Drug & supplement interaction

Chrysin + Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel

Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel brand name: Lybrel.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel falls into 3 drug categories that Chrysin can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, chrysin might decrease the effects of estrogen therapy.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Chrysin and Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Chrysin interacts with whole categories of medication. Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Chrysin in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel

Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel falls under ESTROGENS — the group Chrysin interacts with.

Theoretically, chrysin might decrease the effects of estrogen therapy.
In vitro research suggests that chrysin might have antiestrogenic activity.
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

Lybrel combines two hormones, ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen) and levonorgestrel, to prevent pregnancy and keep your cycle steady. The concern with chrysin is that in test-tube studies it can act against estrogen, so in theory it might slightly blunt the estrogen part of your pill. If that happened, you could notice things like breakthrough bleeding or spotting.

Here's the important context: this is only laboratory and animal evidence, and the human body absorbs very little chrysin, so a real-world problem is unlikely. Still, because reliable birth control matters, I wouldn't lean on chrysin while trusting your pill. Chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding it, and never change how you take Lybrel on your own.

References
  1. Han, D. H., Denison, M. S., Tachibana, H., and Yamada, K. Relationship between estrogen receptor-binding and estrogenic activities of environmental estrogens and suppression by flavonoids. Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem 2002;66(7):1479-1487. PubMed
  2. Collins, B. M., McLachlan, J. A., and Arnold, S. F. The estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of phytochemicals with the human estrogen receptor expressed in yeast. Steroids 1997;62(4):365-372. PubMed
  3. Kuiper, G. G., Lemmen, J. G., Carlsson, B., Corton, J. C., Safe, S. H., van der Saag, P. T., van der Burg, B., and Gustafsson, J. A. Interaction of estrogenic chemicals and phytoestrogens with estrogen receptor beta. Endocrinology 1998;139(10):4252-4263. PubMed
Moderate

CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS

2 of 3

Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel also falls under CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS.

Theoretically, chrysin might reduce the efficacy of estrogen-containing contraceptive drugs.
In vitro research suggests that chrysin might have antiestrogenic activity.
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

Lybrel works by giving your body steady amounts of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin (levonorgestrel) to prevent pregnancy. The concern here is that chrysin shows antiestrogen activity in lab dishes, so in theory it could work against the estrogen part of your pill and weaken how well it protects you.

I want to be honest about how soft this evidence is. It comes only from test-tube studies, not from real people, and chrysin is barely absorbed when taken by mouth. So a real drop in birth control protection is unlikely, but not proven safe either. Since an unplanned pregnancy is a big deal, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding chrysin, and never stop your pill on your own.

References
  1. Han, D. H., Denison, M. S., Tachibana, H., and Yamada, K. Relationship between estrogen receptor-binding and estrogenic activities of environmental estrogens and suppression by flavonoids. Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem 2002;66(7):1479-1487. PubMed
  2. Collins, B. M., McLachlan, J. A., and Arnold, S. F. The estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of phytochemicals with the human estrogen receptor expressed in yeast. Steroids 1997;62(4):365-372. PubMed
  3. Kuiper, G. G., Lemmen, J. G., Carlsson, B., Corton, J. C., Safe, S. H., van der Saag, P. T., van der Burg, B., and Gustafsson, J. A. Interaction of estrogenic chemicals and phytoestrogens with estrogen receptor beta. Endocrinology 1998;139(10):4252-4263. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

3 of 3

Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, chrysin might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
In vitro research suggests that chrysin inhibits CYP1A2 isozymes. However, chrysin does not appear to inhibit CYP1A2-dependent caffeine metabolism in animals. Due to chrysin's low bioavailability and rapid metabolism to glucuronide and sulfate conjugates, this interaction is unlikely.
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 with Lybrel (a birth control pill that combines ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel) and chrysin. In a test tube, chrysin can slow down an enzyme called CYP1A2, which is one of the routes your body uses to process the estrogen part of this pill. In theory, blocking that enzyme could let estrogen levels drift a little higher, which might mean more of the usual estrogen-type effects like nausea, breast tenderness, bloating, or headaches.

