Drug & supplement interaction

Cereus + Norgestrel

Norgestrel brand names: Ovrette, Orval 21.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Cereus and Norgestrel 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.

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Interaction report

Cereus and Norgestrel

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 Norgestrel and Cereus 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.

Cereus safety at a glance

Cereus overall Use caution Limited safety data and possible effects on the heart make professional guidance important.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data, so avoid while breastfeeding.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Norgestrel

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Norgestrel is filed under 5 classifications — including contraceptive drugs, cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) inhibitors, hepatotoxic drugs. Cereus has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being digoxin (lanoxin) (moderate) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (maois) (moderate) — and none of Norgestrel’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

Cereus Does Interact With Other Medications

Cereus has 10 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Norgestrel 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 Cereus

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

What to actually watch for

What Cereus Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Norgestrel. It is the side-effect record for Cereus on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Cereus, this list is the first place to look.

  • Itching / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, fresh cereus juice may cause burning of the mouth, queasiness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (4,18).

    Topically, it may cause itching and skin pustules (18).”

    Cereus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Cereus — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Norgestrel 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 Norgestrel.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Norgestrel

This page covers Cereus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Norgestrel page lists 188 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 140 moderate · 42 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Norgestrel page

“Norgestrel (Ovrette) is a progestin-only birth control pill, so the biggest danger on this page is not a strange side effect but a pill that quietly stops working. That risk makes this a page for genuine vigilance.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Norgestrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 3 real supplement products containing Cereus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cereus. Even though Cereus itself has no known interaction with Norgestrel, 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 Cereus and Norgestrel 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 Cereus
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Norgestrel
Steady interest

#1,599 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 Cereus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Cereus and Norgestrel 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 Cereus

What is Cereus?

  • Heart palpitations
  • Mild heart symptoms
  • Anxiety and nervous tension
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fluid retention

Cereus (often called night-blooming cereus) is a cactus traditionally used in folk and homeopathic medicine for heart-related complaints like palpitations. High-quality human evidence supporting these uses is lacking, and because it may affect the heart, it should be used only under medical guidance. Pregnant and breastfeeding people should avoid it.

Selenicereus grandiflorus · Cactaceae · Flowers and young stems · Tincture, liquid extract, capsules, homeopathic preparations

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

Cereus: dosing

There is no established standard dose of Cereus. Products vary widely in strength, and homeopathic preparations are very different from herbal tinctures.If you choose to use a Cereus product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

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

Read the full Cereus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives

What Is Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives Used For?

Brand names: Ovrette, Orval 21

Norethindrone progestin-only pills — sometimes called the "mini-pill" — are used solely to prevent pregnancy. They do not contain estrogen, which makes them an option for women who cannot or prefer not to use estrogen-containing contraceptives.

When taken perfectly (same time every day, no missed pills), fewer than 1 in 100 women will become pregnant in the first year. With typical use, that number rises to about 9 in 100 — mostly because of late or skipped pills. Consistency is everything with this method.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Norgestrel

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (2,254 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Heavy menstrual bleeding 247 reports
Pregnancy on oral contraceptive 210 reports
Intermenstrual bleeding 182 reports
Polymenorrhoea 157 reports
Nausea 143 reports
See full Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cereus

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

0Major
10Moderate
0Minor
2,819No known interaction
Moderate

10 interactions

No interaction 2,819 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Cereus References

The 3 references that drive our Cereus 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  3. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

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 Cereus and Norgestrel Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Cereus with Norgestrel?
We do not list a known interaction between Cereus and Norgestrel. 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.
How was the Cereus and Norgestrel combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Norgestrel is filed under 5 classifications, and Cereus has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Norgestrel'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 Cereus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Cereus has 10 documented drug interactions in our database — Norgestrel 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 Norgestrel interact with any supplements?
Yes. Norgestrel has documented interactions with 188 supplements in our database — Cereus is not one of them. The Norgestrel 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 Norgestrel and Cereus?

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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.