Drug & supplement interaction

Butternut + Ethacrynic Acid

Ethacrynic Acid brand name: Edecrin.

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

Butternut has a moderate interaction with Ethacrynic Acid. Butternut has stimulant laxative effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Butternut and Ethacrynic Acid

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

Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Ethacrynic Acid

Ethacrynic Acid falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Butternut interacts with.

Butternut has stimulant laxative effects. Theoretically, overuse of butternut might compound diuretic-induced potassium loss. There is some concern that people receiving butternut along with potassium-depleting diuretics might be at an increased risk for hypokalemia.
Some diuretics that can deplete potassium include chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, Microzide), and 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 simple version: ethacrynic acid (Edecrin) is a strong water pill that makes you pee out extra fluid and salt. One thing it can also flush out is potassium, a mineral your heart and muscles need. Butternut, used as a folk laxative, may make your bowels lose fluid and potassium too. Put them together and the worry is that your potassium could dip too low (called hypokalemia).

Low potassium can show up as muscle cramps, weakness, fatigue, or an irregular heartbeat. To be fair, this is a theoretical concern based on how each works, not solid proof, and occasional culinary exposure is unlikely to matter. Still, regular butternut supplement use plus a powerful diuretic is worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Butternut Also Interacts With Other Medications

Butternut has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ethacrynic Acid one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 No known interaction 2,709 (incl. Ethacrynic Acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Butternut

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Butternut or Ethacrynic Acid

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

This page covers Butternut only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethacrynic Acid page lists 201 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), Lithium (major) and Oleander (major).

By severity: 7 major · 170 moderate · 24 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethacrynic Acid page

“Ethacrynic acid (Edecrin) is a potent loop diuretic, a water pill used to pull off serious fluid buildup, and its supplement list deserves genuine care, starting with the seven entries rated major. Most of the 201 interactions on file either stack with its blood-pressure-lowering effect, risking dizziness or faintness, or work against…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethacrynic Acid interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 168 real supplement products containing Butternut, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Butternut. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ethacrynic Acid too, on top of Butternut — 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 Butternut and Ethacrynic Acid 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 Butternut
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethacrynic Acid
Top half

#1,042 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 Butternut

What is Butternut?

  • Constipation (laxative)
  • Digestive complaints
  • Skin conditions
  • Traditional 'liver' or 'cleansing' remedy
  • Mild laxative in herbal blends

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is a North American tree whose inner bark was traditionally used as a mild laxative and folk remedy. Modern scientific evidence supporting any of its uses is very limited, and it can cause stomach cramping and other effects, so it should be used cautiously and only with guidance from a healthcare professional.

Read the full Butternut monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ethacrynic Acid

What Is Ethacrynic Acid Used For?

Brand name: Edecrin

Ethacrynic acid tablets (sold as Edecrin and Ethacrynic Acid) are used to treat edema — excess fluid that builds up in the body — when other, milder diuretics aren't strong enough. It treats edema related to congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney disease, including nephrotic syndrome (a kidney condition that causes protein loss and swelling).

It is also used for short-term management of fluid buildup from malignancy (cancer-related ascites), idiopathic edema (swelling with no clear cause), and lymphedema (swelling from a blocked lymph system). In hospitalized children (not infants), it may be used short-term for edema related to congenital heart disease or nephrotic syndrome.

See full Ethacrynic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Butternut

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
121 Moderate 2,708 No interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Butternut page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,708 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Butternut list.

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

Can you take Butternut with Ethacrynic Acid?
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 Butternut and Ethacrynic Acid 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 Ethacrynic Acid and Butternut?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.