Drug & supplement interaction

Hercules Club + Ranitidine

Ranitidine brand names: Zantac 150 EFFER, Zantac 150 GEL, Zantac 150, Zantac Geldose, Zantac, and others.

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

Hercules Club has a minor interaction with Ranitidine. Theoretically, Hercules club may decrease the clinical effects of H2 blockers.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Hercules Club and Ranitidine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

H2-BLOCKERS

Why this applies to Ranitidine

Ranitidine falls under H2-BLOCKERS — the group Hercules Club interacts with.

Theoretically, Hercules club may decrease the clinical effects of H2 blockers.
Due to reports that Hercules club increases stomach acid, Hercules club might decrease the effectiveness of H2-blockers.
Severity Minor 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 thinking on this one. Ranitidine works by turning down how much acid your stomach makes, which is what eases heartburn and helps ulcers heal. The concern with Hercules Club is the opposite direction. Some old reports suggest it may actually nudge stomach acid up, so in theory it could push against what your ranitidine is trying to do and leave you with a bit more burning or sour stomach than expected.

I want to be honest though: this is very weak, anecdotal evidence, not solid science, and it's rated a minor interaction. For most folks it likely won't be a big deal. If you do notice your heartburn creeping back while using both, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Hercules Club Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hercules Club has 35 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ranitidine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 35 No known interaction 2,795 (incl. Ranitidine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hercules Club

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Hercules Club or Ranitidine

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

This page covers Hercules Club only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ranitidine page lists 74 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Banderol (moderate) and Beer (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 43 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ranitidine page

“Ranitidine (Zantac) is a heartburn and ulcer medicine gentle enough to have sold over the counter, but two of the 74 supplements and herbs on file with it earn real caution and are worth understanding first. Activated charcoal can soak up ranitidine in the gut and blunt the dose, and St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ranitidine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Hercules Club and Ranitidine 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 Hercules Club
Steady interest

#1,416 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ranitidine
Top 10%

#160 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 Hercules Club

What is Hercules Club?

Hercules Club
  • Toothache and mouth pain
  • Indigestion and sluggish digestion
  • Rheumatism and joint pain
  • Circulation (as a stimulant or tonic)
  • Sore throat

Hercules Club (southern prickly ash) is a traditional folk remedy used mainly for toothache, digestion, and joint pain, often by chewing the bark, which causes a tingling, numbing feeling in the mouth. Modern scientific evidence supporting these uses is very limited, and safety has not been well studied, so it is best to talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Hercules Club monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ranitidine

What Is Ranitidine Used For?

Brand names: Zantac 150 EFFER, Zantac 150 GEL, Zantac 150, Zantac Geldose, Zantac, Ranit, Zantac Efferdose, Zantac 300, Zantac 300 GEL, Ranitidine injection

Ranitidine is used to treat several acid-related stomach and esophageal conditions. These include active duodenal ulcers (ulcers in the small intestine) and benign gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers), GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux), erosive esophagitis (irritation and damage to the esophagus from acid), and pathological hypersecretory conditions — rare disorders where the stomach produces too much acid, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and systemic mastocytosis. It is also used as maintenance therapy to keep ulcers and esophagitis from coming back after healing.

Over-the-counter products Acid Reducer and Wal-Zan tablets are specifically labeled to relieve heartburn associated with acid indigestion and sour stomach, and to prevent heartburn brought on by certain foods or beverages.

See full Ranitidine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hercules Club

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

0Major
0Moderate
35Minor
2,794No known interaction
35 Minor 2,794 No interaction
Minor

35 interactions

No interaction 2,794 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,794 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hercules Club list.

See the full Hercules Club interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ranitidine, 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
Hercules Club monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ranitidine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ranitidine, ranked by severity Ranitidine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Hercules Club and Ranitidine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hercules Club with Ranitidine?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Hercules Club and Ranitidine interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Ranitidine and Hercules Club?

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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.