Drug & supplement interaction

European Barberry + Dimenhydrinate

Dimenhydrinate brand names: Dimenhydrin, Dramamine, Vertab, DimeTabs.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

European Barberry has a moderate interaction with Dimenhydrinate. Theoretically, taking European barberry with anticholinergic drugs might cause additive effects.

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

European Barberry and Dimenhydrinate

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

Moderate

ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Dimenhydrinate

Dimenhydrinate falls under ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS — the group European Barberry interacts with.

Theoretically, taking European barberry with anticholinergic drugs might cause additive effects.
In vitro evidence suggests that European barberry might have anticholinergic properties.
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 with Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and European barberry. Dimenhydrinate is an older antihistamine that already has built-in anticholinergic activity, which is why it can leave you feeling drowsy, dry-mouthed, or a little foggy and can cause blurry vision or constipation. Lab studies hint that barberry may have mild anticholinergic effects of its own, so the theory is that pairing them could stack those effects and make those side effects more noticeable.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is theoretical, based on test-tube findings, not on real patient reports. For most people the risk is modest, but older adults are more sensitive to this kind of additive drowsiness and dry mouth. Food amounts of barberry are unlikely to matter much; concentrated berberine supplements are the bigger question. Run it by your pharmacist before combining them.

References
  1. Shamsa F, Ahmadiani A, Khosrokhavar R. Antihistaminic and anticholinergic activity of barberry fruit (Berberis vulgaris) in the guinea-pig ileum. J Ethnopharmacol 1999;64:161-6. 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

European Barberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

European Barberry has 1,209 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Dimenhydrinate 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 European Barberry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About European Barberry or Dimenhydrinate

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

This page covers European Barberry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dimenhydrinate page lists 52 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Henbane (major), Scopolia (major), Angel's Trumpet (moderate) and Bacopa (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 38 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dimenhydrinate page

“Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Vertab) is a motion sickness antihistamine that already dries the mouth, blurs vision, and clouds thinking through its anticholinergic action, so the 52 supplement and herbal interactions on file here warrant genuine vigilance. Thirty of them carry that same anticholinergic activity, and stacking them can amp…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dimenhydrinate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing European Barberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides European Barberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dimenhydrinate too, on top of European Barberry — 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 European Barberry and Dimenhydrinate 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 European Barberry
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dimenhydrinate
Steady interest

#1,489 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 European Barberry

What is European Barberry?

European Barberry
  • Digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Blood sugar support
  • Cholesterol and metabolic support
  • Skin conditions

European barberry is a shrub whose root, bark, and berries contain berberine, a bitter plant alkaloid that has been studied mostly in isolated form. Some early research on berberine is promising for blood sugar and cholesterol, but high-quality evidence for the whole barberry herb is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full European Barberry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dimenhydrinate

What Is Dimenhydrinate Used For?

Brand names: Dimenhydrin, Dramamine, Vertab, DimeTabs

Dimenhydrinate is used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. It is available in several products — including Dramamine, Dramamine Original Formula, Gravol, Driminate, Airmit Ace, and others — all sharing this same core use.

Dimenhydrinate Injection is indicated specifically for the prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, or vertigo (spinning sensation) of motion sickness, given by intramuscular or intravenous route in medical settings.

See full Dimenhydrinate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & European Barberry

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

0Major
1,209Moderate
0Minor
1,620No known interaction
Moderate

1,209 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,209 moderate interactions — see all 1,209 on the European Barberry page.

No interaction 1,620 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,620 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full European Barberry 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 European Barberry and Dimenhydrinate Together: Common Questions

Can you take European Barberry with Dimenhydrinate?
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 European Barberry and Dimenhydrinate 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 Dimenhydrinate and European Barberry?

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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.