Drug & supplement interaction

Dandelion + Grepafloxacin

Grepafloxacin brand name: Raxar.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Grepafloxacin falls into 2 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
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Dandelion and Grepafloxacin

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Dandelion interacts with whole categories of medication. Grepafloxacin falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Dandelion 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 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

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Why this applies to Grepafloxacin

Grepafloxacin 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

Here's the gist: grepafloxacin (Raxar) is an antibiotic that your liver partly clears using an enzyme called CYP1A2. Dandelion might slow that same enzyme down. If it does, the antibiotic could clear a little slower and build up in your body, which can nudge up the usual side effects like nausea, dizziness, or a faster heartbeat.

I want to be honest about how soft this evidence is. This warning comes only from lab studies, not from real people, so it's theoretical at this point. Plain food amounts of dandelion in salads or tea are very unlikely to matter; concentrated supplement capsules are the bigger question mark. As a side note, grepafloxacin was pulled from the U.S. market years ago over heart-rhythm concerns. If you're using either one, please check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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

QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS

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Grepafloxacin also falls under QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS.

Theoretically, dandelion might lower fluoroquinolone levels.
Animal research shows that dandelion reduces absorption of ciprofloxacin and can lower levels by 73%. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.
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 with dandelion and grepafloxacin (Raxar), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Dandelion is naturally rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, and these can bind to this type of antibiotic in your gut. When that happens, less of the drug gets absorbed, so blood levels can drop. In plain terms, the worry is a weaker antibiotic, which could mean your infection isn't fully knocked out.

I want to be honest about how shaky this evidence is. It comes from animal studies (one showed a big drop in a related drug, ciprofloxacin), and it hasn't actually been shown in people. So this is more theoretical than proven. If you take both, a simple fix many pharmacists suggest is spacing them out by a few hours. Please run your specific plan by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Zhu M, Wong PY, Li RC. Effects of taraxacum mongolicum on the bioavailability and disposition of ciprofloxacin in rats. J Pharm Sci 1999;88:632-4. 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 Grepafloxacin 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 Grepafloxacin

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 Grepafloxacin, 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 Grepafloxacin

This page covers Dandelion only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Grepafloxacin page lists 164 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Apple (major), Arsenic (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 9 major · 113 moderate · 42 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Grepafloxacin page

“A week on grepafloxacin (Raxar), a quinolone antibiotic, often comes with juice at breakfast, coffee through the day, maybe a probiotic for the stomach, and each of those shows up on this list. The nine major entries among these 164 deserve your attention first: grapefruit and other fruit juices can block the transporter that carries t…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Grepafloxacin 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 Grepafloxacin 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 Grepafloxacin 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 Grepafloxacin
Steady interest

#2,442 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 Grepafloxacin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Dandelion with Grepafloxacin?
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 Dandelion and Grepafloxacin?
Grepafloxacin 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 Grepafloxacin 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.