Drug & supplement interaction

Dusty Miller + Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Dusty Miller has a moderate interaction with Phenobarbital. Theoretically, CYP3A4 inducers might increase the risk of adverse effects from the pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) constituents in dusty miller.

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

Dusty Miller and Phenobarbital

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS

Why this applies to Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS — the group Dusty Miller interacts with.

Theoretically, CYP3A4 inducers might increase the risk of adverse effects from the pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) constituents in dusty miller.
Dusty miller contains PAs. PAs are substrates of CYP3A4. Theoretically, drugs that induce CYP3A4 might increase the conversion of PAs to toxic metabolites.
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 thing to understand with this pairing: the concern isn't about your phenobarbital losing or gaining strength. It's about the Dusty Miller plant itself. Phenobarbital is a strong inducer of a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, meaning it speeds that enzyme up. Dusty Miller contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and your liver uses that same enzyme to turn those compounds into byproducts that can be toxic, mainly to the liver.

So in theory, taking phenobarbital could ramp up the production of those harmful byproducts and raise the risk of liver damage. I want to be honest, though: this is based only on lab and animal data, not real-world cases. The simplest, safest move is to avoid Dusty Miller products entirely. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before using anything made from this plant.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
  2. Wang YP, Yan J, Fu PP, Chou MW. Human liver microsomal reduction of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides to form the corresponding carcinogenic parent alkaloid. Toxicol Lett 2005;155:411-20. 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

Dusty Miller Also Interacts With Other Medications

Dusty Miller has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Phenobarbital one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Phenobarbital)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Dusty Miller

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Dusty Miller or Phenobarbital

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Dusty Miller or Phenobarbital, 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 Phenobarbital

This page covers Dusty Miller only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenobarbital page lists 174 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 Henbane (major).

By severity: 10 major · 143 moderate · 21 minor.

Open the Phenobarbital interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Dusty Miller and Phenobarbital 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 Dusty Miller
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenobarbital
Top half

#1,046 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 Dusty Miller

What is Dusty Miller?

  • Cataracts (traditional eye use)
  • Eye irritation and inflammation
  • Wound healing (folk use)
  • Menstrual complaints (folk use)

Dusty Miller is a silvery ornamental plant that has been used in folk medicine, mainly as an eye remedy for cataracts and irritation. There is no reliable scientific evidence that it works, and the plant contains compounds (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that can be toxic, so it is not considered safe for self-treatment. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using any product made from it.

Read the full Dusty Miller monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenobarbital

What Is Phenobarbital Used For?

Brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal

Phenobarbital tablets and oral solutions are used to treat generalized and partial seizures and as a sedative. Phenobarbital Sodium injection is used as a long-term anticonvulsant for generalized tonic-clonic and focal seizures, for emergency control of acute convulsive episodes (including status epilepticus), for sedation, short-term treatment of insomnia, and as a preanesthetic. It is also used in pediatric patients as an anticonvulsant and sedative, including before and after surgery.

Sezaby (phenobarbital injection, intravenous) is specifically indicated for the treatment of neonatal seizures in term and preterm infants. It is not approved for use in adolescents or adults.

See full Phenobarbital drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dusty Miller

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Dusty Miller page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Dusty Miller against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Dusty Miller list.

See the full Dusty Miller interactions page
See every supplement checked against Phenobarbital, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Dusty Miller monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Phenobarbital supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Phenobarbital, ranked by severity Phenobarbital drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Dusty Miller and Phenobarbital Together: Common Questions

Can you take Dusty Miller with Phenobarbital?
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.
How serious is the Dusty Miller and Phenobarbital 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

Still Have a Question About Phenobarbital and Dusty Miller?

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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.