Drug & supplement interaction

Clove + Famotidine, Ibuprofen

Famotidine, Ibuprofen brand name: Duexis.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Famotidine, Ibuprofen falls into 3 drug categories that Clove can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.

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

Clove and Famotidine, Ibuprofen

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

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

1 of 3

Why this applies to Famotidine, Ibuprofen

Famotidine, Ibuprofen falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Clove interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
In vitro research shows that eugenol, the principal constituent of clove, inhibits CYP2C9 in a dose-dependent manner. This effect has not been reported in humans.
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

Duexis combines two medicines: famotidine (an acid reducer) and ibuprofen (a pain and inflammation reliever). The ibuprofen part is handled by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. Lab and test-tube studies suggest that eugenol, the main oil in clove, can slow this enzyme down. In theory, that could let ibuprofen build up a little higher than usual.

If that happened, you might notice more of ibuprofen's typical issues, like stomach upset, heartburn, or, with long or heavy use, a higher chance of stomach irritation or kidney strain. Here's the reassuring part: this has only been seen in the lab, not in real people, and a sprinkle of clove in your cooking is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated clove oil or capsules are the bigger question. Check with your pharmacist before using those regularly.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Alharbi NFM, Ahad A, Bin Jardan YA, Al-Jenoobi FI. Effect of eugenol on cytochrome P450 1A2, 2C9, 2D6, and 3A4 activity in human liver microsomes. Saudi Pharm J 2024;32(7):102118. PubMed
Minor

IBUPROFEN (Advil, others)

2 of 3
Theoretically, topical application of clove oil with ibuprofen might increase the absorption and side effects of topical ibuprofen.
Laboratory research shows that topical application of clove oil increases the absorption of topical ibuprofen. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor 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 your Duexis (which combines ibuprofen with famotidine): the only signal we have is from lab research, where clove oil applied to the skin helped topical ibuprofen soak in better. That's a skin-absorption finding, and Duexis is a pill you swallow, so this particular interaction really doesn't apply to your tablets. It has never been reported in people either.

If you happen to use clove oil on a toothache or sore gums, that's fine and very different from this lab study. With oral ibuprofen, the things to keep an eye on are stomach upset, heartburn, or irritation. If anything feels off, just check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Jiang Q, Wu Y, Zhang H, et al. Development of essential oils as skin permeation enhancers: penetration enhancement effect and mechanism of action. Pharmaceutical Biol. 2017;55(1):1592-1600. PubMed
Minor

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

3 of 3

Famotidine, Ibuprofen also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, clove oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Laboratory research suggests that eugenol, a constituent of clove, has antiplatelet activity. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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

Duexis combines ibuprofen (a pain and inflammation reliever) with famotidine (added to help protect your stomach). The piece that matters here is the ibuprofen. On its own, ibuprofen already nudges up bleeding risk a little because it makes platelets less sticky. Clove contains eugenol, which in lab studies showed a mild blood-thinning, anti-platelet effect of its own.

So the theory is that concentrated clove oil or clove supplements could add to ibuprofen's effect and make bruising or bleeding slightly more likely. Keep in mind this is only a theoretical concern from lab work and has not been seen in real people, and clove used as a cooking spice is very unlikely to matter. To be safe, mention any clove supplements or clove oil to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Chen SJ, Wang MH, Chen IJ. Antiplatelet and calcium inhibitory properties of eugenol and sodium eugenol acetate. Gen Pharmacol 1996;27:629-33. PubMed
  2. Srivastava, K. C. and Malhotra, N. Acetyl eugenol, a component of oil of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum L.) inhibits aggregation and alters arachidonic acid metabolism in human blood platelets. Prostaglandins Leukot.Essent.Fatty Acids 1991;42(1):73-81. PubMed
  3. Saeed, S. A. and Gilani, A. H. Antithrombotic activity of clove oil. J Pak Med Assoc 1994;44(5):112-115.
  4. Srivastava, K. C. Antiplatelet principles from a food spice clove (Syzygium aromaticum L) [corrected]. Prostaglandins Leukot.Essent.Fatty Acids 1993;48(5):363-372.

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

Clove Also Interacts With Other Medications

Clove has 918 moderate, 60 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Famotidine, Ibuprofen one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 918 Minor 60 No known interaction 1,852 (incl. Famotidine, Ibuprofen)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Clove

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Famotidine, Ibuprofen

This page covers Clove only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Famotidine, Ibuprofen page lists 297 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 245 moderate · 45 minor.

Open the Famotidine, Ibuprofen interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 59 real supplement products containing Clove, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Clove. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Famotidine, Ibuprofen too, on top of Clove — 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 Clove and Famotidine, Ibuprofen 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 Clove
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Famotidine, Ibuprofen
Top 5%

#119 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 Clove

What is Clove?

Clove
  • Toothache and oral pain
  • Digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial and antifungal
  • Cough and respiratory complaints
  • Flavoring in food and drinks

Clove is a common cooking spice that is also used in traditional medicine, especially as a topical numbing agent for tooth pain thanks to its main compound, eugenol. Food amounts are generally safe, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic if overused, and human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using clove medicinally, especially in children or during pregnancy.

Read the full Clove monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Clove

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

0Major
918Moderate
60Minor
1,851No known interaction
918 Moderate 60 Minor 1,851 No interaction
Moderate

918 interactions

Showing 60 of 918 moderate interactions — see all 918 on the Clove page.

Minor

60 interactions

No interaction 1,851 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,851 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Clove list.

See the full Clove interactions page
See every supplement checked against Famotidine, Ibuprofen, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Clove monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Famotidine, Ibuprofen supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Famotidine, Ibuprofen, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Clove and Famotidine, Ibuprofen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Clove with Famotidine, Ibuprofen?
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 Clove and Famotidine, Ibuprofen?
Famotidine, Ibuprofen belongs to more than one drug category, and Clove 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 Clove and Famotidine, Ibuprofen 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.