Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Polythiazide

Polythiazide brand name: Renese.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Polythiazide falls into 2 drug categories that Chanca Piedra can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use of chanca piedra with diuretics might increase diuresis.

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

Chanca Piedra and Polythiazide

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Polythiazide

Polythiazide falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Chanca Piedra interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of chanca piedra with diuretics might increase diuresis.
Some preliminary clinical research in adults with hypertension shows that chanca piedra has diuretic properties. However, higher quality research in adults with kidney stones shows taking chanca piedra does not increase urine volume when compared with placebo. Until more is known, use cautiously in patients taking diuretic drugs.
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 gist for Renese (polythiazide): this is a thiazide-type water pill that helps your body get rid of extra salt and fluid, which lowers blood pressure. Chanca piedra has been studied a little bit for its own mild 'water-pulling' (diuretic) effect. So the worry is simple addition: stacking the two might make you urinate more than expected.

If that happened, you could feel more lightheaded, thirsty, or dizzy when standing up, and you could lose more potassium or fluid than usual. That said, this is a theoretical concern based on how each one works, and the better human studies actually showed chanca piedra did not raise urine volume. So it's worth a mention, not a panic. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, and don't change your polythiazide on your own.

References
  1. Srividya N, Periwal S. Diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycaemic effect of Phyllanthus amarus. Indian J Exp Biol 1995; 33:861-4.
  2. Nishiura, J. L., Campos, A. H., Boim, M. A., Heilberg, I. P., and Schor, N. Phyllanthus niruri normalizes elevated urinary calcium levels in calcium stone forming (CSF) patients. Urol.Res 2004;32(5):362-366. PubMed
Minor

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

2 of 2

Polythiazide also falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS.

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

Polythiazide (Renese) is a thiazide-type water pill that lowers blood pressure by helping your body shed extra salt and fluid. The concern with chanca piedra here is simply additive: this herb may nudge blood pressure down a little on its own, so stacking it on top of your diuretic could in theory lower your numbers more than expected. If that happened, you might feel lightheaded, dizzy when standing up, or unusually tired.

That said, this is a very weak, mostly theoretical worry. The blood-pressure-lowering effect mainly showed up in animal studies, and most people with high blood pressure who took chanca piedra for about 10 days didn't see a real drop. Still, it's smart to check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, and to watch how you feel.

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 870 moderate, 149 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Polythiazide 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 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 Polythiazide

This page covers Chanca Piedra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Polythiazide page lists 227 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), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 10 major · 192 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Polythiazide page

“Polythiazide (Renese) is a thiazide diuretic for high blood pressure, and this is a list I would treat with real care. Most entries either add to its blood-pressure-lowering and fluid-losing effects or deepen the potassium loss it already causes, which can leave someone dizzy or set the stage for heart rhythm trouble.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Polythiazide 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 Polythiazide 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 Polythiazide 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Polythiazide
Top half

#838 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
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
870Moderate
149Minor
1,810No known interaction
Moderate

870 interactions

Showing 60 of 870 moderate interactions — see all 870 on the Chanca Piedra page.

Minor

149 interactions

Showing 60 of 149 minor interactions — see all 149 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 Polythiazide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chanca Piedra with Polythiazide?
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 Chanca Piedra and Polythiazide?
Polythiazide belongs to more than one drug category, and Chanca Piedra 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 Chanca Piedra and Polythiazide 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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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.