Drug & supplement interaction

Devil's Claw + Loperamide, Simethicone

Loperamide, Simethicone brand name: Imodium Advanced.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Devil's Claw has a minor interaction with Loperamide, Simethicone. Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of P-glycoprotein substrates.

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

Devil's Claw and Loperamide, Simethicone

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Loperamide, Simethicone

Loperamide, Simethicone falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Devil's Claw interacts with.

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 situation with Imodium Advanced (loperamide plus simethicone) and devil's claw. Your body has a protective pump called P-glycoprotein that helps keep loperamide out of certain tissues, including the brain. In test-tube studies, devil's claw appears to slow that pump down a bit. If that happened in real life, slightly more loperamide could hang around, which in theory might mean a little more constipation, drowsiness, or stomach cramping.

That said, this is only laboratory data, not something proven in people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Loperamide isn't a prodrug, so the concern is more effect, not less. Still, if you take these together often, just give your pharmacist a quick heads-up to be safe.

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 731 moderate, 72 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Loperamide, Simethicone one above is one of 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 Loperamide, Simethicone

This page covers Devil's Claw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Loperamide, Simethicone page lists 82 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Henbane (major), Scopolia (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Angel's Trumpet (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 59 moderate · 19 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Loperamide, Simethicone page

“Imodium Advanced combines loperamide, an anti-diarrheal opioid that normally stays out of the brain thanks to a transporter called P-glycoprotein, with simethicone for gas, and I treat its interaction list with more respect than most over-the-counter medicines warrant. Thirty-seven of the 82 interacting ingredients on file affect that…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Loperamide, Simethicone 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 Loperamide, Simethicone 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 Loperamide, Simethicone 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Loperamide, Simethicone
Top 25%

#496 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
731Moderate
72Minor
2,026No known interaction
Moderate

731 interactions

Showing 60 of 731 moderate interactions — see all 731 on the Devil's Claw page.

Minor

72 interactions

Showing 60 of 72 minor interactions — see all 72 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 Loperamide, Simethicone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Devil's Claw with Loperamide, Simethicone?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Devil's Claw and Loperamide, Simethicone interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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.