Drug & supplement interaction

Greater Celandine + Thioridazine

Thioridazine brand name: Mellaril.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Greater Celandine has a moderate interaction with Thioridazine. Research in vitro shows that chelidonine, a constituent of greater celandine, inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme activity.

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

Greater Celandine and Thioridazine

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Thioridazine

Thioridazine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES — the group Greater Celandine interacts with.

Research in vitro shows that chelidonine, a constituent of greater celandine, inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme activity. Theoretically, greater celandine might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP2D6 include amitriptyline (Elavil), clozapine (Clozaril), codeine, desipramine (Norpramin), donepezil (Aricept), fentanyl (Duragesic), flecainide (Tambocor), fluoxetine (Prozac), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), olanzapine (Zyprexa), ondansetron (Zofran), tramadol (Ultram), trazodone (Desyrel), and many others.
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 concern with pairing greater celandine and thioridazine. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2D6 to break thioridazine down. One compound in greater celandine (chelidonine) has been shown in lab dish studies to block that enzyme. If it does the same in the body, thioridazine could build up to higher levels than expected.

That matters because thioridazine is a touchy drug. Higher levels can worsen its effect on the heart's rhythm (a QT-prolongation risk), plus add drowsiness, dizziness, low blood pressure, and dry mouth. The catch is this evidence is only theoretical, from test-tube work, not people. Still, thioridazine isn't a medication to take chances with, so please run any greater celandine use past your pharmacist or doctor first, especially since this herb can also harm the liver.

References
  1. Liu Y, Cui T, Peng Y, Ji M, Zheng J. Mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 2D6 by chelidonine. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2019;33(2):e22251. 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.

Keep it in perspective

Greater Celandine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Greater Celandine has 624 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Thioridazine 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 Thioridazine

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 Thioridazine, 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 Thioridazine

This page covers Greater Celandine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Thioridazine page lists 168 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 11 major · 125 moderate · 32 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Thioridazine page

“Thioridazine (Mellaril) is an older antipsychotic already known for disturbing the heart's rhythm, and the supplements that worry me most here do the same thing, stretching the QT interval further. Grapefruit in large amounts sits in that group, alongside ephedra and several other major-rated entries.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Thioridazine 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 Thioridazine 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 Thioridazine 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
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Thioridazine
Steady interest

#2,254 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 Thioridazine

What Is Thioridazine Used For?

Brand name: Mellaril

Thioridazine Hydrochloride tablets are used for the management of schizophrenia — but only in patients who have already tried at least two other antipsychotic medications without adequate results, either because those drugs didn't work well enough or caused intolerable side effects.

Because thioridazine carries serious heart-rhythm risks, it is considered a last-resort option for schizophrenia, not a first-line treatment. It is not approved for dementia-related psychosis or any other psychiatric condition.

See full Thioridazine 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Greater Celandine and Thioridazine Together: Common Questions

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

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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.