Drug & supplement interaction

Green Coffee + Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline

Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline brand names: Marax, Ami Rax.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline falls into 3 drug categories that Green Coffee can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk of stimulant adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Green Coffee and Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Green Coffee interacts with whole categories of medication. Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Green Coffee in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Major).

Major

EPHEDRINE

1 of 3
Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk of stimulant adverse effects.
Green coffee can contain caffeine. There is evidence that using ephedrine with caffeine might increase the risk of serious life-threatening or debilitating adverse effects such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, seizures, and death. Tell patients to avoid taking caffeine with ephedrine and other stimulants.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

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..

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

Here's the thing about this combo product: it already carries two stimulants. Ephedrine revs up your heart and blood vessels, and theophylline is closely related to caffeine. Green coffee adds even more caffeine on top of that, so you're essentially stacking stimulants. That can push your heart rate and blood pressure higher and make you jittery, shaky, or unable to sleep.

At the more serious end, mixing ephedrine with extra caffeine has been linked to dangerous spikes in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and in rare cases heart attack, stroke, or seizures. This warning is based on pharmacology rather than large studies, but the risk is real enough that I'd play it safe. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding green coffee.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Vahedi K, Domingo V, Amarenco P, Bousser MG. Ischemic stroke in a sportsman who consumed MaHuang extract and creatine monohydrate for bodybuilding. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatr 2000;68:112-3.
  2. Haller CA, Benowitz NL. Adverse cardiovascular and central nervous system events associated with dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1833-8. PubMed
  3. Shekelle PG, Hardy ML, Morton SC, et al. Efficacy and safety of ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2003;289:1537-45.. PubMed
  4. Kockler DR, McCarthy MW, Lawson CL. Seizure activity and unresponsiveness after hydroxycut ingestion. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:647-51.. PubMed
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 3

Why this applies to Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline

Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Green Coffee interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Green coffee can contain caffeine. Due to the central nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects of caffeine, concomitant use with stimulant drugs can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

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..

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

Here's the simple version: your Marax-type combination already packs two stimulants, ephedrine and theophylline. Green coffee brings its own caffeine to the party. Pile those together and you're stacking stimulant on top of stimulant. This isn't about green coffee blocking or speeding up how your body clears the medicine. It's just an additive effect, more total stimulation in your system.

What that can feel like is a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, anxiety, shaky hands, or a bump in blood pressure. Theophylline in particular has a narrow safety window, so extra stimulation matters. The evidence here is mostly expert opinion, not hard proof, but it's a sensible caution. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, rather than changing anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Institute of Medicine. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309082587/html/index.html. DOI
Moderate

THEOPHYLLINE

3 of 3

Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline also falls under THEOPHYLLINE.

Theoretically, green coffee might increase the levels and adverse effects of theophylline.
Green coffee can contain caffeine. Large amounts of caffeine might inhibit theophylline metabolism.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

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..

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

Here's the thing to keep in mind with this combination product (Marax or Ami Rax): it contains theophylline, and green coffee naturally has caffeine in it. Caffeine and theophylline are broken down by the same liver pathway, so a big dose of caffeine can slow theophylline's clearance and let it build up in your blood. Theophylline already has a narrow safety window, meaning small changes can tip you over.

If levels climb too high, you may notice a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, nausea, trouble sleeping, or in serious cases tremor and irregular heartbeat. The ephedrine in this product is also a stimulant, so the effects can stack. This is based on limited evidence, but it's reasonable to be cautious. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing a concentrated green coffee supplement with this medicine.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Carrillo JA, Benitez J. Clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions between dietary caffeine and medications. Clin Pharmacokinet 2000;39:127-53. 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

Green Coffee Also Interacts With Other Medications

Green Coffee has 7 major, 442 moderate, 222 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 7 Moderate 442 Minor 222 No known interaction 2,159 (incl. Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Green Coffee

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline

This page covers Green Coffee only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline page lists 199 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Black Tea (major), Caffeine (major), Coffee (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 17 major · 143 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline page

“For anyone taking Marax (ephedrine, hydroxyzine, theophylline), nothing on this page matters more than caffeine. Paired with the ephedrine in this combination, caffeine from coffee, teas, guarana, and similar herbs has been linked to dangerous blood pressure spikes, heart attack, and stroke, and those stimulant pairings account for mos…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,716 real supplement products containing Green Coffee, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Green Coffee. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline too, on top of Green Coffee — 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 Green Coffee and Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline 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 Green Coffee
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline
Top 5%

#132 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 Green Coffee

What is Green Coffee?

Green Coffee
  • Weight loss
  • High blood pressure
  • Blood sugar control
  • Antioxidant support
  • General energy

Green coffee is the unroasted bean of the coffee plant, prized for its high chlorogenic acid content. Some early studies suggest modest benefits for weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar, but the evidence is limited and far from conclusive. It contains caffeine, so people sensitive to stimulants should use caution and check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Green Coffee monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Green Coffee

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

7Major
442Moderate
222Minor
2,158No known interaction
7 Major 442 Moderate 222 Minor 2,158 No interaction
Major

7 interactions

Moderate

442 interactions

Showing 60 of 442 moderate interactions — see all 442 on the Green Coffee page.

Minor

222 interactions

Showing 60 of 222 minor interactions — see all 222 on the Green Coffee page.

No interaction 2,158 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Green Coffee against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,158 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Green Coffee list.

See the full Green Coffee interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline, ranked by severity
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
Green Coffee monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Green Coffee and Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Green Coffee with Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Green Coffee and Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline?
Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline belongs to more than one drug category, and Green Coffee 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 Green Coffee and Ephedrine, Hydroxyzine, Theophylline interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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.