Goldenseal + Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone
Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone brand name: Damason-P.
Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone falls into 4 drug categories that Goldenseal can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, goldenseal might increase the sedative effects of CNS depressants.
Read the full interaction reportGoldenseal and Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone
These two interact in 4 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.
Why Are There 4 Interactions?
Goldenseal interacts with whole categories of medication. Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone falls into 4 of those categories, so it can interact with Goldenseal in 4 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).
CNS DEPRESSANTS
1 of 4Why this applies to Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone
Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Goldenseal interacts with.
Goldenseal contains berberine. Animal research shows that berberine can have sedative effects. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.
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.
This combination product (Damason-P) contains hydrocodone, an opioid pain reliever, along with aspirin and caffeine. The piece that matters here is the hydrocodone, since it can already make you feel drowsy, foggy, or relaxed. Goldenseal contains berberine, and in animal studies berberine showed some calming, sedative-like effects.
So the theory is that goldenseal could add to the sleepiness from the hydrocodone, leaving you more tired or slowed down than usual. I want to be honest though: this hasn't actually been seen in people, so it's a theoretical concern, not a proven one. Still, if you take this medicine regularly and want to try goldenseal, check with your pharmacist or doctor first, and don't drive until you know how you feel.
- Janbaz KH, Gilani AH. Studies on preventive and curative effects of berberine on chemical-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents. Fitoterapia 2000;71:25-33.. PubMed
- Shanbhag, S. M., Kulkarni, H. J., and Gaitonde, B. B. Pharmacological actions of berberine on the central nervous system. Jpn.J Pharmacol 1970;20(4):482-487. PubMed
- Peng, W. H., Hsieh, M. T., and Wu, C. R. Effect of long-term administration of berberine on scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats. Jpn J Pharmacol 1997;74(3):261-266. DOI
- Sabir M and Bhide NK. Study of some pharmacological actions of berberine. Ind J Physiol & Pharmac 1971;15(3):111-132.
CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES
2 of 4Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES.
Clinical and in vitro research shows that goldenseal can significantly inhibit CYP2D6 enzymes, potentially increasing levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
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..
The piece of this combo pill I want to focus on is the hydrocodone, the opioid pain reliever. Hydrocodone is partly handled by a liver enzyme called CYP2D6, which turns it into a stronger active form (hydromorphone) that adds to the pain relief. Goldenseal can slow that same enzyme down.
In practice, that's a bit of a mixed bag. Slowing CYP2D6 may blunt some of the converted pain relief, but it can also let hydrocodone itself linger longer, which may bring more drowsiness, constipation, nausea, or slowed breathing. The aspirin and caffeine pieces aren't the concern here. Since real human evidence is only moderate, don't panic, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing goldenseal with this medicine.
- Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, Hubbard MA, et al. In vivo effects of goldenseal, kava kava, black cohosh, and valerian on human cytochrome P450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4/5 phenotypes. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2005;77:415-26. PubMed
- Gurley BJ, Swain A, Hubbard MA, et al. Clinical assessement of CYP2D6-mediated herb-drug interactions in humans: Effects of milk-thistle, black cohosh, goldenseal, kava kava, St. John's wort, and Echinacea. Mol Nutr Food Res 2008;52:755-63.
- Sevior, D. K., Hokkanen, J., Tolonen, A., Abass, K., Tursas, L., Pelkonen, O., and Ahokas, J. T. Rapid screening of commercially available herbal products for the inhibition of major human hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes using the N-in-one cocktail. Xeno PubMed
CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES
3 of 4Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.
Most clinical and in vitro research shows that goldenseal inhibits CYP3A4 enzyme activity and increases serum levels of CYP3A4 substrates, such as midazolam. However, in one small clinical study, goldenseal did not affect the levels of indinavir, a CYP3A4 substrate, in healthy volunteers. This is likely due to the fact that indinavir has a high oral bioavailability, making it an inadequate probe for CYP3A4 interactions and/or that it is primarily metabolized by hepatic CYP3A, while goldenseal has more potential to inhibit intestinal CYP3A enzyme activity. Both goldenseal extract and its isolated constituents berberine and hydrastine inhibit CYP3A, with hydrastine possibly having more inhibitory potential than berberine.
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.
