Drug & supplement interaction

Hawthorn + Testosterone

Testosterone brand names: Intrinsa, Testim, Androgel, Andropatch, Testogel, and others.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Hawthorn and Testosterone 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 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

Hawthorn and Testosterone

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 Testosterone and Hawthorn 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.

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.

Hawthorn safety at a glance

Hawthorn overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studies, but heart conditions need medical supervision.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Testosterone and Hawthorn? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Testosterone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Testosterone is filed under 5 classifications — including androgens, topical drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Hawthorn has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being nitrates (major), phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (major) and anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) — and none of Testosterone’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Hawthorn Does Interact With Other Medications

Hawthorn has 14 major, 177 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Testosterone isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hawthorn

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Hawthorn and Testosterone May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

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. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Fainting Worth acting on Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    “Orally, headache and dizziness/vertigo were reported in 2 patients in a large surveillance trial of 3,664 patients with cardiac failure, in 15 patients with CHF as reported in a literature review of 5,577 patients, in a varying number of clinical trial participants, and in case reports. Incidences of fainting, fever, and infrequent, mild and transient sleepiness have also been reported.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    6 sources cited
    1. 54692. Loew D, Albrecht M, and Podzuweit H. Efficacy and tolerability of a Hawthorn preparation in patients with heart failure Stage I and II according to NYHA - a surveillance study. Phytomedicine 1996;3(Suppl 1):92.
    2. 19247. Daniele C, Mazzanti G, Pittler MH, et al. Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review. Drug Saf 2006;29:523-35. PubMed
    3. 8281. Tauchert M. Efficacy and safety of crataegus extract WS 1442 in comparison with placebo in patients with chronic stable New York Heart Association class-III heart failure. Am Heart J 2002;143:910-5. PubMed
    4. 19222. Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:990-99. PubMed
    5. 19244. Asher GN, Viera AJ, Weaver MA, et al. Effect of hawthorn standardized extract on flow mediated dilation in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. BMC.Complement Altern.Med 2012;12:26. PubMed
    6. 113112. Palmer KG, Lebin JA, Cronin MT, Mazor SS, Burns RA. Crataegus mexicana (Tejocote) Exposure Associated with Cardiotoxicity and a Falsely Elevated Digoxin Level. J Med Toxicol. 2019;15(4):295-298. PubMed

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • An irregular heartbeat Worth acting on Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    “Orally, tachycardia (with facial pains) of uncertain relationship to hawthorn was reported in a multicenter clinical trial. Palpitations were reported in three patients in a large surveillance trial of 3,664 patients with cardiac failure and in 11 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in a literature review of 5,577 patients.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in angina.

    6 sources cited
    1. 54640. Tauchert, M., Gildor, A., and Lipinski, J. [High-dose Crataegus extract WS 1442 in the treatment of NYHA stage II heart failure]. Herz 1999;24(6):465-474.
    2. 19244. Asher GN, Viera AJ, Weaver MA, et al. Effect of hawthorn standardized extract on flow mediated dilation in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. BMC.Complement Altern.Med 2012;12:26. PubMed
    3. 54692. Loew D, Albrecht M, and Podzuweit H. Efficacy and tolerability of a Hawthorn preparation in patients with heart failure Stage I and II according to NYHA - a surveillance study. Phytomedicine 1996;3(Suppl 1):92.
    4. 19247. Daniele C, Mazzanti G, Pittler MH, et al. Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review. Drug Saf 2006;29:523-35. PubMed
    5. 19222. Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:990-99. PubMed
    6. 8281. Tauchert M. Efficacy and safety of crataegus extract WS 1442 in comparison with placebo in patients with chronic stable New York Heart Association class-III heart failure. Am Heart J 2002;143:910-5. PubMed

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Kidney problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    “Orally, hawthorn seems to be well tolerated when used appropriately. Topically, no adverse effects have been reported, although a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Multiorgan hypersensitivity reactions resulting in acute renal failure have been reported rarely.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in kidney failure.

    “A case of multiorgan hypersensitivity reaction and acute renal failure following the consumption of C. orientalis has been reported.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in kidney failure.

    1 source cited
    1. 54654. Horoz, M., Gok, E., Genctoy, G., Ozcan, T., Olmaz, R., Akca, M., Kiykim, A., and Gurses, I. Crataegus orientalis associated multiorgan hypersensitivity reaction and acute renal failure. Intern.Med 2008;47(23):2039-2042. PubMed

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Itching / A skin rash Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    “Orally, erythematous rash has been reported in patients with CHF in a literature review of 5,577 patients. Non-specific rashes and itching as well as toxiderma from the fruits of hawthorn have also been reported.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in congestive heart failure (chf).