But honestly, this is a very weak, theoretical concern. It's only been seen in lab dishes, and your body absorbs almost none of chrysin and clears it fast, so a real-world effect is unlikely. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Still, before adding chrysin, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Galijatovic A, Otake Y, Walle UK, Walle T. Extensive metabolism of the flavonoid chrysin by human Caco-2 and Hep G2 cells. Xenobiotica 1999;29:1241-56. PubMed
  2. Lee H, Yeom H, Kim YG, et al. Structure-related inhibition of human hepatic caffeine N3-demethylation by naturally occurring flavonoids. Biochem Pharmacol 1998;55:1369-75. PubMed
  3. Galijatovic A, Walle UK, Walle T. Induction of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase by the flavonoids chrysin and quercetin in Caco-2 cells. Pharm Res 2000;17:21-6.
  4. Walle UK, Galijatovic A, Walle T. Transport of the flavonoid chrysin and its conjugated metabolites by the human intestinal cell line Caco-2. Biochem Pharmacol 1999;58:431-8. PubMed
  5. Walle T, Otake Y, Brubaker JA, et al. Disposition and metabolism of the flavonoid chrysin in normal volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2001;51:143-6. DOI
  6. Lautraite S, Musonda AC, Doehmer J, et al. Flavonoids inhibit genetic toxicity produced by carcinogens in cells expressing CYP1A2 and CYP1A1. Mutagenesis 2002;17:45-53. PubMed
  7. Simons, A. L., Renouf, M., Hendrich, S., and Murphy, P. A. Human gut microbial degradation of flavonoids: structure-function relationships. J Agric.Food Chem 5-18-2005;53(10):4258-4263. PubMed
  8. Kim, H. J., Lee, S. B., Park, S. K., Kim, H. M., Park, Y. I., and Dong, M. S. Effects of hydroxyl group numbers on the B-ring of 5,7-dihydroxyflavones on the differential inhibition of human CYP 1A and CYP1B1 enzymes. Arch Pharm Res 2005;28(10):1114-1121 PubMed
  9. Moon, Y. J., Wang, X., and Morris, M. E. Dietary flavonoids: effects on xenobiotic and carcinogen metabolism. Toxicol In Vitro 2006;20(2):187-210. PubMed
  10. Tsyrlov, I. B., Mikhailenko, V. M., and Gelboin, H. V. Isozyme- and species-specific susceptibility of cDNA-expressed CYP1A P-450s to different flavonoids. Biochim.Biophys Acta 4-13-1994;1205(2):325-335. PubMed
  11. Noh K, Oh do G, Nepal MR, et al. Pharmacokinetic interaction of chrysin with caffeine in rats. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2016;24(4):446-52. 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

Chrysin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chrysin has 178 moderate, 179 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel 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 Chrysin

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel

This page covers Chrysin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 195 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel page

“A daily birth control pill like Lybrel (ethinyl estradiol with levonorgestrel) only works when enough hormone stays in the bloodstream, and that is exactly what several supplements on this page can undermine. This list deserves genuine care, starting with the six major-rated entries.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 272 real supplement products containing Chrysin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chrysin. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel too, on top of Chrysin — 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 Chrysin and Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel 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 Chrysin
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel
Top 5%

#111 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 Chrysin

What is Chrysin?

  • Bodybuilding and testosterone support
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant support
  • Prostate health

Chrysin is a plant flavonoid sold mainly as a bodybuilding supplement claimed to raise testosterone or block estrogen, but human studies have not shown these benefits, largely because the body absorbs very little of it. Evidence for its other proposed uses is mostly limited to laboratory and animal research, so its real-world value is unclear. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Chrysin monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chrysin

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

0Major
178Moderate
179Minor
2,472No known interaction
Moderate

178 interactions

Showing 60 of 178 moderate interactions — see all 178 on the Chrysin page.

Minor

179 interactions

Showing 60 of 179 minor interactions — see all 179 on the Chrysin page.

No interaction 2,472 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 Chrysin and Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chrysin with Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel?
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 3 interactions listed for Chrysin and Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel?
Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel belongs to more than one drug category, and Chrysin 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 Chrysin and Ethinyl estradiol, Levonogestrel 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.