In this combo product (Damason-P), the piece that matters here is the hydrocodone, an opioid pain reliever. Your body relies partly on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break it down. Goldenseal tends to slow that enzyme down, so the hydrocodone may hang around longer and build up a bit more than usual.
What could that look like? More of the opioid's usual effects: drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, nausea, and in larger buildups, slowed breathing. The caffeine in this product can also linger, possibly adding jitteriness or trouble sleeping. This is a possible, moderate interaction based on limited human data, not a sure thing. Still, before pairing goldenseal with this medicine, please check with your pharmacist or doctor first.
- Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82. PubMed
- Sandhu RS, Prescilla RP, Simonelli TM, Edwards DJ. Influence of goldenseal root on the pharmacokinetics of indinavir. J Clin Pharmacol 2003;43:1283-8.. PubMed
- Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, Hubbard MA, et al. In vivo effects of goldenseal, kava kava, black cohosh, and valerian on human cytochrome P450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4/5 phenotypes. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2005;77:415-26. PubMed
- Chatterjee P, Franklin MR. Human cytochrome p450 inhibition and metabolic-intermediate complex formation by goldenseal extract and its methylenedioxyphenyl components. Drug Metab Dispos 2003;31:1391-7. PubMed
- Gurley BJ, et al. Supplementation with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), but not kava kava (Piper methysticum), inhibits human CYP3A activitiy In Vivo. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2008;83(1):61-69.
- Jalloh MA, Gregory PJ, Hein D, et al. Dietary supplement interactions with antiretrovirals: a systematic review. Int J STD AIDS. 2017 Jan;28(1):4-15. PubMed
- Nguyen JT, Tian DD, Tanna RS, et al. An Integrative Approach to Elucidate Mechanisms Underlying the Pharmacokinetic Goldenseal-Midazolam Interaction: Application of In Vitro Assays and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Models to Understand Clinical Ob
ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS
4 of 4Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.
Goldenseal contains berberine. In vitro and animal research shows that berberine can inhibit platelet aggregation. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.
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.
This combination product (Damason-P) contains aspirin, which already thins the blood a bit by keeping platelets from clumping together. Goldenseal contains berberine, and in lab dishes and animal studies berberine seemed to slow platelet clumping too. Stack that on top of aspirin and, in theory, you could nudge your bleeding risk a little higher.
I want to be honest about how soft this is. This bleeding effect has not actually been seen in people, so it's a theoretical concern based on how the herb behaves in the lab. Still, watch for things like easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or dark stools. Before adding goldenseal, run it past your pharmacist or doctor, especially since aspirin plus hydrocodone is already working hard.
- Wu, J. F. and Liu, T. P. [Effects of berberine on platelet aggregation and plasma levels of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in rats with reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion]. Yao Xue.Xue.Bao. 1995;30(2):98-102.
- Tripathi YB and Shukla SD. Berberis artistata inhibits PAF induced aggregation of rabbit platelets. Phytotherapy Research 1996;10:628-630.
What These Ratings Mean
Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.
Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.
Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.
Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.
- 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.
- 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.
Goldenseal Also Interacts With Other Medications
Goldenseal has 1,235 moderate, 1 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.
Check Another of Your Medications Against Goldenseal
We haven’t checked that one against Goldenseal yet — ask our pharmacists directly.
Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Goldenseal. Pick one to open its full report.
See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone
This page covers Goldenseal only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone page lists 398 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), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).
By severity: 17 major · 334 moderate · 47 minor.
From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone page
“Damason-P packs three drugs into one tablet, the opioid hydrocodone, aspirin, and caffeine, so a supplement can collide with any one of them, and its list of 398 interacting ingredients earns real respect. More than 200 of those can add to aspirin's bleeding risk, while 78 can deepen the opioid's sedation.”
Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026
Taking Goldenseal as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions
We hold 1,726 real supplement products containing Goldenseal, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Goldenseal. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone too, on top of Goldenseal — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:
Where Goldenseal and Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone 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.
#155 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days
#1,927 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days
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.
About Goldenseal
What is Goldenseal?
- Digestive upset and diarrhea
- Colds and respiratory infections
- Sore throat and mouth sores
- Skin and eye irritation (topical/traditional)
- Antimicrobial support
Goldenseal is a popular North American herb that contains berberine, a compound studied for antimicrobial effects. However, strong human evidence for its many traditional uses is largely lacking, and it should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it.
