Drug & supplement interaction

Gumweed + Atovaquone, Proguanil

Atovaquone, Proguanil brand name: Malarone.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Atovaquone, Proguanil states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Atovaquone, Proguanil and Gumweed in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Gumweed at all — not against Atovaquone, Proguanil, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Gumweed safety at a glance

Gumweed overall Use caution Generally used in small amounts traditionally, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid use.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Atovaquone, Proguanil and Gumweed? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Gumweed

    “Orally, gumweed seems to be well tolerated. It can cause gastric mucosal irritation (2,12), diarrhea (18), and kidney irritation (12).”

    Gumweed · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    “Orally, gumweed can cause gastric mucosal irritation (2,12) and diarrhea (18).”

    Gumweed · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Atovaquone, Proguanil

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Atovaquone, Proguanil. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Atovaquone, Proguanil come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Gumweed come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Atovaquone, Proguanil Products Have a Food Rule — Gumweed Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Atovaquone, Proguanil says to take it with food. If you take Gumweed on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Atovaquone, Proguanil with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Atovaquone, Proguanil products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The daily dose should be taken at the same time each day with food or a milky drink.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Atovaquone, Proguanil — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Atovaquone, Proguanil

This page covers Gumweed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Atovaquone, Proguanil page lists 54 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), Artichoke (moderate), Bacopa (moderate) and Baikal Skullcap (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 40 moderate · 13 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Atovaquone, Proguanil page

“Most people taking atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone) are travelers trying to prevent malaria, so this list of 54 interacting supplements deserves real attention, since anything that weakens the drug can leave you exposed to the disease itself. The single major-rated entry is activated charcoal, a common travel remedy for stomach upset, w…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Atovaquone, Proguanil interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 18 real supplement products containing Gumweed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Gumweed. Even though Gumweed itself has no known interaction with Atovaquone, Proguanil, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil 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 Gumweed
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Atovaquone, Proguanil
Steady interest

#2,008 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Gumweed reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Gumweed

What is Gumweed?

  • Cough and bronchitis
  • Asthma-related breathing problems
  • Skin irritation from poison ivy or poison oak
  • Minor wounds and rashes
  • Upper respiratory congestion

Gumweed is a traditional North American plant used mostly for coughs, chest congestion, and skin irritation such as poison ivy rashes. Good-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits are not well proven, and it should be used cautiously and avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Grindelia robusta · Asteraceae · Dried leaves and flowering tops · Tea, tincture, liquid extract, capsules, topical preparations

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Gumweed is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Gumweed record says about it on its own.

Gumweed: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for gumweed. Traditional preparations include teas, tinctures, and liquid extracts, but the strength of commercial products varies widely.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the suggested amount.

From our Gumweed monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Gumweed monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Atovaquone and Proguanil

What Is Atovaquone and Proguanil Used For?

Brand name: Malarone

Atovaquone and proguanil is used for two purposes: preventing P. falciparum malaria before and during travel to areas where malaria is common, and treating an active, uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria infection. This includes regions where other antimalarials — such as chloroquine, mefloquine, halofantrine, and amodiaquine — may no longer be effective due to drug resistance.

Both the adult-strength and pediatric-strength tablet formulations share these same two approved uses. The brand Malarone is approved for both prevention and treatment of P. falciparum malaria in adults and in pediatric patients, with dosing based on body weight for children.

See full Atovaquone and Proguanil drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gumweed

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Gumweed References

The 3 references that drive our Gumweed monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gumweed with Atovaquone, Proguanil?
We do not list a known interaction between Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Gumweed and Atovaquone, Proguanil at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Atovaquone, Proguanil says to take it with food. If you take Gumweed on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Atovaquone, Proguanil with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Atovaquone, Proguanil products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Atovaquone, Proguanil interact with any supplements?
Yes. Atovaquone, Proguanil has documented interactions with 54 supplements in our database — Gumweed is not one of them. The Atovaquone, Proguanil interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Atovaquone, Proguanil and Gumweed?

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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.