Drug & supplement interaction

Catechu + Ambrisentan

Ambrisentan brand names: Letairis, Volibris.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Catechu has a moderate interaction with Ambrisentan. Theoretically, concomitant use with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.

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

Catechu and Ambrisentan

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Ambrisentan

Ambrisentan falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Catechu interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Catechu might lower blood pressure.
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 for ambrisentan (Letairis, Volibris): this medicine widens the blood vessels in your lungs, and a side effect of that can be a drop in blood pressure. Catechu, the tannin-rich plant extract you're asking about, may also nudge blood pressure down a bit. Put the two together and, in theory, the lowering effect could add up.

I'll be honest with you, this concern comes only from lab and animal data, not real patient studies, so it's more of a 'keep an eye out' than a red alarm. If you ever feel dizzy, lightheaded, unusually tired, or like you might faint, especially when standing up, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

References
  1. Sham JS, Chiu KW, Pang PK. Hypotensive action of Acacia catechu. Planta Med 1984;50:177-80.

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

Catechu Also Interacts With Other Medications

Catechu has 474 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ambrisentan one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Catechu

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ambrisentan

This page covers Catechu only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ambrisentan page lists 256 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 Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 210 moderate · 37 minor.

Open the Ambrisentan interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 122 real supplement products containing Catechu, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Catechu. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ambrisentan too, on top of Catechu — 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 Catechu and Ambrisentan 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 Catechu
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ambrisentan
Steady interest

#1,564 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 Catechu

What is Catechu?

Catechu
  • Mouth and throat soreness
  • Diarrhea and digestive upset
  • Skin wounds and bleeding gums
  • Astringent gargles and rinses
  • Traditional remedy for inflammation

Catechu is an astringent extract made from the heartwood of the Acacia (Senegalia) catechu tree, used traditionally for mouth sores, sore throat, diarrhea, and minor skin problems. Strong human evidence is lacking for most uses, so it should be viewed as a traditional remedy rather than a proven treatment. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Read the full Catechu monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ambrisentan

What Is Ambrisentan Used For?

Brand names: Letairis, Volibris

Ambrisentan tablets and Letairis tablets are both used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group 1) — a condition where the blood pressure in the arteries leading to the lungs is dangerously high. Both are approved to help adults exercise better and slow the worsening of PAH.

Both ambrisentan tablets and Letairis are also approved to be used together with tadalafil (another PAH medicine) to further reduce the risk of disease progression, lower the chance of hospitalization for worsening PAH, and improve exercise ability. Most of the clinical evidence was in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms and PAH caused by unknown or inherited causes, or PAH linked to connective tissue diseases.

See full Ambrisentan drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Catechu

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

0Major
474Moderate
0Minor
2,355No known interaction
Moderate

474 interactions

Showing 60 of 474 moderate interactions — see all 474 on the Catechu page.

No interaction 2,355 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Catechu and Ambrisentan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Catechu with Ambrisentan?
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 Catechu and Ambrisentan 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 Ambrisentan and Catechu?

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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.