    4 sources cited
    1. 19247. Daniele C, Mazzanti G, Pittler MH, et al. Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review. Drug Saf 2006;29:523-35. PubMed
    2. 19222. Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:990-99. PubMed
    3. 19243. Maek-a-nantawat W, Phonrat B, Dhitavat J, et al. Safety and efficacy of CKBM-A01, a Chinese herbal medicine, among asymptomatic HIV patients. Southeast Asian J Trop.Med Public Health 2009;40:494-501.
    4. 54670. Rogov VD. [Toxiderma due to the fruits of the hawthorn]. Vestn Dermatol Venerol 1984;7(7):46-47.

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    Recorded for Hawthorn in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Fainting above.

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Hawthorn

    “Orally, rare abdominal discomfort of uncertain relationship to hawthorn has been reported in a large clinical trial, surveillance study, case reports, and a literature review. Digestive intolerance, diarrhea, flatulence, gastroenteritis, increased bowel movements, obstipation, mild and rare nausea, vomiting, nutritional and metabolic problems, and other non-specific gastrointestinal effects, have also been reported.”

    Hawthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in congestive heart failure (chf).

    6 sources cited
    1. 19241. Dalli E, Colomer E, Tormos MC, et al. Crataegus laevigata decreases neutrophil elastase and has hypolipidemic effect: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 6-15-2011;18:769-75. PubMed
    2. 19243. Maek-a-nantawat W, Phonrat B, Dhitavat J, et al. Safety and efficacy of CKBM-A01, a Chinese herbal medicine, among asymptomatic HIV patients. Southeast Asian J Trop.Med Public Health 2009;40:494-501.
    3. 113112. Palmer KG, Lebin JA, Cronin MT, Mazor SS, Burns RA. Crataegus mexicana (Tejocote) Exposure Associated with Cardiotoxicity and a Falsely Elevated Digoxin Level. J Med Toxicol. 2019;15(4):295-298. PubMed
    4. 8281. Tauchert M. Efficacy and safety of crataegus extract WS 1442 in comparison with placebo in patients with chronic stable New York Heart Association class-III heart failure. Am Heart J 2002;143:910-5. PubMed
    5. 10144. Pittler MH, Schmidt K, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Am J Med 2003;114:665-74.. PubMed
    6. 19247. Daniele C, Mazzanti G, Pittler MH, et al. Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review. Drug Saf 2006;29:523-35. PubMed

    Testosterone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Testosterone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Hawthorn but not commonly for Testosterone: heart failure, stomach upset, an allergic reaction and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Testosterone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Hawthorn 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Hawthorn or Testosterone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Hawthorn or Testosterone, 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 Testosterone

This page covers Hawthorn only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Testosterone page lists 170 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 129 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Testosterone page

“The supplement list for testosterone therapy (Androgel, Testim, Nebido, and others) deserves real attention, mainly because five of its 170 entries are rated major and four of those are everyday items: grapefruit, St. John's wort, and alcohol in the form of beer or wine.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Testosterone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,624 real supplement products containing Hawthorn, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Hawthorn. Even though Hawthorn itself has no known interaction with Testosterone, 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 Hawthorn and Testosterone 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 Hawthorn
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Testosterone
Top 1%

#15 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 Hawthorn reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Hawthorn and Testosterone 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 Hawthorn

What is Hawthorn?

Hawthorn
  • Heart failure symptoms
  • High blood pressure
  • Chest pain (angina)
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Digestive upset
  • Anxiety

Hawthorn is a plant traditionally used for heart-related complaints, and some studies suggest it may modestly help symptoms of mild heart failure when added to standard care. However, the evidence is mixed and it should never replace prescribed heart medicines. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using hawthorn, especially if you have a heart condition.

Crataegus monogyna · Rosaceae · Leaves, flowers, and berries (fruit) · Capsules, tablets, standardized extracts, liquid tinctures, teas

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

Hawthorn: dosing

There is no single standard dose of hawthorn that fits everyone. This is especially important if you take heart or blood pressure medicines or have any chronic health condition. Do not assume that more is better.

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

Read the full Hawthorn monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Testosterone

What Is Testosterone Used For?

