Drug & supplement interaction

Dendrobium + Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol

Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol brand name: Inderide.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol falls into 2 drug categories that Dendrobium can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. The dendrobium constituent dendrobine is reported to have convulsant effects.

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

Dendrobium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

SEIZURE THRESHOLD LOWERING DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol

Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol falls under SEIZURE THRESHOLD LOWERING DRUGS — the group Dendrobium interacts with.

The dendrobium constituent dendrobine is reported to have convulsant effects. Theoretically, combining dendrobium with pro-convulsant drugs might increase the risk of seizure. Some drugs that lower the seizure threshold include anesthetics (propofol, others), antiarrhythmics (mexiletine), antibiotics (amphotericin, penicillin, cephalosporins, imipenem), antidepressants (bupropion, others), antihistamines (cyproheptadine, others), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine), narcotics (fentanyl, others), stimulants (methylphenidate), theophylline, and 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 situation with your Inderide, which combines propranolol (a beta blocker) and hydrochlorothiazide (a water pill). Dendrobium contains a natural compound called dendrobine that, in lab and animal reports, may lower the seizure threshold, meaning it could theoretically make seizures a little easier to trigger. Your medication is also listed among drugs that can nudge the seizure threshold down, so stacking the two together might add up.

I want to be honest that this is theoretical, based on how the chemicals behave rather than on real cases in people, so I don't want you to panic. Still, if you ever have a seizure history, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding Dendrobium. Don't stop your blood pressure medicine on your own.

References
  1. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Available at: http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/.
Minor

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

2 of 2

Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol also falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS.

The dendrobium constituent dendrobine is reported to have hypotensive effects. Theoretically, combining dendrobium with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension; use with caution.
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

Inderide pairs two blood pressure medicines: hydrochlorothiazide (a water pill) and propranolol (a beta blocker). Both already work to lower your blood pressure. There's a compound in Dendrobium called dendrobine that may gently lower blood pressure too. So in theory, taking them together could push your numbers down a little more than expected.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern based only on how these things work, not on solid human studies, so for most people it's a minor issue. Still, watch for signs your pressure dropped too low, like dizziness, lightheadedness when you stand up, feeling faint, or unusual tiredness. Before adding Dendrobium, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on your readings.

References
  1. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Available at: http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/.

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

Dendrobium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Dendrobium has 460 moderate, 148 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol 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 Dendrobium

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol

This page covers Dendrobium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol page lists 324 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), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 11 major · 273 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol page

“Inderide combines hydrochlorothiazide, a water pill, with propranolol, a beta blocker, so a supplement that also lowers blood pressure or pulls potassium out of the body hits the drug on its own turf. That describes most of this list, and I'd approach it with genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 117 real supplement products containing Dendrobium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Dendrobium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol too, on top of Dendrobium — 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 Dendrobium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol 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 Dendrobium
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol
Steady interest

#1,916 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 Dendrobium

What is Dendrobium?

  • Dry mouth and thirst
  • Supporting digestion
  • General tonic/vitality
  • Eye and skin health
  • Recovery after illness

Dendrobium is a group of orchids long used in traditional Chinese medicine, often to moisten the body and as a general tonic. Human evidence for its modern health claims is very limited, so it should be viewed as a traditional remedy rather than a proven treatment. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding because safety isn't known.

Read the full Dendrobium monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dendrobium

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

0Major
460Moderate
148Minor
2,221No known interaction
Moderate

460 interactions

Showing 60 of 460 moderate interactions — see all 460 on the Dendrobium page.

Minor

148 interactions

Showing 60 of 148 minor interactions — see all 148 on the Dendrobium page.

No interaction 2,221 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 Dendrobium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Dendrobium with Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol?
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 Dendrobium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol?
Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol belongs to more than one drug category, and Dendrobium 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 Dendrobium and Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol 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.