Drug & supplement interaction

Fo-ti + Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate

Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate brand names: PMB 200, PMB 400.

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

Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate falls into 2 drug categories that Fo-ti can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking large amounts of fo-ti might interfere with hormone replacement therapy through competition for estrogen receptors.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Fo-ti and Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Fo-ti interacts with whole categories of medication. Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Fo-ti in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate

Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate falls under ESTROGENS — the group Fo-ti interacts with.

Theoretically, taking large amounts of fo-ti might interfere with hormone replacement therapy through competition for estrogen receptors.
In vitro research suggests that fo-ti extract has estrogenic activity.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

This combo product pairs conjugated estrogens (a hormone replacement) with meprobamate (a calming medicine). The concern here is just with the estrogen part. In lab dish studies, Fo-ti showed some weak estrogen-like activity, meaning its plant compounds may bump up against the same estrogen receptors your medication is working on. In theory, large concentrated doses could slightly interfere with how well your hormone therapy works.

Keep in mind this is based only on test-tube research, not real people, so the actual effect in your body is uncertain. Fo-ti has also been tied to rare liver injury, which is a bigger reason to be cautious. Before adding it, please check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Oerter Klein KO, Janfaza M, Wong JA, Chang RJ. Estrogen bioactivity in Fo-Ti and other herbs used for their estrogen-like effects as determined by a recombinant cell bioassay. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003;88:4077-9.. PubMed
  2. Zhang CZ, Wang SX, Zhang Y, et al. In vitro estrogenic activities of Chinese medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of menopausal symptoms. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98:295-300. PubMed
  3. Kang, S. C., Lee, C. M., Choi, H., Lee, J. H., Oh, J. S., Kwak, J. H., and Zee, O. P. Evaluation of oriental medicinal herbs for estrogenic and antiproliferative activities. Phytother Res 2006;20(11):1017-1019. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, fo-ti might increase the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research suggests that fo-ti might inhibit CYP3A4. One in vitro study suggests that the degree of CYP3A4 inhibition may depend on the type of fo-ti extract (i.e., the raw plant leads to greater inhibition than extensively processed extracts). However, this evidence conflicts with animal research suggesting that fo-ti does not inhibit CYP3A4. 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

This combination pill pairs conjugated estrogens (for menopausal symptoms) with meprobamate (an older anti-anxiety medicine). Both of these are broken down partly by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. The thinking here is that Fo-ti might slow that enzyme down, which could let these drugs build up a bit more than usual. If that happened, you might notice stronger estrogen-related effects like breast tenderness, nausea, fluid retention, or spotting, and more of meprobamate's sedating effects such as drowsiness or feeling unsteady.

I want to be honest about the evidence: this is only a theoretical concern from lab studies, and animal research didn't agree. It has never been reported in real people. Still, since meprobamate causes drowsiness, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
  2. Zhang Y, Ding T, Diao T, Deng M, Chen S. Effects of Polygonum multiflorum on the activity of cytochrome P450 isoforms in rats. Pharmazie 2015;70(1):47-54. DOI
  3. Xing Y, Yu Q, Zhou L, et al. Cytochrome P450-mediated herb-drug interaction (HDI) of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. based on pharmacokinetic studies and in vitro inhibition assays. Phytomedicine 2023;112:154710. 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

Fo-ti Also Interacts With Other Medications

Fo-ti has 1,256 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,256 No known interaction 1,574 (incl. Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Fo-ti

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate

This page covers Fo-ti only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate page lists 187 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 3 major · 152 moderate · 32 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate page

“If you take conjugated estrogens with meprobamate (PMB), a combination that pairs hormone replacement with a sedative, treat this list as a real safety check, not background noise. Three of the 187 entries on file rate major, and they pull in different directions.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Fo-ti as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 976 real supplement products containing Fo-ti, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Fo-ti. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate too, on top of Fo-ti — 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 Fo-ti and Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate 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 Fo-ti
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate
Steady interest

#2,625 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 Fo-ti

What is Fo-ti?

  • Anti-aging and longevity
  • Hair graying and hair loss
  • General tonic for vitality
  • Constipation
  • High cholesterol

Fo-ti (He Shou Wu) is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, often promoted for healthy aging and hair. High-quality human evidence for these benefits is limited, and processed Fo-ti has been linked to reports of liver injury, so caution and professional guidance are important.

Read the full Fo-ti monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Fo-ti

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

0Major
1,256Moderate
0Minor
1,573No known interaction
1,256 Moderate 1,573 No interaction
Moderate

1,256 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,256 moderate interactions — see all 1,256 on the Fo-ti page.

No interaction 1,573 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,573 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Fo-ti list.

See the full Fo-ti interactions page
See every supplement checked against Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate, 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
Fo-ti monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate, 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 Fo-ti and Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Fo-ti with Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Fo-ti and Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate?
Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate belongs to more than one drug category, and Fo-ti interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Fo-ti and Conjugated Estrogens, Meprobamate 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

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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.