Drug & supplement interaction

Graviola + Carbamazepine

Carbamazepine brand names: Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, Carbatrol, Carnexiv.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Graviola has a moderate interaction with Carbamazepine. Theoretically, graviola might decrease concentrations of carbamazepine when used concomitantly.

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

Graviola and Carbamazepine

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

Moderate

CARBAMAZEPINE (Tegretol)

Theoretically, graviola might decrease concentrations of carbamazepine when used concomitantly.
A study in rats shows that graviola extract reduces the area under the curve of carbamazepine by 46% and maximum concentration by 35% when compared with carbamazepine alone.
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 gist with graviola and carbamazepine: in a rat study, graviola lowered the amount of carbamazepine in the body by close to half. If that same effect happened in people, your carbamazepine levels could drop, and it might not work as well. For someone using it to prevent seizures, that could mean breakthrough seizures. For trigeminal neuralgia, it could mean that facial nerve pain creeping back. Carbamazepine is a drug where the right level really matters, so even a moderate dip isn't trivial.

I want to be honest, though: this is based only on animal data, not human studies, so we don't truly know how big a deal it is. Please don't change anything on your own. Just loop in your pharmacist or doctor before mixing the two.

References
  1. Abu Soukhon AA, Abu-Qatouseh L, Mansoor K, et al. Cytotoxicity Activity of Graviola Fruit Extract with Carbamazepine and Valproic Acid Show Antagonistic and Indifferent Effects. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2023;24(6):1869-1875. 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Graviola or Carbamazepine

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

This page covers Graviola only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Carbamazepine page lists 284 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 Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major).

By severity: 12 major · 235 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Carbamazepine page

“Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol, Equetro) only controls seizures and mood episodes when its blood level stays inside a tight window, and 284 supplement and herbal ingredients on file can disturb that balance, 12 of them rated major. Grapefruit can push carbamazepine levels up, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Carbamazepine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 217 real supplement products containing Graviola, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Graviola. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Carbamazepine too, on top of Graviola — 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 Graviola and Carbamazepine 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 Graviola
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Carbamazepine
Top 25%

#389 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 Graviola

What is Graviola?

  • Cancer support (unproven)
  • Infections
  • Inflammation
  • High blood pressure
  • Digestive complaints
  • Diabetes

Graviola (soursop) is a tropical fruit tree whose leaves, fruit, and bark are used in traditional medicine, especially in parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. Despite popular online claims that it fights cancer, there is no reliable human evidence that it treats or cures any disease, and animal research raises concerns that it may harm nerve cells. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Graviola monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Carbamazepine

What Is Carbamazepine Used For?

Brand names: Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, Carbatrol, Carnexiv

Carbamazepine is used to treat certain types of seizures — including partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, and mixed seizure patterns. It works best for those specific seizure types; it does not appear to control absence (petit mal) seizures.

It is also prescribed to relieve the intense facial pain of trigeminal neuralgia — a nerve condition that causes sudden, severe pain along the face. It is not a general painkiller and shouldn't be used for ordinary aches and pains.

See full Carbamazepine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Graviola

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 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 Graviola and Carbamazepine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Graviola with Carbamazepine?
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 Graviola and Carbamazepine 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 Carbamazepine and Graviola?

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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.