Drug & supplement interaction

Garcinia + Phentermine

Phentermine brand names: Adipex-P, Fastin, T Diet, Phentride, Obenix, and others.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Garcinia and Phentermine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Garcinia and Phentermine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Phentermine and Garcinia in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Garcinia safety at a glance

Garcinia overall Use caution Generally tolerated short-term, but rare reports of liver injury warrant caution.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Phentermine and Garcinia? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Phentermine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Phentermine is filed under 2 classifications — stimulant drugs, oral drugs. Garcinia has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and hepatotoxic drugs (moderate) — and none of Phentermine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Garcinia Does Interact With Other Medications

Garcinia has 704 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Phentermine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Garcinia and Phentermine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Hallucinations Worth acting on Additional detail

    Garcinia

    “Orally, garcinia supplements have been linked to several cases of mania. Typically, symptoms develop 1-8 weeks after starting garcinia. In a report of three patients, symptoms included reduced need for sleep, increased activities and spending, delusions of grandiosity, pressured speech, and agitation.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in bipolar disorder.

    3 sources cited
    1. 95568. Hendrickson BP, Shaikh N, Occhiogrosso M, Penzner JB. Mania Induced by Garcinia cambogia: A Case Series. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2016;18(2).
    2. 95574. Narasimha A, Shetty PH, Nanjundaswamy MH, Viswanath B, Bada Math S. Hydroxycut - Dietary supplements for weight loss: Can they induce mania? Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2013;47(12):1205-6. PubMed
    3. 99421. Nguyen DC, Timmer TK, Davison BC, McGrane IR. Possible Garcinia cambogia-induced mania with psychosis: a case report. J Pharm Pract 2019;32(1):99-102. doi: 10.1177/0897190017734728.

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    Garcinia

    “There is a case report of a 48-year-old female who developed acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis (ANEM) after using a garcinia supplement orally for 2.5 weeks. On admission to hospital, she was hypotensive and had an elevated serum troponin level, progressing to fulminant heart failure, acute kidney failure, and sustained ventricular arrhythmias.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 88160. Allen SF, Godley RW, Evron JM, et al. Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis in a patient taking Garcinia cambogia extract successfully treated with high-dose corticosteroids. Can J Cardiol 2014;30(12):1732 e13-1732 e15. PubMed
    2. 16527. Willis SL, Moawad FJ, Hartzell JD, et al. Hypertensive retinopathy associated with use of the ephedra-free weight-loss herbal supplement Hydroxycut. MedGenMed 2006;8:82.

    “In one case report, a 56-year-old female with pre-existing diabetes, hepatitis C, and hypertension developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and pancreatitis after taking an unknown amount of garcinia and African mango for one month. Upon admission, she presented with altered mental status, elevated serum glucose and lipase, and high anion gap metabolic acidosis.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diabetes.

    4 sources cited
    1. 97341. Bystrak T, Cervera-Hernandez ME, Reddy N, King Z, Bratberg J. Garcinia cambogia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and pancreatitis. R I Med J (2013). 2017 Oct 2;100(10):48-50. NO DOI
    2. 105056. Iqbal U, Anwar H, Siddiqui HU, Mehmood A. Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Use of Appetite Suppressant: Garcinia cambogia. Cureus. 2019;11(5):e4676. PubMed
    3. 105058. Grigos A, Benmoussa J, Sandhu J, Chaucer B, Clarke M, SH Patel. Acute pancreatitis secondary to Garcinia cambogia; the unknown cost of herbal supplements. JOP. J Pancreas (Online) 2016; 17(3):316-317.
    4. 105071. Sidhu RLS, Labana S, Khehra L. Garcinia cambogia: a link between the "miracle" weight loss pill and acute pancreatitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2016. 111:S560-S561. DOI

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Anxiety or restlessness Additional detail

    Garcinia

    Recorded for Garcinia in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Hallucinations above.

