Drug & supplement interaction

Ear Candling + Propranolol

Propranolol brand names: Inderal LA, Inderal, Angilol, Syprol, Inderal Injection, and others.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Ear Candling and Propranolol 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.

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Interaction report

Ear Candling and Propranolol

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 Propranolol and Ear Candling in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Ear Candling alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Ear Candling at all — not against Propranolol, 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.

Ear Candling is a treatment rather than something you take. Tell whoever provides it which medicines you use, and ask your prescriber whether it is appropriate for your health and treatment. 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.

Ear Candling safety at a glance

Ear Candling overall Avoid Health authorities warn ear candling is ineffective and can cause burns and ear injury.
Pregnancy Avoid There is no proven benefit and a real risk of burns, so it should be avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid No benefit is established and the burn and injury risks remain.

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

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

What Ear Candling Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Propranolol. It is the side-effect record for Ear Candling on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Ear Candling, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Hearing loss Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Ear candling has been linked to several adverse effects in case reports and in a survey of otolaryngologists. The most frequently reported adverse effect is burns from the lighted candle or hot wax. Other reported adverse effects include blockage of the ear canal with candle wax, temporary hearing loss, otitis externa, hair fire, and tympanic membrane perforation.”

    Ear Candling · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in burns.

    4 sources cited
    1. 16005. Rafferty J, Tsikoudas A, Davis BC. Ear candling: should general practitioners recommend it? Can Fam Physician 2007;53:2121-2.
    2. 16006. Selly DR, Quigley SM, Langman AW. Ear candles - efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope 1996;106:1226-9. PubMed
    3. 97511. Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. PubMed
    4. 97512. Zackaria M, Aymat A. Ear candling: a case report. Eur J Gen Pract. 2009;15(3):168-9. PubMed

    “Ear candling has been linked to several adverse effects in case reports and in a survey of otolaryngologists. Reported adverse effects include blockage of the ear canal with candle wax, temporary conductive hearing loss, otitis externa, and tympanic membrane perforation.”

    Ear Candling · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hearing loss.

    4 sources cited
    1. 16005. Rafferty J, Tsikoudas A, Davis BC. Ear candling: should general practitioners recommend it? Can Fam Physician 2007;53:2121-2.
    2. 16006. Selly DR, Quigley SM, Langman AW. Ear candles - efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope 1996;106:1226-9. PubMed
    3. 97511. Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. PubMed
    4. 97512. Zackaria M, Aymat A. Ear candling: a case report. Eur J Gen Pract. 2009;15(3):168-9. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Ear Candling — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Propranolol to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Propranolol.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Propranolol

This page covers Ear Candling only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Propranolol page lists 236 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 194 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Propranolol page

“Propranolol (Inderal) slows the heart and lowers blood pressure, which is exactly why its 236-ingredient interaction list deserves genuine care. Five entries rate major, and those are the ones to understand first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Propranolol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Ear Candling and Propranolol 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 Ear Candling
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Propranolol
Top 10

#10 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 Ear Candling reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Ear Candling and Propranolol records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 .
Treatment approach

About Ear Candling

What is Ear Candling?

  • Removing earwax
  • Ear cleaning
  • Relieving sinus pressure
  • Reducing ear pain or 'pressure'
  • General relaxation or 'detox' rituals

Ear candling is a practice where a hollow, cone-shaped candle is placed in the ear and lit, based on the claim that it draws out earwax or 'toxins.' There is no good scientific evidence that it works, and health authorities like the FDA warn it can cause serious harm such as burns, ear canal blockage, and eardrum injury. It is not recommended — safer, proven options for earwax exist.

Hollow cloth or paper cone coated in wax (not a plant or supplement) · Hollow tapered candles (also called ear cones), often made of cotton or linen soaked in beeswax or paraffin

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

Ear Candling: dosing

There is no safe or recommended 'dose' for ear candling because the practice itself is not supported by evidence and can cause harm. Avoid putting cotton swabs or candles into your ear canal.

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

Read the full Ear Candling monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Propranolol (Cardiovascular)

What Is Propranolol (Cardiovascular) Used For?

Brand names: Inderal LA, Inderal, Angilol, Syprol, Inderal Injection, Half-Inderal LA, Bedranol SR, Half Beta Prograne, Beta Prograne, Lopranol LA, Slo-Pro, InnoPran XL

This intravenous (IV) form of propranolol is used in hospital or clinical settings to treat dangerous heart rhythm problems. It is generally reserved for life-threatening arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) or those that occur during anesthesia.

Specific conditions it treats include fast heart rates coming from the upper chambers of the heart (supraventricular tachycardia), certain arrhythmias caused by digitalis toxicity, dangerous ventricular rhythms that haven't responded to other treatments, and fast heart rates caused by excess adrenaline-like substances during surgery.

See full Propranolol (Cardiovascular) drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ear Candling

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Ear Candling — 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

Ear Candling References

The 5 references that drive our Ear Candling 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. Rafferty J, Tsikoudas A, Davis BC. Ear candling: should general practitioners recommend it? Can Fam Physician 2007;53:2121-2.
  2. Selly DR, Quigley SM, Langman AW. Ear candles - efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope 1996;106:1226-9. PubMed
  3. Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction) Executive Summary. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1):14-29. PubMed
  4. Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. PubMed
  5. Zackaria M, Aymat A. Ear candling: a case report. Eur J Gen Pract. 2009;15(3):168-9. PubMed

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

Having Ear Candling While Taking Propranolol: Common Questions

Is it safe to have Ear Candling while taking Propranolol?
We do not list a known interaction between Ear Candling and Propranolol. 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.
Does Propranolol interact with any supplements?
Yes. Propranolol has documented interactions with 236 supplements in our database — Ear Candling is not one of them. The Propranolol 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 Propranolol and Ear Candling?

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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.