Drug & supplement interaction

Cola Nut + Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate brand name: Anacin w/ Codeine.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate falls into 2 drug categories that Cola Nut can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, cola nut may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Cola Nut and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Cola Nut interacts with.

Theoretically, cola nut may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Cola nut contains caffeine. Caffeine is reported to have antiplatelet activity. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate 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 something worth knowing if you take this combination pill. Your medication already contains aspirin, which thins the blood a little by reducing how well platelets stick together. Cola nut, on the other hand, is mostly caffeine, and caffeine has been shown in lab studies to have a mild blood-thinning effect of its own. The thought is that stacking the two together could, in theory, nudge your bleeding risk slightly higher.

I want to be honest though: this concern comes only from test-tube and animal research and has never actually been reported in real people, so it's considered unlikely. Still, if you notice easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that won't stop, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor. And remember your pill already has caffeine in it, so piling on more cola nut may just leave you jittery anyway.

References
  1. Ali M, Afzal M. A potent inhibitor of thrombin stimulated platelet thromboxane formation from unprocessed tea. Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1987;27:9-13. PubMed
  2. Ardlie NG, Glew G, Schultz BG, Schwartz CJ. Inhibition and reversal of platelet aggregation by methyl xanthines. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1967;18:670-3. DOI
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 2

Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate also falls under STIMULANT DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Cola nut contains caffeine. Due to the central nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects of caffeine, concomitant use with stimulant drugs can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here is the simple version: your combo pill already contains caffeine, and cola nut is basically a natural source of more caffeine. So adding it is like stacking two caffeine sources on top of each other. That extra stimulant load can make you feel jittery, sped up, or anxious, and may give you a racing heartbeat, trouble sleeping, or a mild bump in blood pressure.

This is mostly an expert-opinion concern rather than something proven in strong studies, so it is not an emergency. A small amount of cola flavoring is unlikely to matter, but concentrated cola nut supplements add real caffeine. If you take this medicine regularly, check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding cola nut, especially if you have a heart condition.

References
  1. Institute of Medicine. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309082587/html/index.html. DOI

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

Cola Nut Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cola Nut has 546 moderate, 108 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate 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 Cola Nut

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate

This page covers Cola Nut only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate page lists 398 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).

By severity: 17 major · 334 moderate · 47 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate page

“Anacin with Codeine combines aspirin, caffeine, and codeine, and each of the three picks up its own supplement problems, so this is a list worth real caution. Just over half of the 398 ingredients here, 202 of them, can add to aspirin's blood-thinning action and raise bleeding risk.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Cola Nut, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cola Nut. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate too, on top of Cola Nut — 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 Cola Nut and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate 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 Cola Nut
Steady interest

#1,028 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate
Steady interest

#1,468 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 Cola Nut

What is Cola Nut?

Cola Nut
  • Energy and alertness
  • Mental focus
  • Physical performance
  • Weight loss support
  • Traditional digestive aid

Cola nut is a caffeine-containing seed from West Africa used mainly as a natural stimulant for energy and alertness. Most of its effects come from caffeine, and strong human evidence for specific health benefits is limited. Because of its caffeine content, people sensitive to stimulants and those who are pregnant or have heart conditions should be cautious.

Read the full Cola Nut monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cola Nut

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

0Major
546Moderate
108Minor
2,175No known interaction
Moderate

546 interactions

Showing 60 of 546 moderate interactions — see all 546 on the Cola Nut page.

Minor

108 interactions

Showing 60 of 108 minor interactions — see all 108 on the Cola Nut page.

No interaction 2,175 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 Cola Nut and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cola Nut with Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate?
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 Cola Nut and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate?
Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate belongs to more than one drug category, and Cola Nut 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 Cola Nut and Aspirin, Caffeine, Codeine Phosphate 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.