Drug & supplement interaction

Garcinia + Dexchlorpheniramine

Dexchlorpheniramine brand names: Polaramine, Polaramine Repetabs.

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

Garcinia has a moderate interaction with Dexchlorpheniramine. Theoretically, combining garcinia with other serotonergic drugs might increase the risk of serotonergic side effects, including serotonin syndrome.

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

Garcinia and Dexchlorpheniramine

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

Moderate

SEROTONERGIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Dexchlorpheniramine

Dexchlorpheniramine falls under SEROTONERGIC DRUGS — the group Garcinia interacts with.

Theoretically, combining garcinia with other serotonergic drugs might increase the risk of serotonergic side effects, including serotonin syndrome.
In one report, a patient experienced serotonin syndrome after taking garcinia extract (60% hydroxycitric acid) 1000 mg daily in combination with escitalopram 20 mg, which had been taken for a year. The patient was switched to sertraline 50 mg daily and again experienced serotonin syndrome.
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 honest version: the worry on file is about Garcinia possibly nudging up serotonin activity when paired with serotonergic medicines. Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine) is mainly an antihistamine, but it does have some mild effect on serotonin reuptake, which is why it lands in this category. The concern is theoretical and rests on a single case report involving Garcinia plus an antidepressant, not an allergy medicine like this one.

So for most people taking dexchlorpheniramine, this is a low-level, unlikely concern. Still, both can add to drowsiness, and in rare cases too much serotonin causes agitation, sweating, shakiness, fast heartbeat, or confusion. If you notice those, stop and seek help. Since Garcinia's benefits are weak and it has been tied to liver issues, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lopez AM, Kornegay J, Hendrickson RG. Serotonin Toxicity Associated with Garcinia cambogia Over-the-counter Supplement. J Med Toxicol. 2014 Apr 4. [Epub ahead of print]. 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

Garcinia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Garcinia has 703 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Dexchlorpheniramine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 703 No known interaction 2,127 (incl. Dexchlorpheniramine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Garcinia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Garcinia or Dexchlorpheniramine

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

This page covers Garcinia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dexchlorpheniramine page lists 198 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Henbane (major), Lithium (major) and Scopolia (major).

By severity: 6 major · 149 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dexchlorpheniramine page

“An allergy antihistamine like dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine) sounds mild, but its interaction list warrants genuine care, and six of the 198 entries carry a major rating. The biggest cluster, 121 ingredients, can raise or lower the drug's blood levels through the liver enzyme that breaks it down.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dexchlorpheniramine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,374 real supplement products containing Garcinia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Garcinia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dexchlorpheniramine too, on top of Garcinia — 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 Garcinia and Dexchlorpheniramine 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 Garcinia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dexchlorpheniramine
Top half

#1,102 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 Garcinia

What is Garcinia?

Garcinia
  • Weight loss
  • Appetite suppression
  • Curbing sugar and carb cravings
  • Supporting metabolism
  • Traditional cooking and souring agent

Garcinia is a tropical fruit whose rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), widely marketed for weight loss and appetite control. The scientific evidence is weak and mixed, with most studies showing only small or no meaningful weight effects, and rare reports of liver problems raise safety concerns. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have liver issues, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Read the full Garcinia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Chlorpheniramine

What Is Chlorpheniramine Used For?

Brand names: Polaramine, Polaramine Repetabs

Chlorpheniramine is used to temporarily relieve common allergy symptoms caused by hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or other upper respiratory allergies. These include runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and itching of the nose or throat.

These uses are supported across multiple products — including tablets (such as Aller-chlor, Allergy, Allergy Relief, Allergy Time, Anti Allergy, and Chlorpheniramine Maleate), extended-release tablets (Allergy Relief and Chlorphen-12), the oral solution Ed Chlorped Jr, and the inhalers ClorRelief and ClorRelief KIDs.

See full Chlorpheniramine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Garcinia

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

0Major
703Moderate
0Minor
2,126No known interaction
703 Moderate 2,126 No interaction
Moderate

703 interactions

Showing 60 of 703 moderate interactions — see all 703 on the Garcinia page.

No interaction 2,126 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,126 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Garcinia list.

See the full Garcinia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dexchlorpheniramine, 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
Garcinia monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Dexchlorpheniramine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Dexchlorpheniramine, ranked by severity Chlorpheniramine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Garcinia and Dexchlorpheniramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Garcinia with Dexchlorpheniramine?
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 Garcinia and Dexchlorpheniramine 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 Dexchlorpheniramine and Garcinia?

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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.