Drug & supplement interaction

Evodia + Primidone

Primidone brand name: Mysoline.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Evodia has a moderate interaction with Primidone. Theoretically, taking CYP3A4 inducers might decrease the levels and clinical effects of evodia.

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

Evodia and Primidone

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS

Why this applies to Primidone

Primidone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS — the group Evodia interacts with.

Theoretically, taking CYP3A4 inducers might decrease the levels and clinical effects of evodia.
Animal research shows that concomitant administration of dexamethasone, a known CYP3A4 inducer, with the alkaloid constituents of evodia significantly reduces the area under the curve (AUC), maximum concentration (Cmax), and half-life of these constituents.
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 key thing about this pairing: the interaction runs from the medication to the supplement, not the other way around. Primidone is a known enzyme booster (it revs up a liver enzyme called CYP3A4). Evodia happens to be broken down by that same enzyme. So if you take them together, your body may clear the Evodia faster, leaving less of it around to do whatever you're hoping it does. In short, the supplement may simply work less well.

Your Primidone seizure control is not the concern here. I would not expect Evodia to change how Primidone works. That said, this is based only on animal and lab data, so it's more of a theoretical heads-up than a proven problem. Since Primidone is a seizure medicine, please run any new supplement past your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Zhang W, Guo J, Wang D, et al. Effect of CYP3A inducer/inhibitor on pharmacokinetics of five alkaloids in Evodiae Fructus. Chem Biol Interact 2020;327:109146. 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

Evodia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Evodia has 949 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Primidone 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 Evodia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Evodia or Primidone

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

This page covers Evodia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Primidone page lists 124 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 101 moderate · 16 minor.

Open the Primidone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 182 real supplement products containing Evodia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Evodia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Primidone too, on top of Evodia — 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 Evodia and Primidone 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 Evodia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Primidone
Steady interest

#2,088 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 Evodia

What is Evodia?

  • Digestive upset and nausea
  • Headaches
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea

Evodia is a fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine, most often for digestive complaints, headaches, and menstrual pain. Human evidence for these uses is very limited, and it is mostly studied in laboratory and animal research. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Evodia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Primidone

What Is Primidone Used For?

Brand name: Mysoline

Primidone — available as Mysoline and as generic primidone tablets — is used to control several types of epileptic seizures, including grand mal (major convulsive), psychomotor, and focal (partial) seizures. It can be used alone or alongside other seizure medicines.

Both Mysoline and primidone tablets may be particularly helpful for grand mal seizures that haven't responded to other anticonvulsant treatments.

See full Primidone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Evodia

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

0Major
949Moderate
0Minor
1,880No known interaction
Moderate

949 interactions

Showing 60 of 949 moderate interactions — see all 949 on the Evodia page.

No interaction 1,880 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 Evodia and Primidone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Evodia with Primidone?
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 Evodia and Primidone 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 Primidone and Evodia?

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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.