Drug & supplement interaction

Coleus + Deferiprone

Deferiprone brand name: Ferriprox.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Coleus and Deferiprone 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 Deferiprone 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

Coleus and Deferiprone

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 Deferiprone and Coleus 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.

Coleus safety at a glance

Coleus overall Use caution May lower blood pressure and is not well studied for long-term use, so use with care and professional guidance.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Evidence from animal research suggests that high doses of coleus can inhibit embryo implantation and/or delay fetal development; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use while breastfeeding.

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 Deferiprone and Coleus? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Deferiprone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Deferiprone is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Coleus has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being calcium channel blockers (major), nitrates (major) and anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) — and none of Deferiprone’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

Coleus Does Interact With Other Medications

Coleus has 29 major, 886 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Deferiprone isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 29 Moderate 886 No known interaction 1,915 (incl. Deferiprone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Coleus

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Coleus and Deferiprone 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.

  • Cough Additional detail

    Coleus

    “Inhalation of forskolin, a constituent of coleus, can cause throat and upper respiratory tract irritation, and mild to moderate cough.”

    Coleus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cough.

    1 source cited
    1. 7281. Bauer K, Dietersdorfer F, Kaspar S, et al. Pharmacodynamic effects of inhaled dry powder formulations of fenoterol and colforsin in asthma. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1993;53:76-83. PubMed

    Deferiprone

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

  • Vomiting / Diarrhea / Nausea reported in 5.3% of FDA reports for Deferiprone Additional detail

    Coleus

    “Orally, coleus can cause dose-related diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Increased bowel movements and loose stools have been reported in 1 of 15 patients taking coleus extract in a clinical trial. Some retrospective evidence reports about a 10% rate of gastrointestinal adverse effects from oral coleus use; 81% of these adverse effects were related to diarrhea.”

    Coleus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    2 sources cited
    1. 91885. Loftus HL, Astell KJ, Mathai ML, et al. Coleus forskohlii Extract Supplementation in Conjunction with a Hypocaloric Diet Reduces the Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2015;7(11): PubMed
    2. 100851. Nishijima C, Chiba T, Sato Y, Umegaki K. Nationwide Online Survey Enables the Reevaluation of the Safety of Coleus forskohlii Extract Intake Based on the Adverse Event Frequencies. Nutrients. 2019;11(4). pii: E866. PubMed

    Deferiprone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Deferiprone, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Coleus but not commonly for Deferiprone: eye irritation or redness, constipation, anxiety or restlessness and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Deferiprone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Coleus come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 3,004 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Deferiprone that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Coleus in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Evidence from animal research suggests that high doses of coleus can inhibit embryo implantation and/or delay fetal development; 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

How to take them

Some Deferiprone Products Have a Food Rule — Coleus Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Deferiprone says to take it with food. If you take Coleus on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Deferiprone 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 Deferiprone 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.

Recommended Dosage for 1,000 mg FERRIPROX T ablets ( twice a day) for Adult and Pediatric Patients with Transfusional Iron Overload due to Thalassemia Syndromes, Sickle Cell Disease or Other Anemias Starting Dos ag e for T wice a Day Tablets The recommended starting oral dosage of FERRIPROX Tablets (twice a day) is 75 mg/kg/day (actual body weight) in two divided doses per day (taken approxima

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Deferiprone — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Deferiprone

This page covers Coleus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Deferiprone page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Deferiprone page

“Deferiprone (Ferriprox) pulls excess iron out of the body in conditions like thalassemia, and that job depends on the pill actually being absorbed. Every one of the 17 supplements flagged against it threatens that step, which is why this list warrants real vigilance rather than a shrug.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Deferiprone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 803 real supplement products containing Coleus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Coleus. Even though Coleus itself has no known interaction with Deferiprone, 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 Coleus and Deferiprone 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 Coleus
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Deferiprone
Top half

#1,400 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 Coleus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Coleus and Deferiprone records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Coleus

What is Coleus?

Coleus
  • Weight management
  • Asthma and breathing
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart conditions
  • Glaucoma (eye pressure)
  • Exercise and body composition

Coleus is a plant from the mint family whose root contains a compound called forskolin, often marketed for weight loss, asthma, and heart health. While early lab and small human studies are interesting, solid proof that Coleus supplements help any of these conditions is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have heart problems or low blood pressure.

Coleus forskohlii · Lamiaceae · Roots (source of forskolin) · Capsules, tablets, standardized extracts (often standardized to forskolin), powders

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

Coleus: dosing

There is no official, well-established dose for Coleus. Products vary widely in strength and are often standardized to a certain percentage of forskolin, but the best dose for any health goal has not been proven.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Coleus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Deferiprone

What Is Deferiprone Used For?

