Drug & supplement interaction

Evening Primrose + Sacubitril, Valsartan

Sacubitril, Valsartan brand name: Entresto.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Evening Primrose has a minor interaction with Sacubitril, Valsartan. Theoretically, evening primrose may increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.

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

Evening Primrose and Sacubitril, Valsartan

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Sacubitril, Valsartan

Sacubitril, Valsartan falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Evening Primrose interacts with.

Theoretically, evening primrose may increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that linoleic acid, a constituent of evening primrose oil, inhibits CYP2C9.
Severity Minor 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 Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) and evening primrose oil. The valsartan part is handled in part by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. A compound in evening primrose oil (linoleic acid) may gently slow that enzyme down, which could, in theory, let a little more valsartan stick around in your body.

If that happened, you might notice valsartan's usual effects nudged up a bit, things like lower blood pressure, lightheadedness or dizziness, or a small rise in potassium. But I want to be honest: this is a theoretical concern based only on lab dish studies, not real patients, and it's rated minor. For most people it won't cause trouble. Still, since Entresto is an important heart medicine, run it by your pharmacist or doctor before adding the oil.

References
  1. Zou L, Harkey MR, and Henderson GL. Effects of herbal components on cDNA-expressed cytochrome P450 enzyme catalytic activity. Life Sci 8-16-2002;71(13):1579-1589. 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

Evening Primrose Also Interacts With Other Medications

Evening Primrose has 148 moderate, 84 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Sacubitril, Valsartan 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 Evening Primrose

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sacubitril, Valsartan

This page covers Evening Primrose only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sacubitril, Valsartan page lists 249 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), Lithium (major) and Oleander (major).

By severity: 7 major · 206 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sacubitril, Valsartan page

“Entresto (sacubitril and valsartan) is a heart failure medicine, and heart failure patients tend to be heavy supplement users, reaching for fish oil, potassium, and herbal blood-pressure remedies. That instinct carries real risk here.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sacubitril, Valsartan interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 98 real supplement products containing Evening Primrose, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Evening Primrose. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sacubitril, Valsartan too, on top of Evening Primrose — 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 Evening Primrose and Sacubitril, Valsartan 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 Evening Primrose
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sacubitril, Valsartan
Top 5%

#70 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 Evening Primrose

What is Evening Primrose?

Evening Primrose
  • Eczema and skin health
  • PMS symptoms
  • Breast pain (mastalgia)
  • Menopause symptoms
  • Inflammation
  • Diabetic nerve pain

Evening primrose oil is a seed oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid, that is popularly used for skin conditions, PMS, and breast pain. The evidence behind most of these uses is mixed or weak, and it is not proven to be a reliable treatment for any condition. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you are pregnant or have a bleeding disorder.

Read the full Evening Primrose monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valsartan and Sacubitril

What Is Valsartan and Sacubitril Used For?

Brand name: Entresto

Sacubitril and valsartan is used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adult patients with chronic heart failure. The benefit is most clearly seen in patients whose heart pumps with a lower-than-normal ejection fraction (the percentage of blood the heart pushes out with each beat).

It is also approved to treat symptomatic heart failure with reduced left ventricular function in children aged 1 year and older. In pediatric patients, it lowers a blood marker of heart stress (NT-proBNP) and is expected to improve heart outcomes.

See full Valsartan and Sacubitril drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Evening Primrose

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

0Major
148Moderate
84Minor
2,597No known interaction
Moderate

148 interactions

Showing 60 of 148 moderate interactions — see all 148 on the Evening Primrose page.

Minor

84 interactions

Showing 60 of 84 minor interactions — see all 84 on the Evening Primrose page.

No interaction 2,597 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 Evening Primrose and Sacubitril, Valsartan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Evening Primrose with Sacubitril, Valsartan?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Evening Primrose and Sacubitril, Valsartan interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

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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.