Drug & supplement interaction

Caffeic Acid + Cefuroxime

Cefuroxime brand names: Ceftin, Kefurox, Zinacef.

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

Cefuroxime falls into 2 drug categories that Caffeic Acid can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, caffeic acid might increase the levels and clinical effects of OAT3 substrates.

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

Caffeic Acid and Cefuroxime

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Cefuroxime

Cefuroxime falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES — the group Caffeic Acid interacts with.

Theoretically, caffeic acid might increase the levels and clinical effects of OAT3 substrates.
In vitro, caffeic acid inhibits OAT3. This drug transport protein is involved in renal tubular uptake of some drugs from the blood and then elimination in the urine. Inhibition of this transporters decreases renal elimination and increases drug levels in the body. Although caffeic acid inhibits OAT3 in vitro, the clinical significance of this in humans is not known.
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 basic idea with caffeic acid and your cefuroxime. Your kidneys help clear cefuroxime out of your body, partly using a little transporter called OAT3. In lab studies, caffeic acid appears to block that transporter. If that happened in a real person, cefuroxime could leave the body a bit more slowly and build up to slightly higher levels.

What does that mean day to day? Honestly, probably not much. This is only a theoretical concern based on test-tube research, not studies in people, so we don't know if it matters at all. Higher cefuroxime levels might mean a bit more stomach upset or diarrhea, but cefuroxime is generally well tolerated. The coffee and foods you normally eat are a non-issue. If you're considering a concentrated caffeic acid supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Uwai Y, Ozeki Y, Isaka T, et al. Inhibitory effect of caffeic acid on human organic anion transporters hOAT1 and hOAT3: a novel candidate for food-drug interaction. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2011;26:486-93. PubMed
Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Cefuroxime also falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, caffeic acid might increase the levels and clinical effects of OAT1 substrates.
In vitro, caffeic acid inhibits OAT1. This drug transport protein is involved in renal tubular uptake of some drugs from the blood and then elimination in the urine. Inhibition of this transporter decreases renal elimination and increases drug levels in the body. Although caffeic acid inhibits OAT1 in vitro, the clinical significance of this in humans is not known.
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 cefuroxime and caffeic acid. Your kidneys clear cefuroxime out of your body, and one of the little 'doormen' that helps move it into your urine is a transporter called OAT1. In lab dish studies, caffeic acid seems to block that doorman. If that also happened in people, cefuroxime might leave your body a bit slower and build up slightly, which in theory could mean more of its usual side effects like stomach upset, nausea, or loose stools.

That said, I want to be honest: this is only seen in test tube research, not in actual patients, so we really don't know if it matters in real life. Coffee and fruit amounts almost certainly won't be an issue. If you're taking a concentrated caffeic acid supplement, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on things.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Uwai Y, Ozeki Y, Isaka T, et al. Inhibitory effect of caffeic acid on human organic anion transporters hOAT1 and hOAT3: a novel candidate for food-drug interaction. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2011;26:486-93. 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

Caffeic Acid Also Interacts With Other Medications

Caffeic Acid has 176 moderate, 5 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Cefuroxime one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 176 Minor 5 No known interaction 2,649 (incl. Cefuroxime)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Caffeic Acid

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Caffeic Acid or Cefuroxime

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

This page covers Caffeic Acid only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cefuroxime page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 46 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cefuroxime page

“Cefuroxime (Ceftin, Zinacef) treats everyday infections like sinusitis and bronchitis, and three of its 60 listed supplement interactions rate major, enough that this page deserves unhurried attention. Two of those majors, Siberian cocklebur and asarabacca, can injure the kidneys on their own, an added burden for a drug your kidneys mu…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cefuroxime interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Caffeic Acid, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Caffeic Acid. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cefuroxime too, on top of Caffeic Acid — 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 Caffeic Acid and Cefuroxime 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 Caffeic Acid
Steady interest

#1,284 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cefuroxime
Top half

#1,239 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 Caffeic Acid

What is Caffeic Acid?

  • Antioxidant support
  • General anti-inflammatory use
  • Skin and sun protection (topical)
  • Immune support
  • Cancer-prevention interest (research stage)

Caffeic acid is a natural plant compound found in coffee, many fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and it is studied mainly for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Most evidence comes from laboratory and animal research, so its benefits in people are not yet proven. If you want to take it as a supplement, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Caffeic Acid monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cefuroxime

What Is Cefuroxime Used For?

Brand names: Ceftin, Kefurox, Zinacef

Cefuroxime Axetil tablets treat several common bacterial infections in adults and children, including strep throat, ear infections (in children who can swallow tablets), sinus infections, acute flare-ups of chronic bronchitis, uncomplicated skin infections, urinary tract infections, uncomplicated gonorrhea, and early Lyme disease.

The injectable forms — Cefuroxime and Cefuroxime sodium — are used in hospital or clinical settings to treat more serious infections, including pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, skin and skin-structure infections, septicemia (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord lining), gonorrhea, and bone and joint infections. The injectable forms are also used to help prevent infections in certain surgical procedures.

See full Cefuroxime drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Caffeic Acid

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

0Major
176Moderate
5Minor
2,648No known interaction
176 Moderate 5 Minor 2,648 No interaction
Moderate

176 interactions

Showing 60 of 176 moderate interactions — see all 176 on the Caffeic Acid page.

Minor

5 interactions

No interaction 2,648 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,648 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Caffeic Acid list.

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

Can you take Caffeic Acid with Cefuroxime?
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 Caffeic Acid and Cefuroxime?
Cefuroxime belongs to more than one drug category, and Caffeic Acid 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 Caffeic Acid and Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime and Caffeic Acid?

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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.