Drug & supplement interaction

English Ivy + Flecainide

Flecainide brand name: Tambocor.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

English Ivy has a moderate interaction with Flecainide. Theoretically, English ivy might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.

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

English Ivy and Flecainide

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Flecainide

Flecainide falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES — the group English Ivy interacts with.

Theoretically, English ivy might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
In vitro research shows that English ivy inhibits CYP2D6 enzymes. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 gist for flecainide (Tambocor). Your body relies heavily on a liver enzyme called CYP2D6 to break this medication down and clear it. Lab studies suggest English ivy may slow that enzyme down. If it does, flecainide could build up more than expected, and since flecainide is a heart rhythm drug with a narrow safety margin, even small increases can matter. In theory that could mean more dizziness, blurred vision, or in some cases a worsening of the very rhythm problems it's meant to control.

That said, this concern comes only from test-tube research and has not been seen in real patients, so I don't want to alarm you. Before mixing the two, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Rehman SU, Kim IS, Choi MS, Kim SH, Zhang Y, Yoo HH. Time-dependent Inhibition of CYP2C8 and CYP2C19 by Hedera helix Extracts, A Traditional Respiratory Herbal Medicine. Molecules. 2017;22(7). 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

English Ivy Also Interacts With Other Medications

English Ivy has 279 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Flecainide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against English Ivy

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

From our Q&A

Questions About English Ivy or Flecainide

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

This page covers English Ivy only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Flecainide page lists 86 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 7 major · 61 moderate · 18 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Flecainide page

“Flecainide (Tambocor) exists to control serious heart rhythm problems, so anything that disturbs the rhythm it protects deserves genuine caution. Six of the seven major-rated entries among the 86 supplements and herbs on file, grapefruit in large amounts included, can prolong the QT interval, the heart's electrical reset time, adding t…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Flecainide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 118 real supplement products containing English Ivy, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides English Ivy. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Flecainide too, on top of English Ivy — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where English Ivy and Flecainide 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 English Ivy
Steady interest

#1,080 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Flecainide
Top half

#722 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 English Ivy

What is English Ivy?

English Ivy
  • Cough and chest congestion
  • Bronchitis
  • Asthma symptoms
  • Sore throat
  • Skin irritation

English ivy leaf extract is most commonly used in cough and cold syrups to help loosen mucus and ease coughing, and it is a popular ingredient in many European herbal products. Some research suggests it may help with certain coughs, but the evidence is still limited and mixed. The raw plant is poisonous if eaten and can irritate skin, so only use properly prepared commercial products and check with your pharmacist first.

Read the full English Ivy monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Flecainide

What Is Flecainide Used For?

Brand name: Tambocor

Flecainide Acetate tablets are used to prevent episodes of certain abnormal heart rhythms. In patients without structural heart disease, it is approved to prevent paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT — episodes of rapid heart rate starting above the ventricles) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter (PAF — intermittent episodes of irregular, rapid heart rhythm in the upper chambers), when these cause disabling symptoms.

Flecainide Acetate tablets are also used to prevent life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias — dangerous rapid rhythms starting in the lower chambers of the heart, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia. It is not recommended for less serious ventricular arrhythmias, for patients with a recent heart attack, or for chronic (ongoing, persistent) atrial fibrillation.

See full Flecainide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & English Ivy

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

0Major
279Moderate
0Minor
2,550No known interaction
Moderate

279 interactions

Showing 60 of 279 moderate interactions — see all 279 on the English Ivy page.

No interaction 2,550 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking English Ivy and Flecainide Together: Common Questions

Can you take English Ivy with Flecainide?
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 English Ivy and Flecainide 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 Flecainide and English Ivy?

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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.