Drug & supplement interaction

Green Coffee + Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol brand names: Nordette, Logynon ED, Microgynon 30, Ovranette, Trinordiol, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls into 2 drug categories that Green Coffee can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, estrogens might increase the levels and adverse effects of caffeine.

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

Green Coffee and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls under ESTROGENS — the group Green Coffee interacts with.

Theoretically, estrogens might increase the levels and adverse effects of caffeine.
Green coffee can contain caffeine. Estrogen inhibits caffeine 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 know about pairing green coffee with your birth control pill (Nordette, Microgynon, and similar): the estrogen in your pill (ethinyl estradiol) can slow down how your liver clears caffeine. Green coffee naturally contains caffeine, so it may stick around in your body longer than it normally would.

What that looks like in real life is the usual too-much-caffeine feeling, just easier to reach: a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, or feeling anxious. It does not make your birth control less effective, so your pregnancy protection isn't affected. This is mostly a comfort issue. If you notice these symptoms, cutting back on caffeine usually helps. When in doubt, check with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Pollock BG, Wylie M, Stack JA, et al. Inhibition of caffeine metabolism by estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. J Clin Pharmacol 1999;39:936-40. PubMed
Moderate

CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS

2 of 2

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol also falls under CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the effects and adverse effects of caffeine found in green coffee.
Green coffee can contain caffeine. Oral contraceptives decrease the rate of caffeine clearance by 40% to 65%.
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 something that surprises a lot of people: the interaction here actually runs the other direction from what you might expect. Your birth control pill (the levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol combo) doesn't get changed by green coffee. Instead, it slows down how fast your body clears caffeine, by roughly 40 to 65 percent. Since green coffee contains caffeine, that caffeine can hang around longer and hit harder.

In plain terms, you may feel more of the usual caffeine effects: jitteriness, a racing heart, trouble sleeping, or a queasy stomach. This is considered a likely effect but a moderate one, and a small cup probably won't be a big deal. If you take concentrated green coffee supplements or feel wired, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Pollock BG, Wylie M, Stack JA, et al. Inhibition of caffeine metabolism by estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. J Clin Pharmacol 1999;39:936-40. PubMed
  2. Abernethy DR, Todd EL. Impairment of caffeine clearance by chronic use of low-dose oestrogen-containing oral contraceptives. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1985;28:425-8. 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 8 major, 441 moderate, 222 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 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 Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

This page covers Green Coffee only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol page lists 241 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 197 moderate · 38 minor.

Open the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol
Top half

#1,349 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.

8Major
441Moderate
222Minor
2,158No known interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

441 interactions

Showing 60 of 441 moderate interactions — see all 441 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
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 Green Coffee and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Green Coffee with Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
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 Green Coffee and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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.