Drug & supplement interaction

Cissus Quadrangularis + Bexarotene

Bexarotene brand name: Targretin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Bexarotene states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Bexarotene and Cissus Quadrangularis in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Cissus Quadrangularis safety at a glance

Cissus Quadrangula... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in short-term use, but long-term safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Bexarotene and Cissus Quadrangularis? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Bexarotene

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Bexarotene is filed under 3 classifications — retinoids, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates, oral drugs. Cissus Quadrangularis has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Bexarotene’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Cissus Quadrangularis Does Interact With Other Medications

Cissus Quadrangularis has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Bexarotene isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Bexarotene)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cissus Quadrangularis

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Bloating or gas / Dry mouth / Stomach upset / Diarrhea Additional detail

    Cissus Quadrangularis

    “Orally, Cissus quadrangularis has been reported to cause flatulence, diarrhea, gastritis, and dry mouth. However, the rates of these adverse effects are similar to or lower than that observed with placebo.”

    Cissus Quadrangularis · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 15608. Oben J, Kuate D, Agbor G, et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis formulation in the management of weight loss and metabolic syndrome. Lipids Health Dis 2006, 5:24.
    2. 16457. Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Momo CN, et al. The use of Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis 2008;7:12.
    3. 112140. Benjawan S, Nimitphong H, Tragulpiankit P, Musigavong O, Prathanturarug S, Pathomwichaiwat T. The effect of Cissus quadrangularis L. on delaying bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2022;1 PubMed
    4. 43204. Panpimanmas, S., Sithipongsri, S., Sukdanon, C., and Manmee, C. Experimental comparative study of the efficacy and side effects of Cissus quadrangularis L. (Vitaceae) to Daflon (Servier) and placebo in the treatment of acute hemorrhoids. J Med Assoc.Thai

    Bexarotene

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Bexarotene. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Trouble sleeping / Headache Additional detail

    Cissus Quadrangularis

    “Orally, Cissus quadrangularis has been reported to cause headache and insomnia. However, the rates of these adverse effects are similar to or lower than that observed with placebo.”

    Cissus Quadrangularis · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 15608. Oben J, Kuate D, Agbor G, et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis formulation in the management of weight loss and metabolic syndrome. Lipids Health Dis 2006, 5:24.
    2. 16457. Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Momo CN, et al. The use of Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis 2008;7:12.

    Bexarotene

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Bexarotene. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Bexarotene come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Cissus Quadrangularis come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Bexarotene Products Have a Food Rule — Cissus Quadrangularis Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Bexarotene says to take it with food. If you take Cissus Quadrangularis on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Bexarotene with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Bexarotene products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

TARGRETIN should be taken as a single oral daily dose with a meal.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Bexarotene — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Bexarotene Is Prescribed For, and What Cissus Quadrangularis Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Bexarotene is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Cissus Quadrangularis is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Bexarotene is prescribed for: Bexarotene capsules (brands: Bexarotene, Targretin) are used to treat the skin symptoms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients whose disease has not responded to at least one prior systemic treatment. Bexarotene gel 1% (brands: Bexarotene, Targretin) is used to treat the skin lesions of early-stage CTCL (Stage IA and IB) when other therapies have not worked or could not be tolerated. The gel is a topical therapy and is not intended for systemic use.

Cissus Quadrangularis has been studied for:

  • Cancer studied, not established Cissus Quadrangularis has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Cissus Quadrangularis for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral Cissus quadrangularis for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of Cissus quadrangularis for this purpose.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Bexarotene on your own; if you are taking Cissus Quadrangularis for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Cissus Quadrangularis or Bexarotene

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cissus Quadrangularis or Bexarotene, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Bexarotene

This page covers Cissus Quadrangularis only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bexarotene page lists 139 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Vitamin A (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 94 moderate · 41 minor.

