Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Guanabenz Acetate

Guanabenz Acetate brand name: Wytensin.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Chanca Piedra has a minor interaction with Guanabenz Acetate. Theoretically, concomitant use of chanca piedra with antihypertensive drugs might have additive blood pressure lowering effects.

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

Chanca Piedra and Guanabenz Acetate

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

Minor

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Guanabenz Acetate

Guanabenz Acetate falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Chanca Piedra interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of chanca piedra with antihypertensive drugs might have additive blood pressure lowering effects.
Animal research suggests that chanca piedra can decrease blood pressure. However, this effect was not observed in most hypertensive patients treated with chanca piedra for 10 days.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: chanca piedra might nudge your blood pressure down a little on its own. Since guanabenz (Wytensin) already works to lower your blood pressure, stacking the two could, in theory, add up. If that happened, you might feel the kinds of things guanabenz can already cause, like dizziness, lightheadedness when you stand up, drowsiness, or a dry mouth.

I want to be honest about how weak this is. It's a theoretical concern based mostly on animal studies, and in a small human study lasting 10 days, most people with high blood pressure didn't actually see their pressure drop from chanca piedra. So a big problem here is unlikely. Still, before you add it, run it by your pharmacist or doctor, and keep an eye on your home blood pressure readings.

References
  1. Srividya N, Periwal S. Diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycaemic effect of Phyllanthus amarus. Indian J Exp Biol 1995; 33:861-4.
  2. Amaechina, F. C. and Omogbai, E. K. Hypotensive effect of aqueous extract of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus Schum and Thonn (Euphorbiaceae). Acta Pol.Pharm. 2007;64(6):547-552.

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

Chanca Piedra Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chanca Piedra has 871 moderate, 148 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Guanabenz Acetate 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 Chanca Piedra

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Guanabenz Acetate

This page covers Chanca Piedra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Guanabenz Acetate page lists 137 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), Tyramine (major) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 112 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Guanabenz Acetate page

“Guanabenz acetate (Wytensin) is an older blood pressure medicine, and the 137 supplements on file call for genuine vigilance, beginning with the four rated major. Two are toxic plants that can strain the heart or swing pressure hard, one is tyramine, found in aged cheeses and cured meats, which fights the drug's effect, and one is acti…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Guanabenz Acetate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 355 real supplement products containing Chanca Piedra, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chanca Piedra. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Guanabenz Acetate too, on top of Chanca Piedra — 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 Chanca Piedra and Guanabenz Acetate 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 Chanca Piedra
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Guanabenz Acetate
Steady interest

#2,056 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 Chanca Piedra

What is Chanca Piedra?

Chanca Piedra
  • Kidney stones
  • Gallstones
  • Liver support
  • Urinary tract health
  • Digestive complaints

Chanca piedra is a tropical herb traditionally used as a 'stone breaker' for kidney and gallstones, and for liver and urinary health. Human evidence for these uses is limited and mostly small or preliminary, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a medical condition or take medications.

Read the full Chanca Piedra monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Guanabenz

What Is Guanabenz Used For?

Brand name: Wytensin

  • Guanabenz is used to treat high blood pressure. It is in a class of medications called centrally acting alpha2A-adrenergic receptor agonists. Guanabenz works by decreasing your heart rate and relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body.

  • High blood pressure is a common condition and when not treated, can cause damage to the brain, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and other parts of the body. Damage to these organs may cause heart disease, a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, loss of vision, and other problems. In addition to taking medication, making lifestyle changes will also help to control your blood pressure. These changes include eating a diet that is low in fat and salt, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising at least 30 minutes most days, not smoking, and using alcohol in moderation.

See full Guanabenz drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chanca Piedra

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

0Major
871Moderate
148Minor
1,810No known interaction
Moderate

871 interactions

Showing 60 of 871 moderate interactions — see all 871 on the Chanca Piedra page.

Minor

148 interactions

Showing 60 of 148 minor interactions — see all 148 on the Chanca Piedra page.

No interaction 1,810 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 Chanca Piedra and Guanabenz Acetate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chanca Piedra with Guanabenz Acetate?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Chanca Piedra and Guanabenz Acetate interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

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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.