Drug & supplement interaction

Caprylic Acid + Nifedipine

Nifedipine brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, and others.

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

Caprylic Acid has a moderate interaction with Nifedipine. Theoretically, caprylic acid might increase the risk of hypotension when used with antihypertensive drugs.

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

Caprylic Acid and Nifedipine

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Nifedipine

Nifedipine falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Caprylic Acid interacts with.

Theoretically, caprylic acid might increase the risk of hypotension when used with antihypertensive drugs.
Animal research suggests that caprylic acid might have positive inotropic effects, resulting in reduced arterial pressure and vascular resistance and increased cardiac output.
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 nifedipine and caprylic acid. Nifedipine already relaxes your blood vessels to bring your blood pressure down. The concern is that caprylic acid might nudge blood pressure a little lower too, so stacking the two could add up and leave you feeling dizzy, lightheaded, flushed, or like your heart is racing, especially when you stand up quickly.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. It's only a theoretical worry based on animal studies, not solid human data, so it may not amount to much in real life. Food amounts (like coconut oil in cooking) are very unlikely to matter. If you're considering a concentrated caprylic acid supplement, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kristev A, Mitkov D, Lukanov Y, Chapkynov P. The effect of octanoic fatty acid on the cardiovascular system of the guinea pig. Cor Vasa 1989;31(4):321-7.

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

Caprylic Acid Also Interacts With Other Medications

Caprylic Acid has 261 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Nifedipine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 261 No known interaction 2,569 (incl. Nifedipine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Caprylic Acid

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Caprylic Acid or Nifedipine

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

This page covers Caprylic Acid only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nifedipine page lists 273 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), Beer (major) and Coca (major).

By severity: 11 major · 223 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nifedipine page

“Nifedipine (Procardia XL, Adalat) relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure and ease chest pain, and I would handle this list with real care, since 11 of its 273 entries carry a major rating. Grapefruit is the one to know cold.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nifedipine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 514 real supplement products containing Caprylic Acid, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Caprylic Acid. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Nifedipine too, on top of Caprylic 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 Caprylic Acid and Nifedipine 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 Caprylic Acid
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nifedipine
Top half

#738 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 Caprylic Acid

What is Caprylic Acid?

Caprylic Acid
  • Candida and yeast overgrowth
  • Gut health support
  • Antimicrobial
  • Digestive health
  • Part of ketogenic diets

Caprylic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil that is popularly used for yeast overgrowth and gut health. While laboratory studies show it has antimicrobial activity, strong human evidence for most supplement claims is limited. It is generally considered safe in food amounts, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Caprylic Acid monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nifedipine

What Is Nifedipine Used For?

Brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, Nifed, Procardia, Adalat XL, Adalat CC, Adalat LA, Adalat Retard, Adipine MR, Adipine XL, Cardilate MR, Coracten SR, Coracten XL, Fortipine LA 40, Hypolar Retard 20, Nifedipress MR, Nifopress Retard, Tensipine MR

Nifedipine treats high blood pressure (hypertension), chronic stable angina (chest pain brought on by physical effort), and vasospastic angina (chest pain caused by spasm of the coronary arteries, sometimes called Prinzmetal's angina). Lowering blood pressure with nifedipine helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

The capsule form is approved for vasospastic angina and chronic stable angina only — it is not approved for high blood pressure. The extended-release tablet (including Procardia) covers all three uses: vasospastic angina, chronic stable angina, and high blood pressure.

See full Nifedipine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Caprylic Acid

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

0Major
261Moderate
0Minor
2,568No known interaction
261 Moderate 2,568 No interaction
Moderate

261 interactions

Showing 60 of 261 moderate interactions — see all 261 on the Caprylic Acid page.

No interaction 2,568 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,568 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Caprylic Acid list.

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

Can you take Caprylic Acid with Nifedipine?
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 Caprylic Acid and Nifedipine 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 Nifedipine and Caprylic 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.