Drug & supplement interaction

Cascara Sagrada + Mineral Oil

Mineral Oil brand name: Kondremul Plain.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil 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 label for Mineral Oil states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil

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 Mineral Oil and Cascara Sagrada 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.

Cascara Sagrada safety at a glance

Cascara Sagrada overall Use caution It may help short-term constipation but carries real risks, especially with long-term use.
Pregnancy Avoid Stimulant laxatives like cascara are generally not recommended during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Cascara sagrada is excreted into breast milk and might cause diarrhea. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Mineral Oil and Cascara Sagrada? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Mineral Oil

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Mineral Oil is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Cascara Sagrada has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being corticosteroids (moderate), digoxin (lanoxin) (moderate) and diuretic drugs (moderate) — and none of Mineral Oil’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

Cascara Sagrada Does Interact With Other Medications

Cascara Sagrada has 122 moderate, 623 minor known drug interactions in our database — Mineral Oil isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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.

What to actually watch for

What Cascara Sagrada Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Mineral Oil. It is the side-effect record for Cascara Sagrada on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Cascara Sagrada, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    “There is some concern about potential liver problems with cascara sagrada. In some cases, cascara sagrada bark 750-1275 mg (containing approximately 21 mg cascaroside) daily in divided doses for three days resulted in cholestatic hepatitis, ascites, and portal hypertension. Symptoms resolved following discontinuation of cascara sagrada.”

    Cascara Sagrada · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 6895. Nadir A, Reddy D, Van Thiel DH. Cascara-sagrada induced intrahepatic cholestasis causing portal hypertension: case report and review of herbal hepatotoxicity. Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:3634-7. PubMed
    2. 92306. Nakasone ES, Tokeshi J. A serendipitous find: a case of cholangiocarcinoma identified incidentally after acute liver injury due to cascara sagrada ingestion. Hawaii J Med Public Health 2015;74(6):200-2.
  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, cascara sagrada seem to be well tolerated when used appropriately, short-term.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Mild abdominal discomfort and cramps.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Hepatotoxicity. Fresh or improperly aged cascara sagrada bark can cause severe vomiting.”

    Cascara Sagrada · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

  • Stomach upset / Vomiting Additional detail

    “Orally, cascara sagrada can commonly cause mild abdominal discomfort, colic, and cramps (4). In some cases, chronic use can cause pseudomelanosis coli. Pseudomelanosis coli (pigment spots in intestinal mucosa) is believed to be harmless, usually reverses with discontinuation, and is not directly associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal adenoma or carcinoma.

    Fresh or improperly aged cascara sagrada b…”

    Cascara Sagrada · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in colorectal adenoma.

    4 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 6138. Nusko G, Schneider B, Schneider I, et al. Anthranoid laxative use is not a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia: results of a prospective case control study. Gut 2000;46:651-5. PubMed
    3. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    4. 92307. Cirillo C, Capasso R. Constipation and botanical medicines: an overview. Phytother Res 2015;29(10):1488-93. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Cascara Sagrada — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Mineral Oil to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Mineral Oil.

Special populations

Cascara Sagrada in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Cascara sagrada is excreted into breast milk and might cause diarrhea.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Mineral Oil Products Have a Food Rule — Cascara Sagrada Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Mineral Oil says to take it with food. If you take Cascara Sagrada on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Mineral Oil with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Mineral Oil products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Directions: * Do not take with meals.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Mineral Oil — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Mineral Oil drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Mineral Oil Is Prescribed For, and What Cascara Sagrada Has Been Studied For

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

Mineral Oil is prescribed for: Mineral oil is mostly used for occasional constipation. Oral liquids and oils and rectal enemas are labeled for this. Some products have other uses. Fleet and Leader Ready to Use Mineral Oil enemas are also labeled for fecal impaction (hard stool stuck in the rectum) and for removing residue after a barium test.

Read the rest of what Mineral Oil is prescribed for

Humco Mineral Oil Light (topical) is used to help treat and prevent diaper rash.

Cascara Sagrada has been studied for:

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

    Cascara Sagrada for constipation

    It is unclear if oral cascara sagrada is beneficial in patients with constipation.

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 Mineral Oil on your own; if you are taking Cascara Sagrada 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 Mineral Oil

This page covers Cascara Sagrada only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Mineral Oil page lists 17 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), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Mineral Oil page

“Everything on record for mineral oil (Kondremul Plain) comes down to one theme, absorption in the gut, and it deserves genuine care, chiefly because of activated charcoal. Charcoal binds a wide array of medicines and can sharply cut how much of them the body actually takes in, and it carries this list's only major rating, so understand…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Mineral Oil 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. Even though Cascara Sagrada itself has no known interaction with Mineral Oil, 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 Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Mineral Oil
Top 25%

#394 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 Cascara Sagrada reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 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.

Frangula purshiana · Rhamnaceae · Dried, aged bark · Capsules, tablets, dried bark, liquid extract, tea

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

Cascara Sagrada: dosing

There is no single official standardized dose for cascara sagrada supplements, and products vary in strength. The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and use the lowest amount that works.As a general rule, stimulant laxatives like cascara are meant for short-term use only—typically no more than about one week unless a doctor advises otherwise. Aged (cured) bark should always be used, never fresh bark.

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

Read the full Cascara Sagrada monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Mineral Oil

What Is Mineral Oil Used For?

Brand name: Kondremul Plain

Mineral oil is mostly used for occasional constipation. Oral liquids and oils and rectal enemas are labeled for this.

Some products have other uses. Fleet and Leader Ready to Use Mineral Oil enemas are also labeled for fecal impaction (hard stool stuck in the rectum) and for removing residue after a barium test. Humco Mineral Oil Light (topical) is used to help treat and prevent diaper rash.

See full Mineral Oil drug information
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
122Moderate
623Minor
2,084No known interaction
Moderate

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 moderate interactions — see all 122 on the Cascara Sagrada page.

Minor

623 interactions

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

No interaction 2,084 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 2,084 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cascara Sagrada list.

Evidence & sources

Cascara Sagrada References

The 9 references that drive our Cascara Sagrada 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. 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.
  3. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  4. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
  5. Nusko G, Schneider B, Schneider I, et al. Anthranoid laxative use is not a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia: results of a prospective case control study. Gut 2000;46:651-5. PubMed
  6. Nadir A, Reddy D, Van Thiel DH. Cascara-sagrada induced intrahepatic cholestasis causing portal hypertension: case report and review of herbal hepatotoxicity. Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:3634-7. PubMed
  7. Nakasone ES, Tokeshi J. A serendipitous find: a case of cholangiocarcinoma identified incidentally after acute liver injury due to cascara sagrada ingestion. Hawaii J Med Public Health 2015;74(6):200-2.
  8. Cirillo C, Capasso R. Constipation and botanical medicines: an overview. Phytother Res 2015;29(10):1488-93. PubMed
  9. 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

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 Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Cascara Sagrada with Mineral Oil?
We do not list a known interaction between Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil. 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.
Should I take Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Mineral Oil says to take it with food. If you take Cascara Sagrada on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Mineral Oil with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Mineral Oil products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil 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 Cascara Sagrada in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Mineral Oil is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Cascara Sagrada and Mineral Oil combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Mineral Oil is filed under 1 classification, and Cascara Sagrada has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Mineral Oil'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 Cascara Sagrada interact with any other medications?
Yes. Cascara Sagrada has 745 documented drug interactions in our database — Mineral Oil 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 Mineral Oil interact with any supplements?
Yes. Mineral Oil has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Cascara Sagrada is not one of them. The Mineral Oil interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Mineral Oil and Cascara Sagrada?

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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.