Drug & supplement interaction

Grape + Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Diclofenac Sodium falls into 2 drug categories that Grape can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, grape extracts may have antiplatelet effects and may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Grape and Diclofenac Sodium

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Grape interacts with.

Theoretically, grape extracts may have antiplatelet effects and may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro evidence suggests that grape extracts might decrease platelet aggregation.
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 deal with grape supplements and diclofenac (Voltaren and similar brands). Diclofenac is an NSAID, and on its own it can thin the blood a little and irritate the stomach lining, which is why bruising, stomach upset, and rarely bleeding are known side effects. Lab studies hint that concentrated grape extracts (like grape seed extract) might also make platelets a touch less sticky. Stacked together, the theory is they could add up and slightly raise your bleeding risk.

I want to be honest with you though: this is based only on test-tube research, not real patients, so it's a theoretical concern. Eating grapes or drinking grape juice is very unlikely to matter. If you take a concentrated grape supplement daily, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor first, and watch for easy bruising or unusual bleeding.

References
  1. de Lange, D. W., Scholman, W. L., Kraaijenhagen, R. J., Akkerman, J. W., and van de Wiel, A. Alcohol and polyphenolic grape extract inhibit platelet adhesion in flowing blood. Eur.J Clin.Invest 2004;34(12):818-824. PubMed
  2. de Lange, D. W., Verhoef, S., Gorter, G., Kraaijenhagen, R. J., van de Wiel, A., and Akkerman, J. W. Polyphenolic grape extract inhibits platelet activation through PECAM-1: an explanation for the French paradox. Alcohol Clin.Exp.Res 2007;31(8):1308-1314 PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Diclofenac Sodium also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

It is unclear if grape juice or grape seed extract inhibits CYP2C9; research is conflicting.
In vitro evidence shows that grape seed extract or grape juice might inhibit CYP2C9 enzymes. However, a small pharmacokinetic study in healthy adults shows that drinking 8 ounces of grape juice once does not affect the clearance of flurbiprofen, a probe-drug for CYP2C9 metabolism. The effects of continued grape juice consumption are unclear.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

Your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP2C9 to break down diclofenac. The thinking here is that compounds in grape juice or grape seed extract might slow that enzyme down a little. If that happened, diclofenac could clear a bit slower and build up, which in theory could nudge up the usual NSAID side effects like stomach upset, heartburn, or fluid retention.

The good news is that this concern is very weak. It comes mainly from lab studies, and a small human study showed that drinking grape juice did not change how a similar drug was cleared. So for most people, enjoying grapes or grape juice is unlikely to be a problem. If you take a concentrated grape seed supplement daily, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Greenblatt DJ, von Moltke LL, Perloff ES, et al. Interaction of flurbiprofen with cranberry juice, grape juice, tea, and fluconazole: in vitro and clinical studies. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006;79:125-33. PubMed
  2. Nishikawa, M., Ariyoshi, N., Kotani, A., Ishii, I., Nakamura, H., Nakasa, H., Ida, M., Nakamura, H., Kimura, N., Kimura, M., Hasegawa, A., Kusu, F., Ohmori, S., Nakazawa, K., and Kitada, M. Effects of continuous ingestion of green tea or grape seed extra
  3. Etheridge, A. S., Black, S. R., Patel, P. R., So, J., and Mathews, J. M. An in vitro evaluation of cytochrome P450 inhibition and P-glycoprotein interaction with goldenseal, Ginkgo biloba, grape seed, milk thistle, and ginseng extracts and their constitu

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

Grape Also Interacts With Other Medications

Grape has 867 moderate, 42 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Diclofenac Sodium one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Grape

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Grape or Diclofenac Sodium

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

This page covers Grape only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diclofenac Sodium page lists 308 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 266 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Diclofenac Sodium page

“Diclofenac (Voltaren), a daily mainstay for arthritis and joint pain, comes with a supplement list that calls for real vigilance. Of the 308 ingredients on file, 7 rate major, and roughly two hundred entries share a single theme: anything with blood-thinning activity adds to diclofenac's own bleeding risk, especially in the stomach.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Diclofenac Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 8,053 real supplement products containing Grape, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Grape. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Diclofenac Sodium too, on top of Grape — 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 Grape and Diclofenac Sodium 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 Grape
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diclofenac Sodium
Top 25%

#386 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 Grape

What is Grape?

Grape
  • Antioxidant support
  • Heart and circulation health
  • Vein problems (such as varicose veins)
  • Eye health
  • General anti-inflammatory support

Grapes and grape products like grape seed extract contain antioxidant compounds such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins that may support heart and blood vessel health. While the food is healthy and generally safe, the supplement evidence for treating specific conditions is mostly limited or preliminary. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting a grape supplement.

Read the full Grape monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diclofenac

What Is Diclofenac Used For?

Brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, Diclo SR, Voltarol, Acoflam, Defenac, Dicloflex, Diclovol, Diclozip, Fenactol, Flamrase, Volraman, Diclomax SR, Diclomax Retard, Motifene 75 mg, Voltarol 75 mg SR, Acoflam 75 SR, Defenac SR, Dexomon 75 SR, Dicloflex 75 SR, Diclovol SR, Fenactol 75 mg SR, Flamatak 75 MR, Flamrase SR, Flexotard MR 75, Rheumatac Retard 75, Rhumalgan CR, Slofenac SR, Volsaid Retard 75, Voltarol Retard, Acoflam Retard, Defenac Retard, Dexomon Retard 100, Dicloflex Retard, Diclovol Retard, Fenactol Retard 100 mg, Flamatak 100 MR, Volsaid Retard 100, Voltarol Ophtha Multidose, Voltarol Ophtha, Pennsaid, Voltaren Emulgel, Dyloject

Diclofenac sodium topical gel is used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) — rough, scaly skin patches that form after years of sun exposure. These patches are considered precancerous, meaning they can develop into skin cancer if left untreated.

This is a topical gel, meaning it is applied directly to the skin over the affected area rather than taken by mouth. It belongs to the NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) family.

See full Diclofenac drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Grape

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

0Major
867Moderate
42Minor
1,920No known interaction
Moderate

867 interactions

Showing 60 of 867 moderate interactions — see all 867 on the Grape page.

Minor

42 interactions

No interaction 1,920 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Grape and Diclofenac Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Grape with Diclofenac Sodium?
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 Grape and Diclofenac Sodium?
Diclofenac Sodium belongs to more than one drug category, and Grape 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 Grape and Diclofenac Sodium 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.