Drug & supplement interaction

Dodder + Tasimelteon

Tasimelteon brand names: Hetlioz, Hetlioz Lq.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Dodder and Tasimelteon in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Tasimelteon states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Dodder and Tasimelteon

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Tasimelteon and Dodder in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Dodder at all — not against Tasimelteon, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Dodder safety at a glance

Dodder overall Use caution Human safety data are limited, so use cautiously and under guidance from a healthcare professional.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information exists, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is no reliable safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Tasimelteon and Dodder? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Dodder Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Tasimelteon. It is the side-effect record for Dodder on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Dodder, this list is the first place to look.

  • Reduced appetite / Stomach upset Additional detail

    “Orally, a combination of whey and dodder seed extract has been reported to cause anorexia, mild dyspepsia, and feelings of stomach heaviness. It is not known if these symptoms are related to whey, dodder, or the combination. Intestinal colic and diarrhea have been reported as possible symptoms of dodder overdose. Traditional sources suggest a maximum daily dose of 8 grams of dodder aerial parts.”

    Dodder · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 99156. Mehrbani M, Choopani R, Fekri A, Mehrabani M, Mosaddegh M, Mehrabani M. The efficacy of whey associated with dodder seed extract on moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Ethnopharm PubMed
    2. 99157. Firoozabadi A, Zarshenas MM, Salehi A, Jahanbin S, Mohagheghzadeh A. Effectiveness of Cuscuta planiflora Ten. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse in major depression: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial study. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med
  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    “Orally, dodder is generally well tolerated. High doses may cause intestinal colic and diarrhea (18,99156).”

    Dodder · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    2 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 99156. Mehrbani M, Choopani R, Fekri A, Mehrabani M, Mosaddegh M, Mehrabani M. The efficacy of whey associated with dodder seed extract on moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Ethnopharm PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Dodder — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Tasimelteon’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Tasimelteon column appears here.

How to take them

Some Tasimelteon Products Have a Food Rule — Dodder Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Tasimelteon says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Dodder included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Tasimelteon on its own and move Dodder to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Tasimelteon products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Indicated Population Dosage Form Body Weight Recommended Dosage Non-24 ( 2.2 ) Adults Capsules Not applicable 20 mg one hour prior to bedtime Nighttime sleep disturbances in SMS ( 2.3 ) Patients 16 years of age and older Capsules Not applicable 20 mg one hour prior to bedtime Pediatric Patients 3 to 15 years of age Oral Suspension ≤ 28 kg 0.7 mg/kg one hour before bedti

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Tasimelteon — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Tasimelteon drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tasimelteon

This page covers Dodder only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tasimelteon page lists 218 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 166 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tasimelteon page

“Tasimelteon (Hetlioz) resets the body clock in people with non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, and the sleep aids they often reach for, melatonin and kava among them, sit on an interaction list that deserves real respect. Nine of the 218 ingredients on file rate major, mostly in two directions: sedatives like kava stack drowsiness onto a…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tasimelteon interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1 real supplement products containing Dodder, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Dodder. Even though Dodder itself has no known interaction with Tasimelteon, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Dodder and Tasimelteon 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 Dodder
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tasimelteon
Steady interest

#1,943 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Dodder reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Dodder and Tasimelteon records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Dodder

What is Dodder?

Dodder
  • Sexual health and impotence
  • Energy and fatigue
  • Kidney and reproductive support (in traditional medicine)
  • Eye health and vision
  • Liver support

Dodder (Cuscuta) is a parasitic plant whose seeds are used in traditional Chinese and Middle Eastern medicine, mainly for sexual, kidney, and energy-related complaints. Human evidence for any of these uses is very limited, and safety has not been well studied, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Cuscuta chinensis · Convolvulaceae · Seeds (and sometimes the whole vine) · Dried seeds, powders, capsules, tinctures, teas, and ingredients in traditional Chinese herbal formulas

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Dodder is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Dodder record says about it on its own.

Dodder: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose of dodder for any health condition. Traditional formulas vary widely, and the strength of commercial products differs from brand to brand.If you choose to use a dodder product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Dodder monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Dodder monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tasimelteon

What Is Tasimelteon Used For?

Brand names: Hetlioz, Hetlioz Lq

Tasimelteon capsules are approved to treat Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder (Non-24) in adults. Non-24 is a condition where the body's internal clock does not align with the normal 24-hour day, causing sleep and wake times to shift continuously.

Hetlioz capsules are also approved to treat nighttime sleep disturbances in Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) in patients 16 years of age and older. Hetlioz LQ oral suspension is approved specifically for nighttime sleep disturbances in SMS in pediatric patients ages 3 to 15 years.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Tasimelteon

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (5,770 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Insomnia 728 reports
Middle insomnia 414 reports
Somnolence 408 reports
Headache 386 reports
Nightmare 268 reports
See full Tasimelteon drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dodder

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Dodder References

The 3 references that drive our Dodder monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Mehrbani M, Choopani R, Fekri A, Mehrabani M, Mosaddegh M, Mehrabani M. The efficacy of whey associated with dodder seed extract on moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Ethnopharm PubMed
  3. Firoozabadi A, Zarshenas MM, Salehi A, Jahanbin S, Mohagheghzadeh A. Effectiveness of Cuscuta planiflora Ten. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse in major depression: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial study. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Dodder and Tasimelteon Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Dodder with Tasimelteon?
We do not list a known interaction between Dodder and Tasimelteon. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Should I take Dodder and Tasimelteon at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Tasimelteon says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Tasimelteon on its own and move Dodder to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Tasimelteon interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tasimelteon has documented interactions with 218 supplements in our database — Dodder is not one of them. The Tasimelteon interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Tasimelteon and Dodder?

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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.