Drug & supplement interaction

Cubebs + Lansoprazole

Lansoprazole brand name: Prevacid.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Lansoprazole falls into 2 drug categories that Cubebs can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Several compounds isolated from cubebs can inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vitro.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Cubebs and Lansoprazole

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Lansoprazole

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

Several compounds isolated from cubebs can inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vitro. So far, this effect has not been reported in humans. Theoretically, cubebs might increase the effects and side effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4. These include lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), diltiazem (Cardizem), estrogens, indinavir (Crixivan), triazolam (Halcion), and numerous others.
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 basic idea with lansoprazole (Prevacid). Your body partly relies on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break this medicine down. Lab studies suggest certain compounds in cubeb berries may slow that enzyme. If that happened in real life, lansoprazole could clear a bit more slowly and build up, which might nudge up its effects and any side effects like headache, nausea, belly pain, or diarrhea.

The reassuring part: this is only test-tube data, and it has not been seen in actual people. Everyday culinary amounts of cubeb as a spice are very unlikely to matter. Concentrated cubeb extracts or oils are a different story, so it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before using those alongside lansoprazole.

References
  1. Usia T, Watabe T, Kadota S, Tezuka Y. Potent CYP3A4 inhibitory constituents of Piper cubeba. J Nat Prod 2005;68(1):64-8.
Minor

PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS (PPIs)

2 of 2

Lansoprazole also falls under PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS (PPIs).

Theoretically, due to reports that cubebs increases stomach acid, cubebs might decrease the effectiveness of PPIs. PPIs include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex), pantoprazole (Protonix), and esomeprazole (Nexium).
Severity Minor 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: lansoprazole (Prevacid) works by calming down acid production in your stomach, which is what eases your heartburn and lets an irritated esophagus heal. The concern with cubebs is the opposite direction. These peppery berries have a reputation, mostly from old traditional use rather than solid studies, for stirring up more stomach acid. If that happens, they could theoretically work against your lansoprazole and let some burning or reflux sneak back.

I want to be honest with you though: this is anecdotal, low-level evidence, and rated as a minor concern. A sprinkle of cubeb as a kitchen spice almost certainly won't matter. Concentrated extracts or oils are where I'd be more cautious. If you notice your heartburn creeping back, just check in with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Cubebs Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cubebs has 642 moderate, 22 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Lansoprazole 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 Cubebs

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Cubebs or Lansoprazole

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cubebs or Lansoprazole, 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 Lansoprazole

This page covers Cubebs only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lansoprazole page lists 153 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 3 major · 101 moderate · 49 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lansoprazole page

“Heartburn and reflux send plenty of people toward both lansoprazole (Prevacid) and the supplement aisle, and that pairing calls for genuine care, since three of the 153 ingredients on file here carry major-rated interactions. Most of the list works through the liver enzymes that clear lansoprazole, either slowing them down (grapefruit,…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lansoprazole interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 19 real supplement products containing Cubebs, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cubebs. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lansoprazole too, on top of Cubebs — 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 Cubebs and Lansoprazole 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 Cubebs
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lansoprazole
Steady interest

#1,430 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 Cubebs

What is Cubebs?

Cubebs
  • Coughs and bronchitis
  • Indigestion and gas
  • Urinary tract complaints
  • Sore throat
  • Culinary spice

Cubebs are spicy, peppery berries from a vine in the pepper family that have long been used in traditional medicine for coughs, digestion, and urinary problems. Modern human studies are very limited, so its benefits are not well proven. Use it cautiously as a food spice, and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts or oils.

Read the full Cubebs monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lansoprazole

What Is Lansoprazole Used For?

Brand name: Prevacid

Lansoprazole is prescribed for a range of conditions where excess stomach acid is the problem. It treats active stomach and duodenal ulcers (sores in the stomach or upper small intestine), helps heal ulcers caused by NSAID pain relievers, and can reduce the risk of those ulcers coming back.

It's also used for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erosive esophagitis (acid damage to the esophagus), and rare conditions where the stomach makes far too much acid — like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. When combined with antibiotics, it helps wipe out H. pylori bacteria that cause recurring ulcers.

See full Lansoprazole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cubebs

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

0Major
642Moderate
22Minor
2,165No known interaction
Moderate

642 interactions

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

Minor

22 interactions

No interaction 2,165 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cubebs and Lansoprazole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cubebs with Lansoprazole?
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 Cubebs and Lansoprazole?
Lansoprazole belongs to more than one drug category, and Cubebs 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 Cubebs and Lansoprazole 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 Lansoprazole and Cubebs?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.