Drug & supplement interaction

Elecampane + Benzonatate

Benzonatate brand names: Tessalon, Tessalon Perles.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Elecampane and Benzonatate 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

Elecampane and Benzonatate

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 Benzonatate and Elecampane 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.

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.

Elecampane safety at a glance

Elecampane overall Use caution Generally used in small amounts in tea and tinctures, but it can cause allergic reactions and stomach upset.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. 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 Benzonatate and Elecampane? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Benzonatate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Benzonatate is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Elecampane has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being cns depressants (moderate) — and none of Benzonatate’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Elecampane Does Interact With Other Medications

Elecampane has 248 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Benzonatate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 248 No known interaction 2,582 (incl. Benzonatate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Elecampane

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

What to actually watch for

What Elecampane Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    “Orally, large doses of elecampane may cause vomiting and diarrhea (12).”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Topically, elecampane can cause allergic contact dermatitis, especially in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many other herbs.”

    Elecampane · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 6958. Lamminpaa A, Estlander T, Jolanki R, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by decorative plants. Contact Dermatitis 1996;34:330-5. PubMed
    2. 48729. Pazzaglia, M., Venturo, N., Borda, G., and Tosti, A. Contact dermatitis due to a massage liniment containing Inula helenium extract. Contact Dermatitis 1995;33(4):267.
    3. 48731. Aalto-Korte, K., Alanko, K., Kuuliala, O., and Jolanki, R. Late reactions in patch tests: a 4-year review from a clinic of occupational dermatology. Contact Dermatitis 2007;56(2):81-86. PubMed

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

Special populations

Elecampane in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using.

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Elecampane or Benzonatate

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

This page covers Elecampane only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Benzonatate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Benzonatate page

“If you take benzonatate (Tessalon) for cough, give this page real attention, starting with activated charcoal. It is the only major-rated entry of the 17 on file, and charcoal can soak up the drug in your gut before it ever reaches your bloodstream.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Benzonatate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 332 real supplement products containing Elecampane, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Elecampane. Even though Elecampane itself has no known interaction with Benzonatate, 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 Elecampane and Benzonatate 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 Elecampane
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Benzonatate
Top half

#747 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 Elecampane reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Elecampane and Benzonatate 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 Elecampane

What is Elecampane?

Elecampane
  • Cough and bronchitis
  • Asthma symptoms
  • Loosening mucus (expectorant)
  • Digestive upset
  • Intestinal worms (traditional)

Elecampane is a traditional herb used mainly for coughs and other respiratory complaints, and as a bitter for digestion. Modern human evidence is very limited, so it should be seen as a folk remedy rather than a proven treatment. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Inula helenium · Asteraceae · Roots and rhizomes · Tea, tincture, dried root, capsules, lozenges, syrup

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

Elecampane: dosing

There is no standardized, well-established dose for elecampane. It is commonly taken as a tea made from the dried root, as a tincture, or in syrups and lozenges, with the amount varying by product and tradition.Because the strength of products varies and reliable dosing studies are lacking, the safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and start with a small amount.

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

Read the full Elecampane monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Benzonatate

What Is Benzonatate Used For?

Brand names: Tessalon, Tessalon Perles

Benzonatate capsules are used for the symptomatic relief of cough. This applies to all benzonatate capsule products — including Benzonatate 100 mg and Benzonatate 200 mg formulations taken by mouth.

It is intended to reduce the urge to cough when coughing is disruptive or uncomfortable. It does not treat the underlying cause of the cough.

See full Benzonatate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Elecampane

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

0Major
248Moderate
0Minor
2,581No known interaction
248 Moderate 2,581 No interaction
Moderate

248 interactions

Showing 60 of 248 moderate interactions — see all 248 on the Elecampane page.

No interaction 2,581 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,581 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Elecampane list.

See the full Elecampane interactions page
See every supplement checked against Benzonatate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Elecampane References

The 5 references that drive our Elecampane 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Lamminpaa A, Estlander T, Jolanki R, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by decorative plants. Contact Dermatitis 1996;34:330-5. PubMed
  4. Pazzaglia, M., Venturo, N., Borda, G., and Tosti, A. Contact dermatitis due to a massage liniment containing Inula helenium extract. Contact Dermatitis 1995;33(4):267.
  5. Aalto-Korte, K., Alanko, K., Kuuliala, O., and Jolanki, R. Late reactions in patch tests: a 4-year review from a clinic of occupational dermatology. Contact Dermatitis 2007;56(2):81-86. 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

Taking Elecampane and Benzonatate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Elecampane with Benzonatate?
We do not list a known interaction between Elecampane and Benzonatate. 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.
How was the Elecampane and Benzonatate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Benzonatate is filed under 1 classification, and Elecampane has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Benzonatate's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Elecampane interact with any other medications?
Yes. Elecampane has 248 documented drug interactions in our database — Benzonatate is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Benzonatate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Benzonatate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Elecampane is not one of them. The Benzonatate 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

Elecampane monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Benzonatate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Benzonatate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Benzonatate, 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Benzonatate and Elecampane?

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.