Drug & supplement interaction

Fennel + Gestodene

Gestodene brand name: Minesse.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Fennel has a moderate interaction with Gestodene. Theoretically, taking large amounts of fennel might decrease the effects of contraceptive drugs due to competition for estrogen receptors.

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

Fennel and Gestodene

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

Moderate

CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Gestodene

Gestodene falls under CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS — the group Fennel interacts with.

Theoretically, taking large amounts of fennel might decrease the effects of contraceptive drugs due to competition for estrogen receptors.

Some constituents of fennel have estrogenic activity.
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

Gestodene is the hormone in your birth control pill Minesse, and it works alongside a small dose of estrogen to prevent pregnancy. The concern here is purely theoretical. Fennel contains plant compounds that can act a little like estrogen in the body, and in lab settings they may compete at the same receptors your pill is trying to use. The worry is that very large amounts of fennel could, in theory, blunt how well your contraceptive works.

To be clear, this is based on how things behave in test tubes, not on real-world failures, and the evidence is weak. Normal cooking or seasoning with fennel is very unlikely to matter. If you are thinking about concentrated fennel supplements or the essential oil, check with your pharmacist or doctor first, since reliable contraception is too important to leave to guesswork.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

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

Fennel Also Interacts With Other Medications

Fennel has 739 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Gestodene one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 739 No known interaction 2,091 (incl. Gestodene)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Fennel

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Fennel or Gestodene

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

This page covers Fennel only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gestodene page lists 59 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), Adrafinil (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Anise (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 37 moderate · 20 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Gestodene page

“Gestodene, the progestin in the low-dose birth control pill Minesse, is a medication where a weakened dose has a real consequence: unintended pregnancy. So the 59 supplements and herbs on file deserve genuine vigilance, and the two rated major most of all.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Gestodene interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,219 real supplement products containing Fennel, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Fennel. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Gestodene too, on top of Fennel — 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 Fennel and Gestodene 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 Fennel
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gestodene
Steady interest

#1,939 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 Fennel

What is Fennel?

Fennel
  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Infant colic
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Cough and respiratory complaints
  • Breast milk support (traditional)

Fennel is a Mediterranean herb widely used as a food and spice, and traditionally taken for digestive complaints, colic, and menstrual cramps. Some small studies suggest possible benefit for certain stomach and menstrual symptoms, but the evidence is limited. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but concentrated supplements and the essential oil should be used with caution and after checking with your pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Fennel monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Fennel

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

0Major
739Moderate
0Minor
2,090No known interaction
739 Moderate 2,090 No interaction
Moderate

739 interactions

Showing 60 of 739 moderate interactions — see all 739 on the Fennel page.

No interaction 2,090 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,090 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Fennel list.

See the full Fennel interactions page
See every supplement checked against Gestodene, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Fennel monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Gestodene supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Gestodene, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Fennel and Gestodene Together: Common Questions

Can you take Fennel with Gestodene?
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 Fennel and Gestodene 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 Gestodene and Fennel?

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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.