Drug & supplement interaction

Corydalis Yanhusuo + Iloprost

Iloprost brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Iloprost falls into 2 drug categories that Corydalis Yanhusuo can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might have additive effects with antihypertensive drugs.

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

Corydalis Yanhusuo and Iloprost

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Corydalis Yanhusuo interacts with whole categories of medication. Iloprost falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Corydalis Yanhusuo 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 Iloprost

Iloprost falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Corydalis Yanhusuo interacts with.

Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might have additive effects with antihypertensive drugs.
Corydalis yanhusuo contains berberine. Animal research suggests that berberine can have hypotensive effects. Also, a clinical study suggests that taking berberine in combination with amlodipine can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure when compared with amlodipine alone. Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might also reduce 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 for Iloprost (Ventavis). This inhaled medicine works by relaxing and widening blood vessels, which lowers pressure in your lungs but can also lower your overall blood pressure. Corydalis yanhusuo contains compounds (including berberine) that may have their own mild blood-pressure-lowering effect, at least based on animal studies and a small human study with a different drug.

So in theory, stacking the two could push your blood pressure down a little more than expected. With Iloprost, that might show up as dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, or headache. To be clear, this is a theoretical concern, not something proven in people taking these two together. Still, since PAH and your blood pressure need careful balancing, please run it past your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sabir M and Bhide NK. Study of some pharmacological actions of berberine. Ind J Physiol & Pharmac 1971;15(3):111-132.
  2. Chun YT, Yip TT, Lau KL, and et al. A biochemical study on the hypotensive effect of berberine in rats. Gen Pharmac 1979;10:177-182. PubMed
  3. Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;161:69-81. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Iloprost also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Corydalis yanhusuo contains berberine. In vitro and in vivo research suggest that berberine can inhibit platelet aggregation. Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might also inhibit platelet aggregation.
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 pairing Corydalis yanhusuo with Ventavis (iloprost). Iloprost relaxes blood vessels, but it also has its own mild effect of making platelets less sticky, which can nudge up your bleeding risk on its own. Corydalis contains berberine, and lab and animal studies suggest berberine may also slow platelets from clumping. Stacked together, the theory is they could add up and make easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's slow to stop a bit more likely.

I want to be honest, though: this is theoretical and based only on test-tube and animal research, not solid human studies, so it's a caution and not a sure thing. Please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before adding this herb, and let them know right away if you notice unusual bruising or bleeding.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Wu, J. F. and Liu, T. P. [Effects of berberine on platelet aggregation and plasma levels of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in rats with reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion]. Yao Xue.Xue.Bao. 1995;30(2):98-102.
  2. Tripathi YB and Shukla SD. Berberis artistata inhibits PAF induced aggregation of rabbit platelets. Phytotherapy Research 1996;10:628-630.

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

Corydalis Yanhusuo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Corydalis Yanhusuo has 1,159 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Iloprost one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,159 No known interaction 1,671 (incl. Iloprost)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Corydalis Yanhusuo

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Iloprost

This page covers Corydalis Yanhusuo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Iloprost page lists 287 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), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 6 major · 254 moderate · 27 minor.

Open the Iloprost interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Corydalis Yanhusuo and Iloprost 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Iloprost
Top half

#1,063 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo

What is Corydalis Yanhusuo?

  • Pain relief
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Headache
  • Stress and sleep support
  • Stomach and abdominal discomfort

Corydalis yanhusuo is a traditional Chinese herb used mainly for pain. Some early laboratory and animal research suggests its compounds may affect pain and the nervous system, but high-quality human studies are limited, so its true benefits and long-term safety are not well established. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Corydalis Yanhusuo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Iloprost

What Is Iloprost Used For?

Brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn

Aurlumyn (iloprost injection) is FDA-approved to treat severe frostbite in adults. Specifically, it is used to reduce the risk of losing fingers or toes (digit amputation) after serious frostbite injury. The clinical evidence supporting this use comes from young, healthy adults who suffered frostbite at high altitudes.

See full Iloprost drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Corydalis Yanhusuo

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

0Major
1,159Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
1,159 Moderate 1,670 No interaction
Moderate

1,159 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,159 moderate interactions — see all 1,159 on the Corydalis Yanhusuo page.

No interaction 1,670 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,670 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Corydalis Yanhusuo list.

See the full Corydalis Yanhusuo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Iloprost, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Corydalis Yanhusuo monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Iloprost supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Iloprost, ranked by severity Iloprost drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Corydalis Yanhusuo and Iloprost Together: Common Questions

Can you take Corydalis Yanhusuo with Iloprost?
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 Corydalis Yanhusuo and Iloprost?
Iloprost belongs to more than one drug category, and Corydalis Yanhusuo 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo and Iloprost 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.