Drug & supplement interaction

Dwarf Elder + Diclofenac

Diclofenac brand name: Zorvolex.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac 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 two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac

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 Diclofenac and Dwarf Elder 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 Dwarf Elder at all — not against Diclofenac, 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.

Dwarf Elder safety at a glance

Dwarf Elder overall Use caution Raw or unripe parts can be toxic, and human safety data is limited.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally in large quantities. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally in large quantities. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Dwarf Elder

    “Orally, ingestion of large quantities of any plant part of dwarf elder may cause cyanosis, dizziness, headache, and unconsciousness (18).”

    Dwarf Elder · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Diclofenac

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Diclofenac. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    Dwarf Elder

    “Orally, ingestion of large quantities of any plant part of dwarf elder may be unsafe. Topically, dwarf elder seems to be well tolerated.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Bloody diarrhea, cyanosis, vomiting, and unconsciousness when taken in large amounts.”

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

    “Orally, ingestion of large quantities of any plant part of dwarf elder may cause vomiting and bloody diarrhea (18).”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Diclofenac

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Diclofenac. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Diclofenac come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Dwarf Elder come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 164,880 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Diclofenac that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Dwarf Elder in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally in large quantities.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Diclofenac Is Prescribed For, and What Dwarf Elder Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Diclofenac is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Dwarf Elder is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Diclofenac is prescribed for: Diclofenac sodium topical gel is used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) — rough, scaly skin patches that form after years of sun exposure. These patches are considered precancerous, meaning they can develop into skin cancer if left untreated. This is a topical gel, meaning it is applied directly to the skin over the affected area rather than taken by mouth. It belongs to the NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) family.

Dwarf Elder has been studied for:

  • Osteoarthritis studied, not established Dwarf Elder has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Dwarf Elder for osteoarthritis

    It is unclear if topical dwarf elder is beneficial in patients with osteoarthritis.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Diclofenac on your own; if you are taking Dwarf Elder for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Dwarf Elder or Diclofenac

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

This page covers Dwarf Elder only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diclofenac page lists 306 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 265 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Diclofenac page

“Diclofenac (Zorvolex) is an NSAID pain reliever that already stresses the stomach lining and kidneys on its own, so treat this list as a real safety issue, not fine print. Two thirds of the 306 supplements on file can thin the blood or slow clotting, and stacked on an NSAID that raises the odds of stomach bleeding.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Diclofenac interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac 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 Dwarf Elder
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diclofenac
Top half

#763 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 Dwarf Elder reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac 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 Dwarf Elder

What is Dwarf Elder?

  • Joint pain and swelling
  • Colds and respiratory complaints
  • Skin irritation (topical)
  • Constipation
  • Fluid retention

Dwarf Elder is a traditional European herb used mostly in folk medicine for joint pain, swelling, and minor ailments, but there is very little high-quality human research to confirm it works. Raw or unripe parts can be toxic and cause stomach upset, so it should be used cautiously and avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Always talk to a pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Sambucus ebulus · Adoxaceae · Leaves, roots, flowers, and berries · Tea, tincture, ointment or poultice, dried herb

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

Dwarf Elder: dosing

There is no well-established or standardized dose for dwarf elder. Traditional preparations vary widely, and product strengths differ between brands.If you use a commercial product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Dwarf Elder monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diclofenac

What Is Diclofenac Used For?

Brand name: Zorvolex

Diclofenac sodium topical gel is used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) — rough, scaly skin patches that form after years of sun exposure. These patches are considered precancerous, meaning they can develop into skin cancer if left untreated.

This is a topical gel, meaning it is applied directly to the skin over the affected area rather than taken by mouth. It belongs to the NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) family.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Diclofenac

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (164,880 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 14,336 reports
Arthralgia 11,682 reports
Rash 11,262 reports
Rheumatoid arthritis 11,000 reports
Nausea 10,099 reports
See full Diclofenac drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Dwarf Elder

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Dwarf Elder — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Dwarf Elder list.

See the full Dwarf Elder interactions page
See every supplement checked against Diclofenac, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Dwarf Elder References

The 1 references that drive our Dwarf Elder 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.

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 Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Dwarf Elder with Diclofenac?
We do not list a known interaction between Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac. 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.
Do Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Dwarf Elder and Diclofenac used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Dwarf Elder in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Diclofenac is being adjusted to a target.
Does Diclofenac interact with any supplements?
Yes. Diclofenac has documented interactions with 306 supplements in our database — Dwarf Elder is not one of them. The Diclofenac interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Dwarf Elder monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Diclofenac drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Diclofenac supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Diclofenac, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 1 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Diclofenac and Dwarf Elder?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.