Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Pindolol

Pindolol brand names: Visken, Pindol.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Chanca Piedra has a minor interaction with Pindolol. 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 Pindolol

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

Minor

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Pindolol

Pindolol 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 gist: pindolol already works to bring your blood pressure down by slowing your heart and relaxing blood vessels. Chanca piedra, in theory, might also nudge blood pressure a little lower, so stacking the two could in principle add up. If that happened, you might notice signs of pressure dropping too far, like feeling dizzy or lightheaded, tired, or a bit woozy when you stand up quickly.

That said, I don't want to overstate this. The concern comes mostly from animal studies, and in a human study where people took chanca piedra for about 10 days, most didn't actually see a meaningful drop. It's a minor, unlikely interaction. Still, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if your readings already run low.

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 Pindolol 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 Pindolol

This page covers Chanca Piedra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pindolol page lists 183 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), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 151 moderate · 27 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pindolol page

“People prescribed pindolol (Visken), a beta-blocker, are usually treating high blood pressure, and they are often the very people drawn to heart-friendly supplements like fish oil. That overlap is why this list of 183 ingredients deserves genuine care, starting with the five rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pindolol 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 Pindolol 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 Pindolol 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 Pindolol
Steady interest

#2,057 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 Pindolol

What Is Pindolol Used For?

Brand names: Visken, Pindol

Pindolol tablets are approved to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It can be used on its own or combined with other blood pressure medicines, particularly a thiazide-type diuretic (water pill).

See full Pindolol 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 Pindolol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chanca Piedra with Pindolol?
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 Pindolol 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

Still Have a Question About Pindolol and Chanca Piedra?

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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.