Brand names: Intrinsa, Testim, Androgel, Andropatch, Testogel, Nebido, Delatestryl, Natesto, Vogelxo

Testosterone replacement therapy is used in adult males whose bodies do not produce enough of their own testosterone. This includes primary hypogonadism — where the testes themselves fail due to causes such as Klinefelter's syndrome, injury, chemotherapy, or surgical removal — and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, where the brain's signaling system (the hypothalamus or pituitary gland) fails to trigger testosterone production.

Testopel (subcutaneous pellets) may also be used to stimulate puberty in carefully selected males with clearly delayed puberty. The safety and efficacy of testosterone for age-related (late-onset) hypogonadism have not been established for most products, including AndroGel, Testim, Jatenzo, Kyzatrex, Natesto, Depo-Testosterone, Testosterone Cypionate, and Xyosted.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Testosterone

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (34,758 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 1,854 reports
Myocardial infarction 1,728 reports
Cerebrovascular accident 1,290 reports
Deep vein thrombosis 1,240 reports
Anxiety 1,199 reports
See full Testosterone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hawthorn

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

14Major
177Moderate
0Minor
2,638No known interaction
Major

14 interactions

Moderate

177 interactions

Showing 60 of 177 moderate interactions — see all 177 on the Hawthorn page.

No interaction 2,638 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Hawthorn References

The 25 references that drive our Hawthorn 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. Tauchert M. Efficacy and safety of crataegus extract WS 1442 in comparison with placebo in patients with chronic stable New York Heart Association class-III heart failure. Am Heart J 2002;143:910-5. PubMed
  2. Pittler MH, Schmidt K, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Am J Med 2003;114:665-74.. PubMed
  3. Chang Q, Zuo Z, Harrison F, Chow MS. Hawthorn. J Clin Pharmacol 2002;42:605-12.
  4. Holubarsch CJ, Colucci WS, Meinertz T, et al. The efficacy and safety of Crataegus extract WS 1442 in patients with heart failure: the SPICE trial. Eur J Heart Fail 2008;10:1255-63. PubMed
  5. Pittler MH, Guo R, and Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure. Cochrane.Database.Syst Rev 2008:CD005312. PubMed
  6. Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:990-99. PubMed
  7. Werner NS, Duschek S, and Schandry R. D-camphor-crataegus berry extract combination increases blood pressure and cognitive functioning in the elderly - a randomized, placebo controlled double blind study. Phytomedicine. 2009;16:1077-82. PubMed
  8. Dalli E, Colomer E, Tormos MC, et al. Crataegus laevigata decreases neutrophil elastase and has hypolipidemic effect: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 6-15-2011;18:769-75. PubMed
  9. Maek-a-nantawat W, Phonrat B, Dhitavat J, et al. Safety and efficacy of CKBM-A01, a Chinese herbal medicine, among asymptomatic HIV patients. Southeast Asian J Trop.Med Public Health 2009;40:494-501.
  10. Asher GN, Viera AJ, Weaver MA, et al. Effect of hawthorn standardized extract on flow mediated dilation in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. BMC.Complement Altern.Med 2012;12:26. PubMed
  11. Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, et al. Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Gen.Pract 2006;56:437-43.
  12. Daniele C, Mazzanti G, Pittler MH, et al. Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review. Drug Saf 2006;29:523-35. PubMed
  13. Tankanow R, Tamer HR, Streetman DS, et al. Interaction study between digoxin and a preparation of hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha). J.Clin.Pharmacol. 2003;43:637-42. DOI
  14. Tauchert, M., Gildor, A., and Lipinski, J. [High-dose Crataegus extract WS 1442 in the treatment of NYHA stage II heart failure]. Herz 1999;24(6):465-474.
  15. Horoz, M., Gok, E., Genctoy, G., Ozcan, T., Olmaz, R., Akca, M., Kiykim, A., and Gurses, I. Crataegus orientalis associated multiorgan hypersensitivity reaction and acute renal failure. Intern.Med 2008;47(23):2039-2042. PubMed

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 Hawthorn and Testosterone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Hawthorn with Testosterone?
We do not list a known interaction between Hawthorn and Testosterone. 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 Hawthorn and Testosterone have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 9 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.
How was the Hawthorn and Testosterone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Testosterone is filed under 5 classifications, and Hawthorn has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Testosterone's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Hawthorn interact with any other medications?
Yes. Hawthorn has 191 documented drug interactions in our database — Testosterone is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Testosterone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Testosterone has documented interactions with 170 supplements in our database — Hawthorn is not one of them. The Testosterone 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 Testosterone and Hawthorn?

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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.