Drug & supplement interaction

Dandelion + Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine brand names: Excedrin Migraine, Excedrin, Excedrin Extra Strength.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine falls into 3 drug categories that Dandelion can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, dandelion might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Dandelion and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Dandelion interacts with whole categories of medication. Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Dandelion in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

1 of 3

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Dandelion interacts with.

Theoretically, dandelion might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
Laboratory research suggests that dandelion might inhibit CYP1A2. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans. However, until more is known, watch for an increase in the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 in patients taking dandelion.
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

In this combo pill, the piece that matters here is the caffeine. Your body clears caffeine using a liver enzyme called CYP1A2. Lab studies hint that dandelion might slow that enzyme down. If that happened, caffeine could linger a bit longer and build up, which might leave you feeling jittery, restless, or having trouble sleeping, with a faster heartbeat.

The important thing to know is that this is only seen in test-tube research, never reported in real people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Food amounts of dandelion (like in salads or tea) are very unlikely to matter. If you use a concentrated dandelion supplement daily, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on things.

References
  1. Maliakal PP, Wanwimolruk S. Effect of herbal teas on hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2001;53:1323-9. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 3

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, taking dandelion root along with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
In vitro research suggests that dandelion root inhibits 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

The piece of this combo that matters here is the aspirin. Aspirin already thins the blood a little by making platelets less sticky. Some early lab studies suggest dandelion root may do something similar. In theory, pairing the two could nudge up your odds of bruising more easily, nosebleeds, or stomach irritation and bleeding, which aspirin can cause on its own.

I want to be honest about the evidence though: this is based only on test-tube research, not real people, so it's far from proven. Dandelion in foods like salad greens or tea is very unlikely to be a problem. If you take concentrated dandelion supplements regularly with an aspirin product like Excedrin, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you ever notice unusual bleeding.

References
  1. Neef H, Cilli F, Declerck PJ, et al. Platelet anti-aggregating activity of Taraxacum officinale Weber. Phytotherapy Research 1996;10:s138-s140.
Moderate

GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS

3 of 3

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine also falls under GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS.

Theoretically, dandelion might increase the clearance of drugs that are UDP-glucuronosyltransferase substrates.
There is some preliminary evidence that dandelion might induce UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, a phase II enzyme.
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 Excedrin (the acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine combo). Your liver partly clears these medicines using a process called glucuronidation. There's some early lab and animal research hinting that dandelion might speed up that pathway. If it did, your body could clear the drug a little faster, which in theory might make pain or migraine relief feel slightly weaker or shorter than usual.

I want to be honest though: this is theoretical and based only on test-tube and animal data, not on real people. Food amounts of dandelion (in salads or tea) are very unlikely to matter. If you regularly take concentrated dandelion supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on how well your pain relief is working.

References
  1. Maliakal PP, Wanwimolruk S. Effect of herbal teas on hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2001;53:1323-9. 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

Dandelion Also Interacts With Other Medications

Dandelion has 456 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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 Dandelion

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Dandelion or Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

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

This page covers Dandelion only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine page lists 371 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 13 major · 312 moderate · 46 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine page

“Excedrin (acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine) packs three drugs into one tablet, which multiplies the ways supplements can collide with it, so treat this list with real care. Most entries involve the aspirin: hundreds of herbs add to its blood-thinning effect and raise bleeding risk, and even beer or wine earns a major rating for sto…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,328 real supplement products containing Dandelion, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Dandelion. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine too, on top of Dandelion — 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 Dandelion and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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 Dandelion
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine
Top 25%

#377 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 Dandelion

What is Dandelion?

Dandelion
  • Water retention (diuretic)
  • Digestive upset
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Mild appetite stimulant
  • Skin conditions

Dandelion is a common plant used in food and traditional medicine, often promoted as a natural 'water pill' and digestive aid. Human evidence for these uses is very limited, so its benefits are not well proven. It is generally considered safe as a food, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially if you have allergies or take other medicines.

Read the full Dandelion monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dandelion

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

0Major
456Moderate
0Minor
2,373No known interaction
Moderate

456 interactions

Showing 60 of 456 moderate interactions — see all 456 on the Dandelion page.

No interaction 2,373 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 Dandelion and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Dandelion with Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine?
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 3 interactions listed for Dandelion and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine?
Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine belongs to more than one drug category, and Dandelion 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 Dandelion and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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.