Drug & supplement interaction

Clove + Phenylephrine

Phenylephrine brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen.

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 Clove and Phenylephrine 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 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

Clove and Phenylephrine

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 Phenylephrine and Clove 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.

Clove safety at a glance

Clove overall Use caution Safe as a food spice, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic in large amounts.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is i... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is i... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Phenylephrine and Clove? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Phenylephrine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications — including alpha-adrenergic agonists, stimulant drugs, serotonergic drugs. Clove has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) substrates (moderate) — and none of Phenylephrine’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

Clove Does Interact With Other Medications

Clove has 917 moderate, 60 minor known drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 917 Minor 60 No known interaction 1,853 (incl. Phenylephrine)
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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Clove and Phenylephrine 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    Clove

    “Orally, clove is well tolerated when consumed as a spice; however, clove oil in doses of only 5-10 mL can be toxic in children. Topically, clove is generally well tolerated. When inhaled or used intravenously, clove may be unsafe.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Topically: Burning, contact dermatitis, dental decay, itching, mucous membrane irritation, tingling, ulcers.

    Inhaled: Dental decay, hypertension, itching, tachy…”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards).

    Phenylephrine

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

  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Clove

    “Clove cigarettes have been associated with throat and chest tightness, pulmonary edema, and fatal aspiration pneumonitis. The causative factor may be clove alone or clove along with other substances found in cigarettes.”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.

    6 sources cited
    1. 43337. Pallares, D. E. Link between clove cigarettes and urticaria? Postgrad.Med 10-1-1999;106(4):153. PubMed
    2. 43618. Hackett, P. H., Rodriguez, G., and Roach, R. C. Clove cigarettes and high-altitude pulmonary edema. JAMA 6-28-1985;253(24):3551-3552. DOI
    3. 43599. Guidotti, T. L., Laing, L., and Prakash, U. B. Clove cigarettes. The basis for concern regarding health effects. West J Med 1989;151(2):220-228.
    4. 12892. Malson JL, Lee EM, Murty R, et al. Clove cigarette smoking: biochemical, physiological, and subjective effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;74:739-45. PubMed
    5. 43602. Anonymous. Evaluation of the health hazard of clove cigarettes. Council on Scientific Affairs. JAMA 12-23-1988;260(24):3641-3644. DOI
    6. 16384. Kirsch CM, Yenokida GG, Jensen WA, et al. Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema due to the intravenous administration of clove oil. Thorax 1990;45:235-6. PubMed

    Phenylephrine

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

Reported for Clove but not commonly for Phenylephrine: an electrolyte imbalance, chest pain, low blood sugar and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Phenylephrine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Clove 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.

Special populations

Clove in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using clove in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Clove or Phenylephrine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Clove or Phenylephrine, 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 Phenylephrine

This page covers Clove only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenylephrine page lists 81 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 60 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenylephrine page

“If you take phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, Biorphen) for congestion, treat this list as one that needs real attention, since six of its 81 entries carry a major rating. Phenylephrine tightens blood vessels to clear your nose, and more than half of the interactions here come from stimulant ingredients, ephedra above all, that can push blood…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenylephrine 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. Even though Clove itself has no known interaction with Phenylephrine, 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 Clove and Phenylephrine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenylephrine
Top 25%

#675 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 Clove reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Clove and Phenylephrine 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 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.

Syzygium aromaticum · Myrtaceae · Dried flower buds, leaves, and essential oil · Whole or ground spice, capsules, essential oil, topical gels, mouth rinses, teas

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

Clove: dosing

There is no official, well-established medicinal dose for clove. The amount used as a cooking spice is considered safe for most people.For supplements, capsules, and topical oils, the right amount depends on the specific product. Because clove oil is very concentrated, it should be diluted before use on the skin or gums and should not be swallowed.

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

Read the full Clove monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenylephrine

What Is Phenylephrine Used For?

Brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen

Phenylephrine is used in a number of different forms for different purposes. Intravenous (IV) phenylephrine — including products like Biorphen and Immphentiv — is given in hospital settings to raise blood pressure in adults when it drops dangerously low due to blood vessel widening (vasodilation), such as during anesthesia. Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Injection 10 mg/mL is also approved for use in septic shock (a life-threatening infection that causes a severe drop in blood pressure).

Nasal spray and drop products (such as Neo-Synephrine and Equate Nasal) temporarily relieve nasal congestion from colds, hay fever, or upper respiratory allergies. Ophthalmic (eye drop) solutions dilate the pupil for eye exams. Rectal suppository products (such as Preparation H and ReVIVOL-XR) help relieve itching, burning, and discomfort associated with hemorrhoids.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Phenylephrine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (221,388 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 20,609 reports
Headache 17,301 reports
Nausea 16,925 reports
Diarrhea 14,221 reports
Dyspnea 13,719 reports
See full Phenylephrine drug information
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
917Moderate
60Minor
1,852No known interaction
917 Moderate 60 Minor 1,852 No interaction
Moderate

917 interactions

Showing 60 of 917 moderate interactions — see all 917 on the Clove page.

Minor

60 interactions

No interaction 1,852 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 1,852 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Clove list.

See the full Clove interactions page
See every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Clove References

The 26 references that drive our Clove 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  3. Kanerva L, Estlander T, Jolanki R. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from spices. Contact Dermatitis 1996;35:157-62. PubMed
  4. Chen SJ, Wang MH, Chen IJ. Antiplatelet and calcium inhibitory properties of eugenol and sodium eugenol acetate. Gen Pharmacol 1996;27:629-33. PubMed
  5. Malson JL, Lee EM, Murty R, et al. Clove cigarette smoking: biochemical, physiological, and subjective effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;74:739-45. PubMed
  6. Kirsch CM, Yenokida GG, Jensen WA, et al. Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema due to the intravenous administration of clove oil. Thorax 1990;45:235-6. PubMed
  7. Pallares, D. E. Link between clove cigarettes and urticaria? Postgrad.Med 10-1-1999;106(4):153. PubMed
  8. Barnard, D. R. Repellency of essential oils to mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 1999;36(5):625-629. PubMed
  9. Sanchez-Perez, J. and Garcia-Diez, A. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from eugenol, oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves in a physiotherapist. Contact Dermatitis 1999;41(6):346-347. PubMed
  10. Andersen, K. E., Johansen, J. D., Bruze, M., Frosch, P. J., Goossens, A., Lepoittevin, J. P., Rastogi, S., White, I., and Menne, T. The time-dose-response relationship for elicitation of contact dermatitis in isoeugenol allergic individuals. Toxicol.Appl PubMed
  11. Alqareer, A., Alyahya, A., and Andersson, L. The effect of clove and benzocaine versus placebo as topical anesthetics. J Dent 2006;34(10):747-750. PubMed
  12. Lane, B. W., Ellenhorn, M. J., Hulbert, T. V., and McCarron, M. Clove oil ingestion in an infant. Hum.Exp Toxicol. 1991;10(4):291-294. PubMed
  13. Quirce, S., Fernandez-Nieto, M., del, Pozo, V, Sastre, B., and Sastre, J. Occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by eugenol in a hairdresser. Allergy 2008;63(1):137-138. PubMed
  14. 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
  15. Dyrbye, B. A., Dubois, L., Vink, R., and Horn, J. A patient with clove oil intoxication. Anaesth.Intensive Care 2012;40(2):365-366.

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 Clove and Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Clove with Phenylephrine?
We do not list a known interaction between Clove and Phenylephrine. 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 Clove and Phenylephrine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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.
How was the Clove and Phenylephrine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications, and Clove has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Phenylephrine'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 Clove interact with any other medications?
Yes. Clove has 977 documented drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine 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 Phenylephrine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Phenylephrine has documented interactions with 81 supplements in our database — Clove is not one of them. The Phenylephrine 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

Clove monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Phenylephrine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Phenylephrine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, 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 26 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Phenylephrine and Clove?

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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.