Drug & supplement interaction

Greater Celandine + Nifedipine

Nifedipine brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Greater Celandine has a moderate interaction with Nifedipine. There is some concern that greater celandine can adversely affect the liver.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Greater Celandine and Nifedipine

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Nifedipine

Nifedipine falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Greater Celandine interacts with.

There is some concern that greater celandine can adversely affect the liver. Greater celandine has been linked to many cases of hepatotoxicity. Theoretically, concomitant use with other potentially hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of developing liver damage. Some of these drugs include acarbose (Precose, Prandase), amiodarone (Cordarone), atorvastatin (Lipitor), azathioprine (Imuran), carbamazepine (Tegretol), cerivastatin (Baycol), diclofenac (Voltaren), felbamate (Felbatol), fenofibrate (TriCor), fluvastatin (Lescol), gemfibrozil (Lopid), isoniazid, itraconazole, (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), leflunomide (Arava), lovastatin (Mevacor), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), nevirapine (Viramune), niacin, nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin), pioglitazone (Actos), pravastatin (Pravachol), pyrazinamide, rifampin (Rifadin), ritonavir (Norvir), rosiglitazone (Avandia), simvastatin (Zocor), tacrine (Cognex), tamoxifen, terbinafine (Lamisil), valproic acid, and zileuton (Zyflo).
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 thing to know about pairing greater celandine with nifedipine: this isn't about one changing the other's blood level. Instead, it's a concern about your liver. Greater celandine has been tied to real cases of liver injury, and nifedipine itself can occasionally stress the liver too. Putting two liver-taxing things together may add up and raise the odds of trouble.

I'll be honest, this is mostly theoretical and based on case reports, not strong studies, so I don't want to scare you. Still, watch for warning signs like yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, belly pain, nausea, or unusual tiredness. Greater celandine has shaky benefits and real liver risks, so please check with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

References
  1. Benninger J, Schneider HT, Schuppan D, et al. Acute hepatitis induced by greater celandine (Chelidonium majus). Gastroenterology 1999;117:1234-7. PubMed
  2. Stickel F, Poschl G, Seitz HK, et al. Acute hepatitis induced by Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus). Scand J Gastroenterol 2003;38:565-8.
  3. Moro PA, Cassetti F, Giugliano G, et al. Hepatitis from greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.): Review of literature and report of a new case. J Ethnopharmacol 2009;124:328-32. PubMed
  4. Stickel, F., Seitz, H. K., Hahn, E. G., and Schuppan, D. [Liver toxicity of drugs of plant origin]. Z.Gastroenterol. 2001;39(3):225-227.
  5. Hardeman, E., Van, Overbeke L., Ilegems, S., and Ferrante, M. Acute hepatitis induced by greater celandine (Chelidonium majus). Acta Gastroenterol.Belg. 2008;71(2):281-282.
  6. Gilca, M., Gaman, L., Panait, E., Stoian, I., and Atanasiu, V. Chelidonium majus--an integrative review: traditional knowledge versus modern findings. Forsch.Komplementmed. 2010;17(5):241-248. PubMed
  7. Teschke, R., Glass, X., and Schulze, J. Herbal hepatotoxicity by Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus): causality assessment of 22 spontaneous reports. Regul.Toxicol.Pharmacol. 2011;61(3):282-291. PubMed
  8. Teschke, R., Glass, X., Schulze, J., and Eickhoff, A. Suspected Greater Celandine hepatotoxicity: liver-specific causality evaluation of published case reports from Europe. Eur.J Gastroenterol.Hepatol. 2012;24(3):270-280. PubMed
  9. Teschke, R., Frenzel, C., Glass, X., Schulze, J., and Eickhoff, A. Greater Celandine hepatotoxicity: a clinical review. Ann.Hepatol. 2012;11(6):838-848. DOI

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

Greater Celandine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Greater Celandine has 624 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Nifedipine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Greater Celandine

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Greater Celandine or Nifedipine

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

This page covers Greater Celandine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nifedipine page lists 273 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Beer (major) and Coca (major).

By severity: 11 major · 223 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nifedipine page

“Nifedipine (Procardia XL, Adalat) relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure and ease chest pain, and I would handle this list with real care, since 11 of its 273 entries carry a major rating. Grapefruit is the one to know cold.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nifedipine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 11 real supplement products containing Greater Celandine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Greater Celandine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Nifedipine too, on top of Greater Celandine — 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 Greater Celandine and Nifedipine 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 Greater Celandine
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nifedipine
Top 25%

#420 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 Greater Celandine

What is Greater Celandine?

Greater Celandine
  • Digestive and gallbladder complaints
  • Stomach cramps and bloating
  • Topical use for warts and skin growths
  • Liver and gallbladder 'cleansing'
  • Mild pain relief

Greater celandine is a traditional herb most often promoted for digestive and gallbladder complaints, but solid human evidence for any use is lacking. More importantly, it has been linked to serious and sometimes severe liver injury, so most experts advise against taking it by mouth. If you are considering it, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Greater Celandine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nifedipine

What Is Nifedipine Used For?

Brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, Nifed, Procardia, Adalat XL, Adalat CC, Adalat LA, Adalat Retard, Adipine MR, Adipine XL, Cardilate MR, Coracten SR, Coracten XL, Fortipine LA 40, Hypolar Retard 20, Nifedipress MR, Nifopress Retard, Tensipine MR

Nifedipine treats high blood pressure (hypertension), chronic stable angina (chest pain brought on by physical effort), and vasospastic angina (chest pain caused by spasm of the coronary arteries, sometimes called Prinzmetal's angina). Lowering blood pressure with nifedipine helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

The capsule form is approved for vasospastic angina and chronic stable angina only — it is not approved for high blood pressure. The extended-release tablet (including Procardia) covers all three uses: vasospastic angina, chronic stable angina, and high blood pressure.

See full Nifedipine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Greater Celandine

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

0Major
624Moderate
0Minor
2,205No known interaction
Moderate

624 interactions

Showing 60 of 624 moderate interactions — see all 624 on the Greater Celandine page.

No interaction 2,205 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Greater Celandine and Nifedipine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Greater Celandine with Nifedipine?
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 Greater Celandine and Nifedipine 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 Nifedipine and Greater Celandine?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.