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset Additional detail

    Garcinia

    “Orally, garcinia and its constituent, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), seem to be generally well tolerated in clinical research.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Diarrhea, gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, and nausea.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Garcinia has been linked with cases of hepatotoxicity and liver failure. There have also been rare cases of mania and pancreatitis.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness Additional detail

    Garcinia

    “In one case, a 35-year-old female presented with ocular pain in both eyes, decreased vision in the left eye, headache, dizziness, and nausea after taking garcinia extract orally for one week. Ophthalmologic testing was consistent with adverse ocular effects, showing myopic shift with anterior chamber shallowing and swelling of retinal nerve fiber and macula.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 102546. Cho HK, Han YS, Park JM. Ocular complications of Garcinia cambogia extract diet pills: case report. Eur J Ophthalmol 2019:1120672119872364. PubMed

    “Orally, garcinia and its active constituent hydroxycitric acid (HCA) may cause headache and dizziness. A 35-year-old female reported ocular complications, headache, dizziness, and nausea after taking garcinia extract, providing more than 500 mg of HCA, three times daily for one week. The patient's neurologic symptoms resolved one day after discontinuing the garcinia extract.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 11977. Soni MG, Burdock GA, Preuss HG, et al. Safety assessment of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and Super CitriMax, a novel calcium/potassium salt. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42:1513-29. PubMed
    2. 102546. Cho HK, Han YS, Park JM. Ocular complications of Garcinia cambogia extract diet pills: case report. Eur J Ophthalmol 2019:1120672119872364. PubMed

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Garcinia

    “Orally, garcinia and its active constituent hydroxycitric acid (HCA) have caused mild and infrequent nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.”

    Garcinia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    5 sources cited
    1. 728. Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, et al. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998;280:1596-600. PubMed
    2. 11977. Soni MG, Burdock GA, Preuss HG, et al. Safety assessment of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and Super CitriMax, a novel calcium/potassium salt. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42:1513-29. PubMed
    3. 19153. Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, et al. Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes Obes Metab 2004;6:171-180.
    4. 88158. Vasques CA, Schneider R, Klein-Júnior LC, et al. Hypolipemic effect of Garcinia Cambogia in obese women. Phytother Res 2014;28(6):887-91.
    5. 88159. Marquez F, Babio N, Bullo M, Salas-Salvado J. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of hydroxycitric acid or Garcinia cambogia extracts in humans. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2012;52:585-94.

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Headache Additional detail

    Garcinia

    Recorded for Garcinia in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Stomach upset above.

    Phentermine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phentermine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Garcinia but not commonly for Phentermine: liver problems, confusion, blurred vision and pancreatitis.

Effects for Phentermine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Garcinia come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Overlapping uses

What Phentermine Is Prescribed For, and What Garcinia Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Phentermine is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Garcinia is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Phentermine is prescribed for: Phentermine is approved as a short-term addition to a weight-loss program — not a standalone treatment. It is used alongside reduced-calorie eating, increased physical activity, and behavior changes to help manage obesity in adults whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 kg/m² or higher, or 27 kg/m² or higher when other risk factors such as controlled high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) are also present. All available phentermine products — including Adipex-P, Lomaira, and various generic capsules and tablets — share this same FDA-approved use. Lomaira tablets are specifically dosed to be taken three times daily before meals, while other formulations are generally taken once daily.

Read the rest of what Phentermine is prescribed for

Treatment is intended to last only a few weeks.

Garcinia has been studied for:

  • Hyperlipidemia studied, not established Garcinia has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Garcinia for hyperlipidemia

    It is unclear if oral garcinia is beneficial in patients with hyperlipidemia.

  • Obesity studied, not established Garcinia has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Garcinia for obesity

    Despite contradictory evidence, oral garcinia seems to produce a very modest weight reduction in some people who are obese or overweight.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Phentermine on your own; if you are taking Garcinia for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Garcinia or Phentermine

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 Phentermine, 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 Phentermine

This page covers Garcinia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phentermine page lists 61 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Peyote (major), Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major) and Sida Cordifolia (major).

By severity: 5 major · 43 moderate · 13 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phentermine page

“Ephedra is the pairing I most want anyone taking phentermine (Adipex-P) to know about. Phentermine is itself a stimulant appetite suppressant that raises heart rate and blood pressure, and ephedra piles the same cardiovascular strain on top of it.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phentermine 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. Even though Garcinia itself has no known interaction with Phentermine, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Garcinia and Phentermine 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 Phentermine
Top 25%

#576 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Garcinia reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Garcinia and Phentermine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
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.

Garcinia gummi-gutta · Clusiaceae · Fruit rind (pericarp) · Capsules, tablets, powders, gummies, and liquid extracts (often standardized to a percentage of HCA)

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Garcinia is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Garcinia record says about it on its own.

