Drug & supplement interaction

Ceylon Leadwort + Betamethasone Dipropionate

Betamethasone Dipropionate brand name: Sernivo.

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

Ceylon Leadwort has a moderate interaction with Betamethasone Dipropionate. Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has demonstrated immunosuppressant activity in animal research.

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

Ceylon Leadwort and Betamethasone Dipropionate

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Betamethasone Dipropionate

Betamethasone Dipropionate falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Ceylon Leadwort interacts with.

Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has demonstrated immunosuppressant activity in animal research. Theoretically, Ceylon leadwort might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy. Immunosuppressant drugs include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), 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 practical picture for Sernivo (betamethasone dipropionate). This is a topical steroid you rub on the skin to calm itching, redness, and the scaly patches of conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The concern on file is purely theoretical: in lab and animal studies, plumbagin (a compound in Ceylon Leadwort) showed its own immune-dampening activity, so on paper it might overlap with steroid therapy. There are no real human studies showing a problem.

In reality, betamethasone applied to your skin acts mostly right where you put it, with little reaching the bloodstream, so an oral or topical herb is unlikely to meaningfully change how well your cream works. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but since Ceylon Leadwort can irritate skin on its own, don't apply it to the same area and check with your pharmacist before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mandavkar, YD, Jalalpure, SS. A comprehensive review on Plumbago zeylanica Linn. African J. Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2011;5(25):2738-2747. DOI
  2. Checker R, Sharma D, Sandur SK, Khanam S, Poduval TB. Anti-inflammatory effects of plumbagin are mediated by inhibition of NF-kappaB activation in lymphocytes. Int Immunopharmacol. 2009 Jul;9(7-8):949-58. PubMed
  3. Jia Y, Jing J, Bai Y, Li Z, Liu L, Luo J, Liu M, Chen H. Amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by plumbagin through down-regulation of JAK-STAT and NF-?B signaling pathways. PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e27006. PubMed
  4. Poosarla A, D N R, Athota RR, Sunkara VG. Modulation of T cell proliferation and cytokine response by Plumbagin, extracted from Plumbago zeylanica in collagen induced arthritis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Nov 16;11:114. 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 Betamethasone Dipropionate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,096 No known interaction 1,734 (incl. Betamethasone Dipropionate)
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 Betamethasone Dipropionate

This page covers Ceylon Leadwort only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Betamethasone Dipropionate page lists 107 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alder Buckthorn (moderate) and Alfalfa (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 95 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Betamethasone Dipropionate page

“Betamethasone dipropionate (Sernivo) is a potent corticosteroid applied to the skin, and enough can absorb through it, especially over large areas or with long courses, that these interactions deserve genuine vigilance. Two of the 107 ingredients on file rate major: lily-of-the-valley, whose cardiac glycosides become more toxic when pr…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Betamethasone Dipropionate 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 Betamethasone Dipropionate 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 Betamethasone 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 Ceylon Leadwort
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Betamethasone Dipropionate
Top half

#1,098 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
Medication

About Betamethasone Topical

What Is Betamethasone Topical Used For?

Brand name: Sernivo

Betamethasone topical is used to relieve the redness, swelling, and itching of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses (skin conditions that respond to steroid treatment). Sernivo Spray is specifically approved for plaque psoriasis of the body. Diprolene (topical cream, ointment, or gel) is indicated for inflammatory and itchy skin conditions in patients 13 years of age and older.

This medication is for use on the skin only. It is not approved for use on the face, groin, or underarms, and it is not for use in the eyes, mouth, or vagina.

See full Betamethasone Topical drug information
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
1,096 Moderate 1,733 No 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

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,733 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ceylon Leadwort list.

See the full Ceylon Leadwort interactions page
See every supplement checked against Betamethasone 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
Ceylon Leadwort monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Betamethasone Dipropionate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Betamethasone Dipropionate, ranked by severity Betamethasone Topical drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Betamethasone Dipropionate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Ceylon Leadwort with Betamethasone 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.
How serious is the Ceylon Leadwort and Betamethasone 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

Still Have a Question About Betamethasone Dipropionate and Ceylon Leadwort?

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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.