Other Drugs & Goldenseal
Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Goldenseal — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.
No drugs match “”.
1,235 interactions
- Diclofenac Sodium ›
- Diltiazem ›
- Nifedipine ›
- Ibuprofen ›
- Diphenhydramine ›
- Aspirin ›
- Hydrocortisone ›
- Insulin (rdna) ›
- Naproxen ›
- Doxycycline ›
- Erythromycin ›
- Estradiol ›
- Minocycline ›
- Propranolol ›
- Tetracycline ›
- Lidocaine ›
- Ranitidine ›
- Guaifenesin ›
- Hydrochlorothiazide ›
- Norethindrone ›
- Testosterone ›
- Verapamil ›
- Levonorgestrel ›
- Prednisone ›
- Quinidine ›
- Cyclosporine ›
- Dexamethasone ›
- Flurazepam ›
- Glyburide ›
- Insulin (pork) ›
- Triazolam ›
- Zopiclone ›
- Colchicine ›
- Fentanyl ›
- Flurbiprofen ›
- Oxybutynin ›
- Oxycodone ›
- Phenytoin ›
- Prednisolone ›
- Tacrolimus ›
- Temazepam ›
- Triamcinolone ›
- Apomorphine ›
- Budesonide ›
- Carbamazepine ›
- Clindamycin ›
- Dextromethorphan ›
- Diclofenac Potassium ›
- Dipyridamole ›
- Doxorubicin ›
- Fluticasone ›
- Formoterol ›
- Hydralazine ›
- Indomethacin ›
- Insulin (human) ›
- Miconazole ›
- Morphine Sulfate ›
- Nitrazepam ›
- Trimipramine ›
- Acetaminophen ›
Showing 60 of 1,235 moderate interactions — see all 1,235 on the Goldenseal page.
1 interaction
No interaction 1,593 drugs checked — show the list
We also checked Goldenseal against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.
- Levothyroxine ›
- Methylphenidate ›
- Rosuvastatin ›
- Escitalopram ›
- Docusate ›
- Hydroxyurea ›
- Valacyclovir ›
- Sumatriptan ›
- Bupropion ›
- Amoxicillin ›
- Bendamustine ›
- Acyclovir ›
- Methotrexate ›
- Azithromycin ›
- Isotretinoin ›
- Methylene Blue ›
- Ciprofloxacin ›
- Levothyroxine, Liothyronine ›
- Cyclopentolate ›
- Cephalexin ›
- Roxithromycin ›
- Pegunigalsidase Alfa-iwxj ›
- Daptomycin ›
- Dexmethylphenidate ›
- Hexobarbitone ›
- Levothyroxine Sodium ›
- Factor 7a ›
- Thyroid Hormone ›
- Carbidopa, Levodopa ›
- Levodopa ›
- Mitomycin ›
- Lenvatinib ›
- Ezetimibe ›
- Cefaclor ›
- Hethylphenidate Hcl ›
- Phenylephrine ›
- Vancomycin ›
- Bentoquatam ›
- Amoxicillin, Clavulanate Potassium ›
- Triptorelin ›
- Hydroxychloroquine ›
- Dirithromycin ›
- Pizotifen ›
- Procainamide ›
- Tocainide ›
- Azelaic Acid ›
- Dextrothyroxine ›
- Lomustine ›
- Rocuronium ›
- Mitomycin C ›
- Chenodiol ›
- Desflurane ›
- Digitoxin ›
- Gestodene ›
- Succimer ›
- Niacin (prescription Drug) ›
- Halothane ›
- Caspofungin ›
- Cabergoline ›
- Ribavirin Aerosol ›
Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,593 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Goldenseal list.
Sources & How We Checked
Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.
- Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — Evidence-graded clinical reference for vitamins, herbs and supplements — the basis for our interaction data.
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine — NIH consumer drug information, used for the medication overviews.
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) — Official supplement product labels.
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
Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone Is Linked to Lower Levels of 4 Nutrients
Natural Medicines records Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Goldenseal — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:
Read the full Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone nutrient depletion report ›
Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.
Taking Goldenseal and Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone Together: Common Questions
Can you take Goldenseal with Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone?
Why are there 4 interactions listed for Goldenseal and Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone?
How serious is the Goldenseal and Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone interaction?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
Still Have a Question About Aspirin, Caffeine, Hydrocodone and Goldenseal?
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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.