Drug & supplement interaction

Boneset + Phenylephrine

Phenylephrine brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Oct 4, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Boneset and Phenylephrine 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

Boneset and Phenylephrine

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 Phenylephrine and Boneset 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.

Boneset safety at a glance

Boneset overall Use caution Limited safety data and possible liver-toxic alkaloids mean it should be used carefully and short-term, if at all.

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Hepatotoxic PAs are common in this genus of plants; however, the alkaloids in boneset have not been adequately characterized to determine thei... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Hepatotoxic PAs are common in this genus of plants; however, the alkaloids in boneset have not been adequately characterized to determine thei... 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 Phenylephrine and Boneset? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Phenylephrine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications — including alpha-adrenergic agonists, stimulant drugs, serotonergic drugs. Boneset has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers (moderate) — and none of Phenylephrine’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

Boneset Does Interact With Other Medications

Boneset has 87 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 87 No known interaction 2,743 (incl. Phenylephrine)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Boneset

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Boneset and Phenylephrine 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.

Nausea / Vomiting reported in 7.6% of FDA reports for Phenylephrine Additional detail
Boneset
“Orally, boneset is reported to cause nausea and severe diarrhea and vomiting. Additionally, other plants in the Eupatorium genus contain the hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). However, the alkaloids in boneset have not been adequately characterized to determine their toxic potential. Liver toxicity and liver damage may be possible in high doses.”

Boneset · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.
2 sources cited

12842. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.

102557. Colegate SM, Upton R, Gardner DR, Panter KE, Betz JM. Potentially toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Eupatorium perfoliatum and three related species. Implications for herbal use as boneset. Phytochem Anal. 2018;29(6):613-626.
“Orally, boneset has been reported to cause nausea and severe diarrhea and vomiting.”

Boneset · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.
1 source cited

12842. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
Phenylephrine

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

Reported for Boneset but not commonly for Phenylephrine: liver problems and diarrhea.

Effects for Phenylephrine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Boneset come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 221,388 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Phenylephrine 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

Boneset in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Hepatotoxic PAs are common in this genus of plants; however, the alkaloids in boneset have not been adequately characterized to determine their toxic potential. Hepatotoxic PAs might be teratogenic; avoid using.

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

Overlapping uses

What Phenylephrine Is Prescribed For, and What Boneset Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Phenylephrine is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Boneset is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Phenylephrine is prescribed for: Phenylephrine is used in several different products, and each one has its own use. Injection (IV): raises blood pressure in adults with clinically important hypotension (low blood pressure) caused mainly by widened blood vessels. Some injections are labeled for anesthesia only. Others are labeled for anesthesia and septic shock.

Read the rest of what Phenylephrine is prescribed for

Eye drops: Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is used to dilate the pupil. Nasal products: temporarily relieve nasal and sinus congestion from the common cold, hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies. Rectal suppositories: relieve itching, burning and discomfort from hemorrhoids and temporarily shrink hemorrhoidal tissue.

Boneset has been studied for:

Common Cold studied, not established Boneset has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows
Boneset for common cold
Preliminary clinical research shows that taking a specific homeopathic product (Eupatorium perfoliatum D2) derived from boneset has a similar effect to aspirin on symptoms of the common cold.
1 source cited

36793. Gassinger, C. A., Wunstel, G., and Netter, P. [A controlled clinical trial for testing the efficacy of the homeopathic drug eupatorium perfoliatum D2 inthe treatment of common cold (author's transl)]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1981;31(4):732-736.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Phenylephrine on your own; if you are taking Boneset for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Boneset or Phenylephrine

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

This page covers Boneset only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenylephrine page lists 81 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 60 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenylephrine page

“If you take phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, Biorphen) for congestion, treat this list as one that needs real attention, since six of its 81 entries carry a major rating. Phenylephrine tightens blood vessels to clear your nose, and more than half of the interactions here come from stimulant ingredients, ephedra above all, that can push blood…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenylephrine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 118 real supplement products containing Boneset, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Boneset. Even though Boneset itself has no known interaction with Phenylephrine, 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 Boneset and Phenylephrine 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 Boneset

Top half

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

29 days ago today

Medication Phenylephrine

Top half

#714 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 Boneset reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The Boneset and Phenylephrine 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Boneset

What is Boneset?

Colds and flu
Fever
Body aches
Congestion
Immune support

Boneset is a traditional North American herb long used in teas for fevers, colds, and flu, but modern human studies are very limited. It contains compounds (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that may harm the liver, so it should be used cautiously and avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Eupatorium perfoliatum · Asteraceae · Dried above-ground parts (leaves and flowering tops) · Tea, tincture, capsules, dried herb

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

Boneset: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for boneset. Traditional preparations were usually made as a hot tea from the dried herb, but reliable modern dosing guidelines are not available.If you choose to use a commercial product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

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

Read the full Boneset monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Phenylephrine

What Is Phenylephrine Used For?

Brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen

Phenylephrine is used in several different products, and each one has its own use.

Injection (IV): raises blood pressure in adults with clinically important hypotension (low blood pressure) caused mainly by widened blood vessels. Some injections are labeled for anesthesia only. Others are labeled for anesthesia and septic shock.

Eye drops: Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is used to dilate the pupil.

Nasal products: temporarily relieve nasal and sinus congestion from the common cold, hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies.

Rectal suppositories: relieve itching, burning and discomfort from hemorrhoids and temporarily shrink hemorrhoidal tissue.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Phenylephrine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (221,388 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 20,609 reports

Headache 17,301 reports

Nausea 16,925 reports

Diarrhea 14,221 reports

Dyspnea 13,719 reports

See full Phenylephrine drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Boneset

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

0Major

87Moderate

0Minor

2,742No known interaction

87 Moderate 2,742 No interaction

Moderate

87 interactions

Showing 60 of 87 moderate interactions — see all 87 on the Boneset page.

No interaction 2,742 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,742 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Boneset list.

See the full Boneset interactions page

See every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Boneset References

The 5 references that drive our Boneset 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.

Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
Wang YP, Yan J, Fu PP, Chou MW. Human liver microsomal reduction of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides to form the corresponding carcinogenic parent alkaloid. Toxicol Lett 2005;155:411-20. PubMed
Gassinger, C. A., Wunstel, G., and Netter, P. [A controlled clinical trial for testing the efficacy of the homeopathic drug eupatorium perfoliatum D2 inthe treatment of common cold (author's transl)]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1981;31(4):732-736.
Colegate SM, Upton R, Gardner DR, Panter KE, Betz JM. Potentially toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Eupatorium perfoliatum and three related species. Implications for herbal use as boneset. Phytochem Anal. 2018;29(6):613-626.

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 Boneset and Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Boneset with Phenylephrine?

We do not list a known interaction between Boneset and Phenylephrine. 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 Boneset and Phenylephrine have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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.

Are Boneset and Phenylephrine used for the same thing?

They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Boneset in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Phenylephrine is being adjusted to a target.

How was the Boneset and Phenylephrine combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications, and Boneset has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Phenylephrine'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 Boneset interact with any other medications?

Yes. Boneset has 87 documented drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine 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 Phenylephrine interact with any supplements?

Yes. Phenylephrine has documented interactions with 81 supplements in our database — Boneset is not one of them. The Phenylephrine 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

Boneset monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Phenylephrine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Phenylephrine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Phenylephrine and Boneset?

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.