Drug & supplement interaction

Boldo + Diclofenac

Diclofenac brand name: Zorvolex.

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

Diclofenac falls into 2 drug categories that Boldo can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking boldo with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of hepatic injury and disease.

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

Boldo and Diclofenac

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Diclofenac

Diclofenac falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Boldo interacts with.

Theoretically, taking boldo with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of hepatic injury and disease.
Boldo leaf contains ascaridole, a known liver toxin. Many cases of hepatotoxicity, including elevated liver transaminase levels and jaundice, have been reported in patients taking boldo.
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 gist with Boldo and diclofenac. Diclofenac, like other NSAIDs, can occasionally stress the liver on its own. Boldo leaf contains a compound called ascaridole that can also be hard on the liver, and there are real-world reports of people developing liver inflammation or even jaundice while taking it. So the worry is mostly about adding two liver stressors together, not about boldo changing how strong your pain relief is.

To be fair, this is based on case reports and theory rather than solid studies, so the risk is uncertain. Still, if you notice yellowing of your eyes or skin, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness, check in promptly. Please talk with your pharmacist or doctor before combining these, especially if you take diclofenac regularly.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. 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. 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. 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
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Diclofenac also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, taking boldo with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding.
Animal and in vitro research shows that boldine, a constituent of boldo, has antiplatelet activity. In one case report, an adult taking a combination of boldo and fenugreek with warfarin experienced an increase in international normalized ratio (INR); however, it is unclear if this effect was due to boldo, fenugreek, the combination, or another factor.
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 short version: diclofenac is an NSAID, and like other drugs in its family, it can make it a little harder for your blood to clot and can irritate the stomach lining. Boldo, thanks to a compound called boldine, may have mild blood-thinning (antiplatelet) activity of its own. Put the two together and, in theory, you could nudge up your risk of bleeding or bruising.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. The evidence here is thin, mostly lab and animal research plus one murky case report. So this isn't a sure thing. Still, watch for signs like easy bruising, nosebleeds, dark stools, or stomach pain, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, especially if you already take other blood thinners.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lambert J, Cormier J. Potential interaction between warfarin and boldo-fenugreek. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:509-12. PubMed
  2. 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

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

Boldo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Boldo has 481 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Diclofenac one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 481 No known interaction 2,349 (incl. Diclofenac)
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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Boldo or Diclofenac

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 Diclofenac, 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 Diclofenac

This page covers Boldo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diclofenac page lists 306 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 265 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Diclofenac page

“Diclofenac (Zorvolex) is an NSAID pain reliever that already stresses the stomach lining and kidneys on its own, so treat this list as a real safety issue, not fine print. Two thirds of the 306 supplements on file can thin the blood or slow clotting, and stacked on an NSAID that raises the odds of stomach bleeding.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Diclofenac 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Diclofenac too, on top of Boldo — 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 Boldo and Diclofenac 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
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diclofenac
Top half

#763 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 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.

Read the full Boldo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diclofenac

What Is Diclofenac Used For?

Brand name: Zorvolex

Diclofenac sodium topical gel is used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) — rough, scaly skin patches that form after years of sun exposure. These patches are considered precancerous, meaning they can develop into skin cancer if left untreated.

This is a topical gel, meaning it is applied directly to the skin over the affected area rather than taken by mouth. It belongs to the NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) family.

See full Diclofenac 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
481Moderate
0Minor
2,348No known interaction
481 Moderate 2,348 No interaction
Moderate

481 interactions

Showing 60 of 481 moderate interactions — see all 481 on the Boldo page.

No interaction 2,348 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 2,348 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Boldo list.

See the full Boldo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Diclofenac, 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
Boldo monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Diclofenac supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Diclofenac, ranked by severity Diclofenac drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Boldo and Diclofenac Together: Common Questions

Can you take Boldo with Diclofenac?
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 Boldo and Diclofenac?
Diclofenac belongs to more than one drug category, and Boldo 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 Boldo and Diclofenac 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 Diclofenac and Boldo?

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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.