Drug & supplement interaction

Gardenia + Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Gardenia and Phenobarbital 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.

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Interaction report

Gardenia and Phenobarbital

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 Phenobarbital and Gardenia 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.

Gardenia safety at a glance

Gardenia overall Use caution Human safety data are limited, and large or long-term amounts have not been well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best to avoid it during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid it while breastfeeding.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Phenobarbital

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Phenobarbital is filed under 11 classifications — including cytochrome p450 2b6 (cyp2b6) substrates, cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) inducers, barbiturates. Gardenia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being stimulant laxatives (moderate) — and none of Phenobarbital’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

Gardenia Does Interact With Other Medications

Gardenia has 21 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Phenobarbital isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 21 No known interaction 2,809 (incl. Phenobarbital)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Gardenia

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

What to actually watch for

What Gardenia Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Phenobarbital. It is the side-effect record for Gardenia on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Gardenia, this list is the first place to look.

  • Stomach pain / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, there are case reports of mesenteric phlebosclerosis, a thickening of the walls of the intestine and mesenteric veins, which can lead to obstruction and occlusion. Typical presenting symptoms are paroxysmal abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, and imaging studies reveal thickening and stiffening of the walls of the ascending and transverse colon, with dark purple discoloration of the colonic and rectal mu…”

    Gardenia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 112954. Tong T, Fu J, Kong Y. Recurrent Abdominal Pain in a 61-Year-Old Woman. Gastroenterology 2023;164(6):887-890. PubMed
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Topically, exposure to gardenia fruit extract or the whole plant has been associated with allergic contact dermatitis.

    Orally, there is a case report of blue-gray skin pigmentation associated with taking a product containing the extracts of gardenia fruit, phellodendron bark, and licorice for 7 years in a 77-year-old female.”

    Gardenia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 26518. Kubo, Y., Nonaka, S., and Yoshida, H. Allergic contact dermatitis from gardenia fruit. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(2):65-7. PubMed
    2. 49078. Paulsen, E., Skov, P. S., and Andersen, K. E. Immediate skin and mucosal symptoms from pot plants and vegetables in gardeners and greenhouse workers. Contact Dermatitis 1998;39(4):166-170. PubMed
    3. 102698. Mizawa M, Andoh T, Shimizu T. Gardenia fruit-related blue-gray skin pigmentation. JAMA Dermatol. 2020. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Gardenia — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Phenobarbital’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Phenobarbital column appears here.

Overlapping uses

What Phenobarbital Is Prescribed For, and What Gardenia Has Been Studied For

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

Phenobarbital is prescribed for: Phenobarbital tablets and oral solutions are used to treat generalized and partial seizures and as a sedative. Phenobarbital Sodium injection is used as a long-term anticonvulsant for generalized tonic-clonic and focal seizures, for emergency control of acute convulsive episodes (including status epilepticus), for sedation, short-term treatment of insomnia, and as a preanesthetic. It is also used in pediatric patients as an anticonvulsant and sedative, including before and after surgery. Sezaby (phenobarbital injection, intravenous) is specifically indicated for the treatment of neonatal seizures in term and preterm infants.

Read the rest of what Phenobarbital is prescribed for

It is not approved for use in adolescents or adults.

Gardenia has been studied for:

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

    Gardenia for anxiety

    Although there has been interest in using oral gardenia for anxiety, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of gardenia for this purpose.

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

    Gardenia for insomnia

    Although there has been interest in using oral gardenia for insomnia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of gardenia for this purpose.

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 Phenobarbital on your own; if you are taking Gardenia for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Gardenia or Phenobarbital

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

This page covers Gardenia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenobarbital page lists 174 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 Henbane (major).

By severity: 10 major · 143 moderate · 21 minor.

Open the Phenobarbital interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 240 real supplement products containing Gardenia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Gardenia. Even though Gardenia itself has no known interaction with Phenobarbital, 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 Gardenia and Phenobarbital 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 Gardenia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenobarbital
Steady interest

#1,680 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 Gardenia reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Gardenia and Phenobarbital 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 Gardenia

What is Gardenia?

