Drug & supplement interaction

Devil's Claw + Estradiol, Progesterone

Estradiol, Progesterone brand name: Bijuvanda.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Estradiol, Progesterone falls into 2 drug categories that Devil's Claw can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Devil's Claw and Estradiol, Progesterone

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Devil's Claw interacts with whole categories of medication. Estradiol, Progesterone falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Devil's Claw 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 Estradiol, Progesterone

Estradiol, Progesterone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Devil's Claw interacts with.

Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that devil's claw might inhibit CYP3A4, although this 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 for Bijuva (your estradiol and progesterone combo): your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help break these hormones down. In test-tube studies, devil's claw has shown it might slow that enzyme a bit. If that happened in real life, your hormone levels could creep up, which might mean more of the usual side effects like breast tenderness, bloating, nausea, headaches, or spotting.

I want to be straight with you, though: this is only based on lab research, not on people taking both together. So it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. If you'd like to try devil's claw, just run it past your pharmacist or doctor first so they can keep an eye on things.

References
  1. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Estradiol, Progesterone also falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research shows that devil's claw inhibits P-glycoprotein, which transports many drugs out of cells. This might increase intracellular levels of P-glycoprotein substrates, although it is unclear if this effect would be clinically important.
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 for your Bijuva (estradiol and progesterone). Your body uses a kind of cellular pump called P-glycoprotein to move certain medicines out of cells. Lab studies hint that devil's claw might slow that pump down a bit. In theory, that could let slightly more of your hormones linger in the body, which could mean more of the usual effects you might notice with estrogen and progesterone, like breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, mood shifts, or nausea.

I want to be honest about how shaky this is. The evidence comes only from test-tube research, not from real people, so we truly don't know if it matters in everyday life. Please don't change anything on your own. Just give your pharmacist or doctor a heads-up before adding devil's claw, and they can help you decide.

References
  1. Romiti N, Tramonti G, Corti A, Chieli E. Effects of Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) on the multidrug transporter ABCB1/P-glycoprotein. Phytomedicine 2009;16:1095-100. 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

Devil's Claw Also Interacts With Other Medications

Devil's Claw has 730 moderate, 73 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Estradiol, Progesterone 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 Devil's Claw

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Devil's Claw. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Estradiol, Progesterone

This page covers Devil's Claw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Estradiol, Progesterone page lists 206 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 · 165 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Estradiol, Progesterone page

“Bijuvanda combines estradiol and progesterone, a hormone therapy usually prescribed for menopause symptoms, and its interaction list warrants real care. Three of the 206 supplement ingredients on file carry a major rating, and those deserve your attention first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Estradiol, Progesterone interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Devil's Claw as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 585 real supplement products containing Devil's Claw, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Devil's Claw. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Estradiol, Progesterone too, on top of Devil's Claw — 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 Devil's Claw and Estradiol, Progesterone 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 Devil's Claw
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Estradiol, Progesterone
Top half

#1,285 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 Devil's Claw

What is Devil's Claw?

Devil's Claw
  • Osteoarthritis pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • General inflammation
  • Digestive upset and loss of appetite

Devil's claw is a southern African plant used mainly for arthritis and back pain, and some studies suggest it may help ease these types of discomfort. The evidence is moderate at best, and product strength varies, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

Read the full Devil's Claw monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Devil's Claw

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

0Major
730Moderate
73Minor
2,026No known interaction
Moderate

730 interactions

Showing 60 of 730 moderate interactions — see all 730 on the Devil's Claw page.

Minor

73 interactions

Showing 60 of 73 minor interactions — see all 73 on the Devil's Claw page.

No interaction 2,026 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 Devil's Claw and Estradiol, Progesterone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Devil's Claw with Estradiol, Progesterone?
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 Devil's Claw and Estradiol, Progesterone?
Estradiol, Progesterone belongs to more than one drug category, and Devil's Claw 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 Devil's Claw and Estradiol, Progesterone 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.