treat a wide range of conditions depending on the form and route. Oral tablets and solutions treat severe allergic reactions (such as asthma, contact dermatitis, and seasonal allergic rhinitis), inflammatory skin diseases, endocrine disorders including adrenal insufficiency and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis, blood disorders, rheumatic conditions, kidney disease, and respiratory conditions including tuberculosis complications. Hemady (oral tablet) is specifically approved, in combination with other medicines, for multiple myeloma in adults. TaperDex (6-day and 12-day oral tablet packs) are used for the same broad range of allergic, inflammatory, and endocrine conditions.

Injectable forms (intramuscular and intravenous) are used when oral treatment is not possible, covering endocrine emergencies, shock, rheumatic disorders, and more. Eye-specific products treat different conditions: Dextenza (intracanalicular insert) treats eye inflammation and pain after eye surgery and itching from allergic conjunctivitis. Ozurdex (intravitreal implant) treats macular edema from retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular edema, and non-infectious uveitis in the back of the eye. Dexycu (intraocular injection) treats inflammation after eye surgery. Maxidex (ophthalmic suspension) and dexamethasone sodium phosphate eye drops treat steroid-responsive inflammatory conditions of the eye. The ophthalmic/otic solution also treats steroid-responsive inflammation of the outer ear canal. A topical ointment (Seacall) is used for skin conditions including contact dermatitis, eczema, and neurodermatitis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Dexamethasone

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (308,307 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 17,772 reports
Diarrhea 17,597 reports
Nausea 14,727 reports
Plasma cell myeloma 14,363 reports
Pneumonia 14,122 reports
See full Dexamethasone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Boldo

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

0Major
482Moderate
0Minor
2,347No known interaction
482 Moderate 2,347 No interaction
Moderate

482 interactions

Showing 60 of 482 moderate interactions — see all 482 on the Boldo page.

No interaction 2,347 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,347 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Boldo list.

See the full Boldo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dexamethasone, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Boldo References

The 10 references that drive our Boldo 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Lambert J, Cormier J. Potential interaction between warfarin and boldo-fenugreek. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:509-12. PubMed
  3. Piscaglia F, Leoni S, Venturi A, et al. Caution in the use of boldo in herbal laxatives: a case of hepatotoxicity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005;40:236-9. PubMed
  4. Agarwal SC, Crook JR, Pepper CB. Herbal remedies -- how safe are they? A case report of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation induced by herbal medication used for obesity. Int J Cardiol 2006;106:260-1. PubMed
  5. Teng, C. M., Hsueh, C. M., Chang, Y. L., Ko, F. N., Lee, S. S., and Liu, K. C. Antiplatelet effects of some aporphine and phenanthrene alkaloids in rabbits and man. J Pharm Pharmacol 1997;49(7):706-711. PubMed
  6. Carbajal R, Yisfalem A, Pradhan N, et al. Case report: Boldo (Peumus boldus) and tacrolimus interaction in a renal transplant patient. Transplant Proc 2014;46(7):2400-2. PubMed
  7. Almeida ER, Melo AM, Xavier H. Toxicological evaluation of the hydro-alcohol extract of the dry leaves of Peumus boldus and boldine in rats. Phytother Res 2000;14(2):99-102. DOI
  8. Ribeiro RJ, Silvestre C, Duarte C. Hidden risks of alternative medicines: a case of boldo-induced hepatotoxicity. J Diet Suppl 2017;14(2):186-90. PubMed
  9. Oliveira Sá A, Pimentel T, Oliveira N. Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Case of Unexplained Jaundice. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020;7(12):002116. PubMed
  10. Valdes R, Feuereisen A, Bellinghausen M. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Boldo. Dermatitis 2021;32(2):e31-e32. PubMed

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 Boldo and Dexamethasone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Boldo with Dexamethasone?
We do not list a known interaction between Boldo and Dexamethasone. 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 Boldo and Dexamethasone have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 7 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.
How was the Boldo and Dexamethasone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Dexamethasone is filed under 8 classifications, and Boldo has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Dexamethasone's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Boldo interact with any other medications?
Yes. Boldo has 482 documented drug interactions in our database — Dexamethasone is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Dexamethasone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Dexamethasone has documented interactions with 221 supplements in our database — Boldo is not one of them. The Dexamethasone 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

Boldo monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Dexamethasone drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Dexamethasone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Dexamethasone, 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 10 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Dexamethasone and Boldo?

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.