Gardenia
  • Liver and digestive complaints
  • Fever and inflammation
  • Anxiety, restlessness, and trouble sleeping
  • Blood pressure and blood sugar support (traditional)
  • Natural food and fabric coloring

Gardenia fruit has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine and is also used as a natural food coloring. While early lab and animal studies are interesting, strong human evidence for its health benefits is lacking, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it as a supplement.

Gardenia jasminoides · Rubiaceae · Fruit (the dried ripe fruit, called zhi zi in Chinese medicine), and sometimes the flower · Dried fruit, powders, capsules, teas/decoctions, liquid extracts, and as a natural food coloring (gardenia yellow/blue)

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

Gardenia: dosing

There is no standardized, well-established dose for gardenia supplements. Traditional formulas use the dried fruit in decoctions, but products sold today vary widely in strength and form.If you choose to use a gardenia product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Gardenia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenobarbital

What Is Phenobarbital Used For?

Brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal

Phenobarbital tablets and oral solutions are used to treat generalized and partial seizures and as a sedative. Phenobarbital Sodium injection is used as a long-term anticonvulsant for generalized tonic-clonic and focal seizures, for emergency control of acute convulsive episodes (including status epilepticus), for sedation, short-term treatment of insomnia, and as a preanesthetic. It is also used in pediatric patients as an anticonvulsant and sedative, including before and after surgery.

Sezaby (phenobarbital injection, intravenous) is specifically indicated for the treatment of neonatal seizures in term and preterm infants. It is not approved for use in adolescents or adults.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Phenobarbital

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (15,690 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Seizure 1,669 reports
Toxicity to various agents 647 reports
Status epilepticus 532 reports
Somnolence 492 reports
Multiple-drug resistance 475 reports
See full Phenobarbital drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gardenia

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

0Major
21Moderate
0Minor
2,808No known interaction
21 Moderate 2,808 No interaction
Moderate

21 interactions

No interaction 2,808 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,808 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Gardenia list.

See the full Gardenia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Phenobarbital, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Gardenia References

The 5 references that drive our Gardenia 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. Kubo, Y., Nonaka, S., and Yoshida, H. Allergic contact dermatitis from gardenia fruit. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(2):65-7. PubMed
  2. Yamauchi, K., Fujimoto, N., Kuwano, S., Inouye, H., and Inoue, K. The mechanism of purgative action of geniposide, an iridoid glucoside of the fruit of Gardenia, in mice. Planta Med 1976;30(1):39-47.
  3. Paulsen, E., Skov, P. S., and Andersen, K. E. Immediate skin and mucosal symptoms from pot plants and vegetables in gardeners and greenhouse workers. Contact Dermatitis 1998;39(4):166-170. PubMed
  4. Mizawa M, Andoh T, Shimizu T. Gardenia fruit-related blue-gray skin pigmentation. JAMA Dermatol. 2020. PubMed
  5. Tong T, Fu J, Kong Y. Recurrent Abdominal Pain in a 61-Year-Old Woman. Gastroenterology 2023;164(6):887-890. 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 Gardenia and Phenobarbital Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gardenia with Phenobarbital?
We do not list a known interaction between Gardenia and Phenobarbital. 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.
Are Gardenia and Phenobarbital 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 Gardenia in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Phenobarbital is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Gardenia and Phenobarbital combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Phenobarbital is filed under 11 classifications, and Gardenia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Phenobarbital'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 Gardenia interact with any other medications?
Yes. Gardenia has 21 documented drug interactions in our database — Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital interact with any supplements?
Yes. Phenobarbital has documented interactions with 174 supplements in our database — Gardenia is not one of them. The Phenobarbital interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Gardenia monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Phenobarbital drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Phenobarbital supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Phenobarbital, 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 References The 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Phenobarbital and Gardenia?

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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.