Garcinia: dosing

There is no well-established, proven dose for Garcinia. Products vary widely in their strength and in how much HCA they contain, which makes it hard to compare one product to another.If you choose to use it, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Garcinia monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Garcinia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phentermine

What Is Phentermine Used For?

Brand names: Adipex-P, Fastin, T Diet, Phentride, Obenix, Pbc Phentride, Pbw Phentride, Phentrol #3, Ionamin, Phentrol #6, Phentrol #2, Phentrol #5, Phentrol, Obermine, Phentermine, Suprenza

Phentermine is approved as a short-term addition to a weight-loss program — not a standalone treatment. It is used alongside reduced-calorie eating, increased physical activity, and behavior changes to help manage obesity in adults whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 kg/m² or higher, or 27 kg/m² or higher when other risk factors such as controlled high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) are also present.

All available phentermine products — including Adipex-P, Lomaira, and various generic capsules and tablets — share this same FDA-approved use. Lomaira tablets are specifically dosed to be taken three times daily before meals, while other formulations are generally taken once daily. Treatment is intended to last only a few weeks.

See full Phentermine 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
704Moderate
0Minor
2,125No known interaction
Moderate

704 interactions

Showing 60 of 704 moderate interactions — see all 704 on the Garcinia page.

No interaction 2,125 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Garcinia References

The 44 references that drive our Garcinia monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, et al. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998;280:1596-600. PubMed
  2. Soni MG, Burdock GA, Preuss HG, et al. Safety assessment of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and Super CitriMax, a novel calcium/potassium salt. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42:1513-29. PubMed
  3. Stevens T, Qadri A, Zein NN. Two patients with acute liver injury associated with use of the herbal weight-loss supplement hydroxycut. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:477-8. PubMed
  4. Willis SL, Moawad FJ, Hartzell JD, et al. Hypertensive retinopathy associated with use of the ephedra-free weight-loss herbal supplement Hydroxycut. MedGenMed 2006;8:82.
  5. Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, et al. Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes Obes Metab 2004;6:171-180.
  6. Mansi IA, Huang J. Rhabdomyolysis in response to weight-loss herbal medicine. Am J Med Sci 2004;327:356-357. PubMed
  7. 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
  8. Michno A, Skibowska A, Raszeja-Specht A, Cwikowska J, Szutowicz A. The role of adenosine triphosphate citrate lyase in the metabolism of acetyl coenzyme a and function of blood platelets in diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2004;53(1):66-72. PubMed
  9. Asghar M, Monjok E, Kouamou G, et al. Super CitriMax (HCA-SX) attenuates increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and body weight in developing obese Zucker rats. Mol Cell Biochem 2007;304(1-2):93-99. PubMed
  10. Wielinga PY, Wachters-Hagedoorn RE, Bouter B, et al. Hydroxycitric acid delays intestinal glucose absorption in rats. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2005;288(6):G1144-G1149. PubMed
  11. Leonhardt M, Balkan B, Langhans W. Effect of hydroxycitrate on respiratory quotient, energy expenditure, and glucose tolerance in male rats after a period of restrictive feeding. Nutrition 2004;20(10):911-915. PubMed
  12. Bunchorntavakul, C. and Reddy, K. R. Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity. Aliment.Pharmacol.Ther 2013;37(1):3-17. PubMed
  13. Vasques CA, Schneider R, Klein-Júnior LC, et al. Hypolipemic effect of Garcinia Cambogia in obese women. Phytother Res 2014;28(6):887-91.
  14. Marquez F, Babio N, Bullo M, Salas-Salvado J. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of hydroxycitric acid or Garcinia cambogia extracts in humans. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2012;52:585-94.
  15. Allen SF, Godley RW, Evron JM, et al. Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis in a patient taking Garcinia cambogia extract successfully treated with high-dose corticosteroids. Can J Cardiol 2014;30(12):1732 e13-1732 e15. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Garcinia and Phentermine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Garcinia with Phentermine?
We do not list a known interaction between Garcinia and Phentermine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Garcinia and Phentermine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 7 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Garcinia and Phentermine used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Garcinia in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Phentermine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Garcinia and Phentermine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Phentermine is filed under 2 classifications, and Garcinia has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Phentermine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Garcinia interact with any other medications?
Yes. Garcinia has 704 documented drug interactions in our database — Phentermine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Phentermine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Phentermine has documented interactions with 61 supplements in our database — Garcinia is not one of them. The Phentermine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Phentermine 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.