Drug & supplement interaction

Corn Silk + Chlorothiazide, Reserpine

Chlorothiazide, Reserpine brand name: Diupres.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Chlorothiazide, Reserpine falls into 2 drug categories that Corn Silk can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Taking corn silk extract with antihypertensive drugs might 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

Corn Silk and Chlorothiazide, Reserpine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Corn Silk interacts with whole categories of medication. Chlorothiazide, Reserpine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Corn Silk 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 Chlorothiazide, Reserpine

Chlorothiazide, Reserpine falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Corn Silk interacts with.

Taking corn silk extract with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Clinical research in both hypertensive and normotensive adults shows that taking corn silk extract lowers systolic and diastolic 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

Diupres is really two medicines in one pill: chlorothiazide, a water pill that lowers blood pressure by helping you shed extra fluid and salt, and reserpine, which relaxes your blood vessels. Both already pull your blood pressure down. Corn silk isn't broken down by the same pathways here, so this isn't an enzyme tug-of-war. The concern is simpler: corn silk has its own mild blood-pressure-lowering and fluid-shedding effects, so stacking it on top of Diupres could push your pressure a little too low.

That could mean feeling dizzy, lightheaded, tired, or faint, especially when you stand up. Keep in mind this is theoretical, based on how these things work, not strong proof. A cup of tea now and then is unlikely to matter much, but concentrated extracts are different. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding it.

References
  1. George GO, Idu FK. Corn silk aqueous extracts and intraocular pressure of systemic and non-systemic hypertensive subjects. Clin Exp Optom. 2015 Mar;98(2):138-49. PubMed
Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

2 of 2

Chlorothiazide, Reserpine also falls under DIURETIC DRUGS.

Taking corn silk with diuretic drugs might increase the risk of adverse effects such as hyponatremia and hypokalemia.
Clinical research shows that taking corn silk extract increases urine volume and promotes the urinary excretion of sodium and potassium. Some patients may require electrolyte supplementation.
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 to know about Diupres: the chlorothiazide part is a water pill that already pushes your body to flush out sodium and potassium. Corn silk seems to act in a similar way, nudging your kidneys to make more urine and dump more of those same minerals. Stack the two together and you could lose more sodium and potassium than intended.

What might that feel like? Things like muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness when you stand up, an irregular heartbeat, or feeling unusually tired. Reserpine can already lower blood pressure and cause lightheadedness, so a touch more fluid loss could add to that. To be fair, this caution is mostly theoretical, based on how the herb behaves rather than strong studies. Still, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding corn silk, and don't change your Diupres on your own.

References
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. George GO, Idu FK. Corn silk aqueous extracts and intraocular pressure of systemic and non-systemic hypertensive subjects. Clin Exp Optom. 2015 Mar;98(2):138-49. 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

Corn Silk Also Interacts With Other Medications

Corn Silk has 289 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Chlorothiazide, Reserpine 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 Corn Silk

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Chlorothiazide, Reserpine

This page covers Corn Silk only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Chlorothiazide, Reserpine page lists 228 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 10 major · 193 moderate · 25 minor.

Open the Chlorothiazide, Reserpine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 58 real supplement products containing Corn Silk, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Corn Silk. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Chlorothiazide, Reserpine too, on top of Corn Silk — 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 Corn Silk and Chlorothiazide, Reserpine 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 Corn Silk
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Chlorothiazide, Reserpine
Steady interest

#2,331 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 Corn Silk

What is Corn Silk?

Corn Silk
  • Urinary tract and bladder problems
  • Mild fluid retention (diuretic)
  • Kidney and prostate concerns
  • Bedwetting in children
  • Soothing urinary irritation

Corn silk is a traditional herbal remedy taken as a tea or extract, mostly for urinary and mild fluid-related complaints. High-quality human evidence for these uses is limited, so it should not replace proven treatments. It is generally considered low-risk for short-term use in healthy adults, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Read the full Corn Silk monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Corn Silk

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

0Major
289Moderate
0Minor
2,540No known interaction
Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Corn Silk page.

No interaction 2,540 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 Corn Silk and Chlorothiazide, Reserpine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Corn Silk with Chlorothiazide, Reserpine?
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 Corn Silk and Chlorothiazide, Reserpine?
Chlorothiazide, Reserpine belongs to more than one drug category, and Corn Silk 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 Corn Silk and Chlorothiazide, Reserpine 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.