Drug & supplement interaction

Cascara Sagrada + Beclometasone dipropionate

Beclometasone dipropionate brand name: Becotide.

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

Beclometasone dipropionate falls into 2 drug categories that Cascara Sagrada can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, cascara sagrada might increase the risk of hypokalemia when taken with corticosteroids.

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

Cascara Sagrada and Beclometasone dipropionate

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CORTICOSTEROIDS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Beclometasone dipropionate

Beclometasone dipropionate falls under CORTICOSTEROIDS — the group Cascara Sagrada interacts with.

Theoretically, cascara sagrada might increase the risk of hypokalemia when taken with corticosteroids.
Cascara sagrada has stimulant laxative effects, and long-term use has been associated with hypokalemia.
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 short version for these two. Cascara sagrada is a stimulant laxative, and when used for a long stretch it can flush potassium out of your body, leaving levels too low (called hypokalemia). Corticosteroids like beclometasone can also nudge potassium down. So the worry is that the two together might add up and push your potassium lower than is comfortable.

Now, the good news: beclometasone in Becotide is usually inhaled, so very little gets into your bloodstream, which makes a big potassium drop unlikely. This concern is also theoretical, based on how the two work rather than real reports. Occasional, short-term laxative use is far less of an issue than daily long-term use. If you notice muscle weakness, cramps, or an irregular heartbeat, check in with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Beclometasone dipropionate also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, cascara sagrada might decrease the effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that cascara sagrada can induce CYP3A4 enzymes, albeit to a much lower degree than rifampin, a known CYP3A4 inducer.
Severity Minor 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 for your inhaler: beclometasone is partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Lab studies hint that cascara sagrada might speed that enzyme up a little, which could in theory make your body break down beclometasone faster and leave a bit less of it around. For an inhaled steroid you take for asthma, that would mean slightly weaker control, not more side effects.

Honestly, I wouldn't lose sleep over this one. The evidence is only from test-tube studies, the effect was much weaker than known enzyme boosters like rifampin, and inhaled beclometasone works mostly right in your airways with very little reaching the liver. Still, if your breathing seems harder to control while using cascara, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mazzari ALDA, Lacerda MG, Milton FA, et al. In vitro effects of European and Latin-American medicinal plants in CYP3A4 gene expression, glutathione levels, and P-glycoprotein activity. Front Pharmacol 2022;13:826395. 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

Cascara Sagrada Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cascara Sagrada has 121 moderate, 623 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Beclometasone dipropionate one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 Minor 623 No known interaction 2,086 (incl. Beclometasone dipropionate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cascara Sagrada

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Beclometasone dipropionate

This page covers Cascara Sagrada only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Beclometasone dipropionate page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 162 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Beclometasone dipropionate page

“Beclometasone dipropionate (Becotide) is a corticosteroid used daily to control asthma and nasal inflammation, and its 202 interacting supplements deserve real vigilance. Four rate major: grapefruit and St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Beclometasone dipropionate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 849 real supplement products containing Cascara Sagrada, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cascara Sagrada. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Beclometasone dipropionate too, on top of Cascara Sagrada — 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 Cascara Sagrada and Beclometasone dipropionate 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 Cascara Sagrada
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Beclometasone dipropionate
Steady interest

#2,221 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 Cascara Sagrada

What is Cascara Sagrada?

Cascara Sagrada
  • Constipation
  • Bowel cleansing before procedures
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Traditional liver and gallbladder remedy

Cascara sagrada is a stimulant laxative made from the aged bark of a Pacific Northwest tree, used mainly for short-term relief of constipation. Because it can cause cramping, dehydration, and electrolyte problems—and was removed from over-the-counter laxative products in the U.S. due to safety concerns—it should only be used briefly, if at all, and with guidance from a pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Cascara Sagrada monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cascara Sagrada

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

0Major
121Moderate
623Minor
2,085No known interaction
121 Moderate 623 Minor 2,085 No interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

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

Minor

623 interactions

Showing 60 of 623 minor interactions — see all 623 on the Cascara Sagrada page.

No interaction 2,085 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,085 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cascara Sagrada list.

See the full Cascara Sagrada interactions page
See every supplement checked against Beclometasone dipropionate, 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
Cascara Sagrada monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Beclometasone dipropionate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Beclometasone dipropionate, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cascara Sagrada and Beclometasone dipropionate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cascara Sagrada with Beclometasone dipropionate?
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 Cascara Sagrada and Beclometasone dipropionate?
Beclometasone dipropionate belongs to more than one drug category, and Cascara Sagrada 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 Cascara Sagrada and Beclometasone dipropionate 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

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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.