Brand name: Ferriprox

Deferiprone is used to remove excess iron that builds up in the body from repeated blood transfusions — a condition called transfusional iron overload. Too much iron in the body can damage organs over time, so deferiprone works to capture and remove it.

Ferriprox oral solution is approved for adults and children 3 years and older with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease, or other anemias. Ferriprox tablets are approved for adults and children 8 years and older with the same conditions. Deferiprone tablets (generic) are approved for adult patients with thalassemia syndromes when their current iron-removal treatment is not working well enough.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Deferiprone

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (3,004 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Sickle cell anaemia with crisis 191 reports
Agranulocytosis 158 reports
Nausea 158 reports
Fatigue 138 reports
Ill-defined disorder 135 reports
See full Deferiprone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Coleus

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

29Major
886Moderate
0Minor
1,914No known interaction
29 Major 886 Moderate 1,914 No interaction
Major

29 interactions

Moderate

886 interactions

Showing 60 of 886 moderate interactions — see all 886 on the Coleus page.

No interaction 1,914 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,914 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Coleus list.

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

Coleus References

The 16 references that drive our Coleus 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. Baumann G, Felix S, Sattelberger U, Klein G. Cardiovascular effects of forskolin (HL-362) in patients with idiopathic congestiv cardiomyopathy. A comparative study with dobutamine and sodium nitroprusside. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1990;16:93-100.
  2. Kramer W, Thormann J, Kindler M, Schlepper M. Effects of forskolin on left ventricular function in dilated cardiomyopathy. Arzneimittelforschung 1987;37:364-7.
  3. Bauer K, Dietersdorfer F, Kaspar S, et al. Pharmacodynamic effects of inhaled dry powder formulations of fenoterol and colforsin in asthma. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1993;53:76-83. PubMed
  4. Christenson JT, Thulesius O, Nazzal MM. The effect of forskolin on blood flow, platelet metabolism, aggregation and ATP release. Vasa 1995;24:56-61.
  5. Agarwal KC, Zielinski BA, Maitra RS. Significance of plasma adenosine in the antiplatelet activity of forskolin: potentiation by dipyridamole and dilazep. Thromb Haemost 1989;61:106-10. DOI
  6. Agarwal KC, Parks RE. Forskolin: a potential antimetastatic agent. Int J Cancer 1983;32:801-4. PubMed
  7. Almeida, F. C. and Lemonica, I. P. The toxic effects of Coleus barbatus B. on the different periods of pregnancy in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;73(1-2):53-60. PubMed
  8. Ding, X. and Staudinger, J. L. Induction of drug metabolism by forskolin: the role of the pregnane X receptor and the protein kinase a signal transduction pathway. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2005;312(2):849-856. PubMed
  9. Staudinger, J. L., Ding, X., and Lichti, K. Pregnane X receptor and natural products: beyond drug-drug interactions. Expert.Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2006;2(6):847-857. PubMed
  10. van Hecke, E., Hindryckx, P., Geuns, J. M., and Devriese, E. Airborne contact dermatitis from coleus in a housewife. Contact Dermatitis 1991;25(2):128-129. PubMed
  11. Schlepper, M., Thormann, J., and Mitrovic, V. Cardiovascular effects of forskolin and phosphodiesterase-III inhibitors. Basic Res Cardiol 1989;84 Suppl 1:197-212. PubMed
  12. Dooms-Goossens, A., Borghijs, A., Degreef, H., Devriese, E. G., and Geuns, J. M. Airborne contact dermatitis to Coleus. Contact Dermatitis 1987;17(2):109-110. PubMed
  13. Lindner, E., Dohadwalla, A. N., and Bhattacharya, B. K. Positive inotropic and blood pressure lowering activity of a diterpene derivative isolated from Coleus forskohli: Forskolin. Arzneimittelforschung 1978;28(2):284-289.
  14. Loftus HL, Astell KJ, Mathai ML, et al. Coleus forskohlii Extract Supplementation in Conjunction with a Hypocaloric Diet Reduces the Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2015;7(11): PubMed
  15. Yokotani K, Chiba T, Sato Y, et al. Hepatic cytochrome P450 mediates interaction between warfarin and Coleus forskohlii extract in vivo and in vitro. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2012;64(12):1793-801.

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 Coleus and Deferiprone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Coleus with Deferiprone?
We do not list a known interaction between Coleus and Deferiprone. 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 Coleus and Deferiprone have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 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 Coleus and Deferiprone at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Deferiprone says to take it with food. If you take Coleus on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Deferiprone with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Deferiprone products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Coleus and Deferiprone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Deferiprone is filed under 1 classification, and Coleus has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Deferiprone'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 Coleus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Coleus has 915 documented drug interactions in our database — Deferiprone 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 Deferiprone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Deferiprone has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Coleus is not one of them. The Deferiprone 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

Coleus monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Deferiprone drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Deferiprone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Deferiprone, 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 16 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

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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.