Open the Bexarotene interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 371 real supplement products containing Cissus Quadrangularis, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cissus Quadrangularis. Even though Cissus Quadrangularis itself has no known interaction with Bexarotene, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene 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 Cissus Quadrangularis
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Bexarotene
Steady interest

#2,196 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Cissus Quadrangularis reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Cissus Quadrangularis

What is Cissus Quadrangularis?

Cissus Quadrangularis
  • Bone fracture healing
  • Joint pain and bone health
  • Weight management
  • Blood sugar support
  • Digestive complaints

Cissus quadrangularis is a traditional vine used mainly for bone health, joint pain, and weight management. Most of the supporting evidence comes from animal studies and a small number of human trials, so its benefits are not firmly proven. It appears reasonably well tolerated in the short term, but people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing chronic conditions should talk to a doctor or pharmacist first.

Cissus quadrangularis · Vitaceae · Stems, leaves, and roots · Capsules, tablets, powder, extracts, and topical preparations

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Cissus Quadrangularis is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Cissus Quadrangularis record says about it on its own.

Cissus Quadrangularis: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose for Cissus quadrangularis. Products differ widely in their strength and how they are prepared, which makes a single recommended dose hard to give.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the suggested amount. A pharmacist or doctor can help you decide whether a product and dose make sense for you, especially if you take other medicines or have health conditions.

From our Cissus Quadrangularis monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Cissus Quadrangularis monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bexarotene

What Is Bexarotene Used For?

Brand name: Targretin

Bexarotene capsules (brands: Bexarotene, Targretin) are used to treat the skin symptoms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients whose disease has not responded to at least one prior systemic treatment.

Bexarotene gel 1% (brands: Bexarotene, Targretin) is used to treat the skin lesions of early-stage CTCL (Stage IA and IB) when other therapies have not worked or could not be tolerated. The gel is a topical therapy and is not intended for systemic use.

See full Bexarotene drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cissus Quadrangularis

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Cissus Quadrangularis page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cissus Quadrangularis list.

See the full Cissus Quadrangularis interactions page
See every supplement checked against Bexarotene, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Cissus Quadrangularis References

The 5 references that drive our Cissus Quadrangularis monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Oben J, Kuate D, Agbor G, et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis formulation in the management of weight loss and metabolic syndrome. Lipids Health Dis 2006, 5:24.
  2. Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Momo CN, et al. The use of Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis 2008;7:12.
  3. Panpimanmas, S., Sithipongsri, S., Sukdanon, C., and Manmee, C. Experimental comparative study of the efficacy and side effects of Cissus quadrangularis L. (Vitaceae) to Daflon (Servier) and placebo in the treatment of acute hemorrhoids. J Med Assoc.Thai
  4. Nash R, Azantsa B, Kuate D, Singh H, Oben J. The use of a stem and leaf aqueous extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) to reduce body fat and other components of metabolic syndrome in overweight participants. J Altern Complement Med. 2019;25(1):98-106
  5. Benjawan S, Nimitphong H, Tragulpiankit P, Musigavong O, Prathanturarug S, Pathomwichaiwat T. The effect of Cissus quadrangularis L. on delaying bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2022;1 PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Cissus Quadrangularis with Bexarotene?
We do not list a known interaction between Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Bexarotene says to take it with food. If you take Cissus Quadrangularis on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Bexarotene with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Bexarotene products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Cissus Quadrangularis in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Bexarotene is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Cissus Quadrangularis and Bexarotene combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Bexarotene is filed under 3 classifications, and Cissus Quadrangularis has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Bexarotene's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Cissus Quadrangularis interact with any other medications?
Yes. Cissus Quadrangularis has 86 documented drug interactions in our database — Bexarotene is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Bexarotene interact with any supplements?
Yes. Bexarotene has documented interactions with 139 supplements in our database — Cissus Quadrangularis is not one of them. The Bexarotene interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Cissus Quadrangularis monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Bexarotene drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Bexarotene supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Bexarotene, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Bexarotene and Cissus Quadrangularis?

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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.