Drug & supplement interaction

Ceylon Leadwort + Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine

Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine brand names: Sinutab, Tylenol Sinus, Sudafed Sinus, Tylenol Sinus Ex Strength, Children's Tylenol Sinus, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine falls into 2 drug categories that Ceylon Leadwort can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) in vitro.

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

Ceylon Leadwort and Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine

Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Ceylon Leadwort interacts with.

Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) in vitro. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans. Theoretically, Ceylon leadwort might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2. Some substrates of CYP1A2 include clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.
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 honest picture with your Tylenol Sinus or Sudafed Sinus product. Ceylon Leadwort contains plumbagin, which in lab dishes appears to slow down an enzyme called CYP1A2. The idea is that if that enzyme runs slower, drugs it handles could build up a bit more than usual. In theory that could mean slightly stronger effects from the pseudoephedrine side, things like a faster heartbeat, jitteriness, higher blood pressure, or trouble sleeping.

That said, this has only been seen in test tubes, never in actual people, and acetaminophen and pseudoephedrine aren't mainly cleared by CYP1A2 anyway. So I'd call the real-world risk low and mostly hypothetical. Still, since this herb isn't well studied, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist before combining them.

References
  1. Chen A, Zhou X, Tang S, Liu M, Wang X. Evaluation of the inhibition potential of plumbagin against cytochrome P450 using LC-MS/MS and cocktail approach. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 22;6:28482. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) SUBSTRATES.

Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in vitro. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans. Theoretically, Ceylon leadwort might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2E1. Some drugs metabolized by CYP2E1 include acetaminophen, chlorzoxazone (Parafon Forte), ethanol, theophylline, and anesthetics such as enflurane (Ethrane), halothane (Fluothane), isoflurane (Forane), methoxyflurane (Penthrane).
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 interesting twist with this combo. The acetaminophen (Tylenol) part of your sinus medicine is partly handled by a liver enzyme called CYP2E1. Normally, a small slice of acetaminophen gets turned by this enzyme into a harsh byproduct (called NAPQI) that the liver then neutralizes. A compound in Ceylon Leadwort, plumbagin, has slowed down CYP2E1 in lab dishes. So in theory, blocking that pathway might actually mean less of the harsh byproduct, not more drug effect you'd notice day to day. The pseudoephedrine side isn't really involved here.

Honestly, this is theoretical and only seen in test-tube studies, never in real people. I wouldn't lose sleep over an occasional sinus dose, but please run it by your pharmacist before regularly pairing the two, and never exceed acetaminophen dosing limits.

References
  1. Chen A, Zhou X, Tang S, Liu M, Wang X. Evaluation of the inhibition potential of plumbagin against cytochrome P450 using LC-MS/MS and cocktail approach. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 22;6:28482. 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

Ceylon Leadwort Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ceylon Leadwort has 1,096 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ceylon Leadwort

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine

This page covers Ceylon Leadwort only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine page lists 197 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Ephedra (major) and Peyote (major).

By severity: 9 major · 149 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine page

“Nine of the 197 supplement interactions on file for acetaminophen with pseudoephedrine (Tylenol Sinus, Sudafed Sinus, Sinutab) carry a major rating, so treat this page with genuine care before you pair the medicine with anything else. Two problems drive the list.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 96 real supplement products containing Ceylon Leadwort, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ceylon Leadwort. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine too, on top of Ceylon Leadwort — 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine 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 Ceylon Leadwort
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine
Top 5%

#88 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 Ceylon Leadwort

What is Ceylon Leadwort?

  • Digestive complaints and poor appetite
  • Skin conditions and wounds (applied to the skin)
  • Joint pain and swelling
  • Traditional 'metabolism-boosting' tonics
  • Antimicrobial folk remedy

Ceylon Leadwort (Plumbago zeylanica) is a plant long used in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems, mainly for digestion, skin problems, and pain. Solid human studies are lacking, and the plant contains plumbagin, a compound that can irritate skin and tissues and may be unsafe in larger amounts. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it in pregnancy.

Read the full Ceylon Leadwort monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ceylon Leadwort

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

0Major
1,096Moderate
0Minor
1,733No known interaction
Moderate

1,096 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,096 moderate interactions — see all 1,096 on the Ceylon Leadwort page.

No interaction 1,733 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Ceylon Leadwort with Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine?
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 Ceylon Leadwort and Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine?
Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine belongs to more than one drug category, and Ceylon Leadwort 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine 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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