Drug & supplement interaction

Buchu + Abiraterone

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

Buchu has a moderate interaction with Abiraterone. Buchu contains pulegone, a known hepatotoxin.

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

Buchu and Abiraterone

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Abiraterone

Abiraterone falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Buchu interacts with.

Buchu contains pulegone, a known hepatotoxin. There is some concern that buchu may adversely affect the liver, especially when the leaf is used in large doses or the oil is ingested. Theoretically, concomitant use with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of liver damage. Some of these drugs include acarbose (Precose, Prandase), amiodarone (Cordarone), atorvastatin (Lipitor), azathioprine (Imuran), carbamazepine (Tegretol), cerivastatin (Baycol), diclofenac (Voltaren), felbamate (Felbatol), fenofibrate (Tricor), fluvastatin (Lescol), gemfibrozil (Lopid), isoniazid, itraconazole, (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), leflunomide (Arava), lovastatin (Mevacor), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), nevirapine (Viramune), niacin, nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin), pioglitazone (Actos), pravastatin (Pravachol), pyrazinamide, rifampin (Rifadin), ritonavir (Norvir), rosiglitazone (Avandia), simvastatin (Zocor), tacrine (Cognex), tamoxifen, terbinafine (Lamisil), valproic acid, and zileuton (Zyflo)
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 buchu and abiraterone. Abiraterone can already put stress on your liver, which is why your doctor checks liver blood tests (your liver enzymes) regularly while you're on it. Buchu leaf contains a compound called pulegone that may be hard on the liver too, especially in concentrated supplement form or if the essential oil is swallowed. Stacking two things that can irritate the liver may add up.

To be fair, this is a theoretical concern based on how these compounds behave, not on solid human studies, so try not to panic. Still, watch for yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness, and run any buchu product by your oncologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Moolla A, Viljoen AM. 'Buchu' - Agathosma betulina and Agathosma crenulata (Retaceae): a review. J Ethnopharmacol 2008;119(3):413-9.

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

Buchu Also Interacts With Other Medications

Buchu has 480 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Abiraterone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 480 No known interaction 2,350 (incl. Abiraterone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Buchu

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Buchu or Abiraterone

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

This page covers Buchu only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Abiraterone page lists 181 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 137 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Abiraterone page

“Six of the 181 supplement entries on file for abiraterone (Zytiga), a hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer, are rated major, and those six deserve your attention first. Grapefruit and St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Abiraterone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 128 real supplement products containing Buchu, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Buchu. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Abiraterone too, on top of Buchu — 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 Buchu and Abiraterone 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 Buchu
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Abiraterone
Steady interest

#1,637 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 Buchu

What is Buchu?

Buchu
  • Urinary tract complaints
  • Diuretic (increasing urine flow)
  • Bloating and fluid retention
  • Mild digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial/antiseptic use
  • Flavoring and fragrance

Buchu is a fragrant South African shrub whose leaves are traditionally used for urinary and bladder complaints and as a diuretic. Solid human studies are lacking, so its benefits are largely unproven, and it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have kidney or liver problems.

Read the full Buchu monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Abiraterone

What Is Abiraterone Used For?

Abiraterone acetate tablets are used to treat two types of advanced prostate cancer: metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC — cancer that has spread and keeps growing despite low testosterone levels) and metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC — cancer that has spread but still responds to hormone-lowering treatment). It is always taken together with a corticosteroid — most products pair with prednisone, while Yonsa is specifically indicated with methylprednisolone.

All products — including Abiraterone, Abiraterone Acetate, Abirtega, Yonsa, and Zytiga — are taken by mouth as a tablet. Yonsa is approved only for metastatic CRPC, while the other products (Abiraterone, Abiraterone Acetate, Abirtega, and Zytiga) are approved for both metastatic CRPC and metastatic high-risk CSPC.

See full Abiraterone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Buchu

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

0Major
480Moderate
0Minor
2,349No known interaction
480 Moderate 2,349 No interaction
Moderate

480 interactions

Showing 60 of 480 moderate interactions — see all 480 on the Buchu page.

No interaction 2,349 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,349 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Buchu list.

See the full Buchu interactions page
See every supplement checked against Abiraterone, 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
Buchu monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Abiraterone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Abiraterone, ranked by severity Abiraterone 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 Buchu and Abiraterone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Buchu with Abiraterone?
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 Buchu and Abiraterone 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 Abiraterone and Buchu?

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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.