Drug & supplement interaction

Guarana + Phenylpropanolamine

Phenylpropanolamine brand names: Dexatrim, Propagest, Revive Diet Aid, Mini Thin Diet Aid, Mini Slims, and others.

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

Phenylpropanolamine falls into 2 drug categories that Guarana can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Guarana and Phenylpropanolamine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Phenylpropanolamine

Phenylpropanolamine falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Guarana interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Guarana contains 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 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 simple version: guarana is basically a natural caffeine source, and phenylpropanolamine is itself a stimulant that perks up your nervous system and tightens blood vessels. When you stack two stimulants together, their effects can pile on top of each other. So pairing them could leave you feeling jittery, anxious, or restless, with a racing or pounding heartbeat, higher blood pressure, trouble sleeping, or headaches.

I'll be honest, this concern is based on how these two work in theory, not on hard studies, so it isn't a guaranteed reaction. Still, since both raise your heart rate and blood pressure, I'd play it safe. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, especially if you have heart issues, high blood pressure, or anxiety.

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

PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE

2 of 2
Theoretically, phenylpropanolamine might increase the risk of hypertension, as well as the levels and adverse effects of caffeine.
Guarana contains caffeine. Concomitant use of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine might cause an additive increase in blood pressure. Phenylpropanolamine also seems to increase caffeine serum levels.
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 about pairing guarana with phenylpropanolamine: both can push your blood pressure up, and together that effect tends to stack. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant-type decongestant and appetite suppressant that already tightens blood vessels and can raise blood pressure. Guarana is basically concentrated caffeine, so adding it can mean a bigger jump in blood pressure, a faster or pounding heartbeat, jitteriness, headache, or trouble sleeping.

There's a second wrinkle: phenylpropanolamine appears to slow how your body clears caffeine, so the caffeine from guarana can build up and hit harder. The evidence here is moderate but reasonable, so it's worth taking seriously. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining these, especially if you have any heart concerns or high blood pressure.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brown NJ, Ryder D, Branch RA. A pharmacodynamic interaction between caffeine and phenylpropanolamine. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1991;50:363-71. PubMed
  2. Lake CR, Rosenberg DB, Gallant S, et al. Phenylpropanolamine increases plasma caffeine levels. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1990;47:675-85. 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

Guarana Also Interacts With Other Medications

Guarana has 8 major, 461 moderate, 185 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Phenylpropanolamine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 8 Moderate 461 Minor 185 No known interaction 2,176 (incl. Phenylpropanolamine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Guarana

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Phenylpropanolamine

This page covers Guarana only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenylpropanolamine page lists 62 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Peyote (major), Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major) and Sida Cordifolia (major).

By severity: 5 major · 44 moderate · 13 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenylpropanolamine page

“Phenylpropanolamine (Dexatrim, Propagest) is a stimulant decongestant and diet aid that raises blood pressure on its own, so I read its supplement interactions with real vigilance. Of the 62 ingredients on file, 44 are stimulants themselves, and stacking them can push heart rate and blood pressure into risky territory.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenylpropanolamine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,430 real supplement products containing Guarana, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Guarana. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Phenylpropanolamine too, on top of Guarana — 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 Guarana and Phenylpropanolamine 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 Guarana
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenylpropanolamine
Steady interest

#2,374 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 Guarana

What is Guarana?

Guarana
  • Energy and alertness
  • Reducing fatigue
  • Weight loss support
  • Athletic performance
  • Mental focus

Guarana is an Amazonian seed that is naturally high in caffeine, which explains most of its stimulant and energy effects. While it may give a short-term boost in alertness and reduce fatigue, strong evidence for weight loss or major performance gains is limited, and it carries the same risks as too much caffeine. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have heart problems, anxiety, or are pregnant.

Read the full Guarana monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Guarana

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

8Major
461Moderate
185Minor
2,175No known interaction
8 Major 461 Moderate 185 Minor 2,175 No interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

461 interactions

Showing 60 of 461 moderate interactions — see all 461 on the Guarana page.

Minor

185 interactions

Showing 60 of 185 minor interactions — see all 185 on the Guarana page.

No interaction 2,175 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,175 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Guarana list.

See the full Guarana interactions page
See every supplement checked against Phenylpropanolamine, 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
Guarana monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Phenylpropanolamine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Phenylpropanolamine, 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 Guarana and Phenylpropanolamine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Guarana with Phenylpropanolamine?
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 Guarana and Phenylpropanolamine?
Phenylpropanolamine belongs to more than one drug category, and Guarana 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 Guarana and Phenylpropanolamine 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 Phenylpropanolamine and Guarana?

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.