Drug & supplement interaction

Coleus + Treprostinil (Inh)

Treprostinil (Inh) brand name: Tyvaso.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Treprostinil (Inh) falls into 2 drug categories that Coleus can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, combining coleus with antihypertensive drugs might cause additive blood pressure lowering effects and increase the risk of hypotension.

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

Coleus and Treprostinil (Inh)

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Treprostinil (Inh)

Treprostinil (Inh) falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Coleus interacts with.

Theoretically, combining coleus with antihypertensive drugs might cause additive blood pressure lowering effects and increase the risk of hypotension.
Animal research shows that forskolin, a constituent of coleus, may lower blood pressure.
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

Here's the gist with inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso) and Coleus. Treprostinil is a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes and widens blood vessels, which is exactly how it helps your lungs. Coleus contains forskolin, and in lab and animal studies it also seems to relax blood vessels and nudge blood pressure downward. So the concern is simple: two things pushing in the same direction could stack up and drop your blood pressure too far.

If that happened, you might feel dizzy, lightheaded, flushed, or faint, especially when standing up quickly. Keep in mind this is a theoretical interaction based mostly on animal research, not strong human proof, so it may not be a big deal for many people. Still, since PAH is serious and your blood pressure matters, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding Coleus.

References
  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. 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
  4. 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.
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Treprostinil (Inh) also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use of coleus and anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
In vitro and animal research shows that forskolin, a constituent of coleus, can inhibit platelet aggregation and adhesion.
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

Here's the thing with inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso): besides opening up the blood vessels in your lungs, it also makes your platelets a little less sticky, so it acts as a mild blood thinner. Coleus, through its active compound forskolin, appears to do something similar in lab studies. Stacking two things that both discourage clotting could, in theory, add up and leave you more prone to easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that takes longer to stop.

I want to be honest about the strength of this: it comes only from test tube and animal research, not from people, so it's more of a caution than a proven problem. Still, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding Coleus, especially since treprostinil can also lower blood pressure.

References
  1. Christenson JT, Thulesius O, Nazzal MM. The effect of forskolin on blood flow, platelet metabolism, aggregation and ATP release. Vasa 1995;24:56-61.
  2. 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
  3. Agarwal KC, Parks RE. Forskolin: a potential antimetastatic agent. Int J Cancer 1983;32:801-4. PubMed

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

Coleus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Coleus has 29 major, 885 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Treprostinil (Inh) 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 Coleus

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Treprostinil (Inh)

This page covers Coleus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Treprostinil (Inh) page lists 275 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major) and Tyramine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 251 moderate · 19 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Treprostinil (Inh) page

“Inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso) relaxes blood vessels in the lungs to treat pulmonary hypertension, and it also blunts platelet clotting, which is why this list of 275 ingredients warrants real vigilance rather than a shrug. Two themes cover almost everything.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Treprostinil (Inh) 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Treprostinil (Inh) too, on top of Coleus — 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 Coleus and Treprostinil (Inh) 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Treprostinil (Inh)
Steady interest

#2,407 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 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.

Read the full Coleus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Treprostinil Oral Inhalation

What Is Treprostinil Oral Inhalation Used For?

Brand name: Tyvaso

Treprostinil oral inhalation is used to treat two serious lung conditions that raise pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. It helps improve how much physical activity you can do.

Tyvaso inhalation solution and Tyvaso DPI are both indicated to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; WHO Group 1) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD; WHO Group 3). Clinical studies establishing effectiveness in PAH primarily included patients with moderate symptoms (NYHA Class III) whose PAH was idiopathic, heritable, or related to connective tissue disease. Studies in PH-ILD primarily included patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, or connective tissue disease-related lung disease.

See full Treprostinil Oral Inhalation 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
885Moderate
0Minor
1,915No known interaction
Major

29 interactions

Moderate

885 interactions

Showing 60 of 885 moderate interactions — see all 885 on the Coleus page.

No interaction 1,915 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 Coleus and Treprostinil (Inh) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Coleus with Treprostinil (Inh)?
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 Coleus and Treprostinil (Inh)?
Treprostinil (Inh) belongs to more than one drug category, and Coleus 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 Coleus and Treprostinil (Inh) 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.