Drug & supplement interaction

Capers + Orlistat

Orlistat brand names: Xenical, Alli.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Capers and Orlistat 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

Capers and Orlistat

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 Orlistat and Capers 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.

Capers safety at a glance

Capers overall Use caution Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements are not well studied.
Pregnancy Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but avoid medicinal or concentrated doses due to lack of safety data.
Breastfeeding Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but concentrated supplements lack safety data, so caution is advised.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Orlistat and Capers? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Orlistat

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Orlistat is filed under 2 classifications — including oral drugs. Capers has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Orlistat’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

Capers Does Interact With Other Medications

Capers has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Orlistat isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Orlistat)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Capers

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Capers and Orlistat May Share a Side Effect

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.

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Capers

    “Orally, capers seem to be well tolerated. No adverse effects have been reported in clinical research; however, a high-quality assessment of safety has not been conducted. Topically, capers can cause contact dermatitis.”

    Capers · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 96124. Huseini HF, Hasani-Rnjbar S, Nayebi N, et al. Capparis spinosa L. (Caper) fruit extract in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2013;21(5):447-52. PubMed
    2. 12742. Angelini G, Vena GA, Filotico R, et al. Allergic contact dermatitis from Capparis spinosa L. applied as wet compresses. Contact Dermatitis 1991;24:382-3.

    “Topically, capers can cause contact dermatitis.”

    Capers · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 12742. Angelini G, Vena GA, Filotico R, et al. Allergic contact dermatitis from Capparis spinosa L. applied as wet compresses. Contact Dermatitis 1991;24:382-3.

    Orlistat

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Orlistat. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Orlistat come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Capers come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 25,755 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Orlistat 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.

Overlapping uses

What Orlistat Is Prescribed For, and What Capers Has Been Studied For

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

Orlistat is prescribed for: Xenical and prescription-strength orlistat are approved to help obese adults lose weight and keep it off when used with a reduced-calorie diet. They are intended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher if other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol or fat levels in the blood) are present. Alli is the over-the-counter version, approved for weight loss in overweight adults 18 and older when used with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise program.

Capers has been studied for:

  • Diabetes studied, not established Capers has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Capers for diabetes

    Preliminary clinical research shows that taking caper fruit extract 400 mg three times daily for 2 months reduces fasting blood glucose by 20 mg/dL and improves glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by 0.4% when compared to baseline in patients with type 2 diabetes who are already taking antidiabetes drugs. These improvements were significant when compared with the placebo group.

    2 sources cited
    1. 96124. Huseini HF, Hasani-Rnjbar S, Nayebi N, et al. Capparis spinosa L. (Caper) fruit extract in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2013;21(5):447-52. PubMed
    2. 101895. Vahid H, Bonakdaran S, Khorasani ZM, et al. Effect of Capparis spinosa extract on metabolic parameters in patients with type-2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2019;19(1):100-107. PubMed

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 Orlistat on your own; if you are taking Capers for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Orlistat

This page covers Capers only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Orlistat page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Fish Oil (moderate) and Glucomannan (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 8 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Orlistat page

“People who take Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) for weight loss often browse the very supplement aisle where fiber products and fish oil sit, and both show up on this page, so it deserves genuine attention before you mix anything in. Nearly all 18 ingredients on file can change how oral medications absorb from the gut, and the single major-ra…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Orlistat interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 53 real supplement products containing Capers, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Capers. Even though Capers itself has no known interaction with Orlistat, 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 Capers and Orlistat 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 Capers
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Orlistat
Top 25%

#429 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 Capers reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Capers and Orlistat 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 .
Supplement

About Capers

What is Capers?

  • Digestive support
  • Antioxidant source
  • Blood sugar support
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Skin and traditional tonic uses

Capers are the edible pickled flower buds of the Capparis spinosa shrub, used widely as food and in traditional medicine. They contain antioxidant plant compounds, but high-quality human studies on health benefits are limited, so the supplement claims remain largely unproven. As a food, capers are generally safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts.

Capparis spinosa · Capparaceae · Flower buds, fruit, root bark, and leaves · Pickled or brined buds (food), capsules, extracts, dried powder

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

Capers: dosing

There is no established standard dose for capers as a supplement. As a food, people simply use them as a flavoring in small amounts.For capsules or extracts, follow the directions on the product label, since strengths vary widely between brands.

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

Read the full Capers monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Orlistat

What Is Orlistat Used For?

Brand names: Xenical, Alli

Xenical and prescription-strength orlistat are approved to help obese adults lose weight and keep it off when used with a reduced-calorie diet. They are intended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher if other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol or fat levels in the blood) are present.

Alli is the over-the-counter version, approved for weight loss in overweight adults 18 and older when used with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise program.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Orlistat

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (25,755 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Rectal discharge 2,434 reports
Gastrointestinal disorder 2,186 reports
Constipation 1,991 reports
Diarrhea 1,960 reports
Weight increased 1,944 reports
See full Orlistat drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Capers

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Capers page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Capers list.

See the full Capers interactions page
See every supplement checked against Orlistat, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Capers References

The 3 references that drive our Capers 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.

  1. Angelini G, Vena GA, Filotico R, et al. Allergic contact dermatitis from Capparis spinosa L. applied as wet compresses. Contact Dermatitis 1991;24:382-3.
  2. Huseini HF, Hasani-Rnjbar S, Nayebi N, et al. Capparis spinosa L. (Caper) fruit extract in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2013;21(5):447-52. PubMed
  3. Vahid H, Bonakdaran S, Khorasani ZM, et al. Effect of Capparis spinosa extract on metabolic parameters in patients with type-2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2019;19(1):100-107. PubMed

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 Capers and Orlistat Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Capers with Orlistat?
We do not list a known interaction between Capers and Orlistat. 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 Capers and Orlistat have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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 Capers and Orlistat 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 Capers in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Orlistat is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Capers and Orlistat combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Orlistat is filed under 2 classifications, and Capers has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Orlistat'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 Capers interact with any other medications?
Yes. Capers has 86 documented drug interactions in our database — Orlistat 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 Orlistat interact with any supplements?
Yes. Orlistat has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Capers is not one of them. The Orlistat 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

Capers monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Orlistat drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Orlistat supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Orlistat, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Orlistat and Capers?

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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.