Drug & supplement interaction

Cranberry + Levobupivacaine

Levobupivacaine brand name: Chirocaine.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Cranberry has a moderate interaction with Levobupivacaine. Theoretically, cranberry might increase the levels and adverse effects of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

Cranberry and Levobupivacaine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Levobupivacaine

Levobupivacaine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Cranberry interacts with.

Theoretically, cranberry might increase the levels and adverse effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
A case of upper back pain, rhabdomyolysis, and abnormal liver function has been reported for a patient taking atorvastatin, a CYP3A4 substrate, in combination with cranberry juice 16 ounces daily for 2 weeks. Creatinine kinase and liver enzymes normalized within 2 weeks of stopping cranberry juice. Also, animal research suggests that cranberry juice, administered intraduodenally 30 minutes prior to nifedipine, a CYP3A4 substrate, inhibits nifedipine metabolism and increases the area under the concentration-time curve by 1.6-fold compared to control.
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 situation with cranberry and levobupivacaine (Chirocaine). This is a local anesthetic that your liver partly clears using an enzyme called CYP3A4. The theory is that concentrated cranberry could mildly slow that enzyme, which might let a bit more of the drug linger in your body. With a numbing agent, higher levels could in theory mean things like dizziness, ringing in the ears, a metallic taste, or in rare cases heart rhythm or nervous system effects.

That said, the evidence here is very thin, mostly a single case report and animal data, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Also, levobupivacaine is usually given by a clinician during a procedure, so they're already watching you closely. Still, it's worth mentioning any cranberry supplements to your doctor or pharmacist beforehand.

References
  1. Uesawa, Y. and Mohri, K. Effects of cranberry juice on nifedipine pharmacokinetics in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2006;58(8):1067-1072. PubMed
  2. Doad GJ, Kabange W. Cranberry juice, atorvastatin and back pain. J Med Assoc Ga 2014;103(1):14.

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

Cranberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cranberry has 642 moderate, 69 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levobupivacaine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cranberry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Cranberry or Levobupivacaine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cranberry or Levobupivacaine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levobupivacaine

This page covers Cranberry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levobupivacaine page lists 172 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Fever Bark (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 124 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levobupivacaine page

“Levobupivacaine (Chirocaine) is a local anesthetic, injected for surgery, nerve blocks, and epidurals, and the 172 supplement interactions on file deserve genuine attention ahead of a procedure. Most of the list involves ingredients that change how the liver clears the drug, either raising its blood level toward toxicity or lowering it…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levobupivacaine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 5,249 real supplement products containing Cranberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cranberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levobupivacaine too, on top of Cranberry — 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 Cranberry and Levobupivacaine 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 Cranberry
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levobupivacaine
Steady interest

#2,374 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 Cranberry

What is Cranberry?

Cranberry
  • Urinary tract infection prevention
  • Bladder health
  • Antioxidant support
  • Source of vitamin C

Cranberry is best known for helping to prevent repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in some people, and the evidence here is moderate but mixed. It is not a reliable treatment for an active UTI, which usually needs antibiotics. For most people cranberry products are well tolerated, but check with a pharmacist before relying on them, especially if you have frequent infections.

Read the full Cranberry monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cranberry

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

0Major
642Moderate
69Minor
2,118No known interaction
Moderate

642 interactions

Showing 60 of 642 moderate interactions — see all 642 on the Cranberry page.

Minor

69 interactions

Showing 60 of 69 minor interactions — see all 69 on the Cranberry page.

No interaction 2,118 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 Cranberry and Levobupivacaine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cranberry with Levobupivacaine?
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.
How serious is the Cranberry and Levobupivacaine 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

Still Have a Question About Levobupivacaine and Cranberry?

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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.