Drug & supplement interaction

Hibiscus Sabdariffa + Naproxen, Sumatriptan

Naproxen, Sumatriptan brand name: Treximet.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Naproxen, Sumatriptan falls into 2 drug categories that Hibiscus Sabdariffa can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Naproxen, Sumatriptan

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Naproxen, Sumatriptan

Naproxen, Sumatriptan falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Hibiscus Sabdariffa interacts with.

Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract inhibits CYP1A2. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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

Treximet combines naproxen (an anti-inflammatory pain reliever) with sumatriptan (a migraine medicine). The concern here is very mild and mostly theoretical. In a lab dish, hibiscus appears to slow down an enzyme called CYP1A2, which plays a small role in clearing these drugs. If that happened in your body, a little more medicine could linger, which in theory might nudge up side effects like stomach upset, drowsiness, dizziness, or that flushed, tingly feeling sumatriptan sometimes causes.

The important part: this has never actually been seen in people, and a cup of tart hibiscus tea is unlikely to matter. Concentrated hibiscus supplements are a bigger question mark. If you use those regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Johnson SS, Oyelola FT, Ari T, Juho H. In vitro inhibitory activities of the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (family Malvaceae) on selected cytochrome P450 isoforms. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013 Apr 12;10(3):533-40.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Naproxen, Sumatriptan also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract inhibits CYP2C9. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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

Treximet combines two active medicines: naproxen (an anti-inflammatory pain reliever) and sumatriptan (a migraine medicine). The naproxen part is partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. In a test-tube study, hibiscus extract slowed that enzyme down a bit. In theory, that could let naproxen linger a little longer in your body, nudging up the chance of typical naproxen side effects like stomach upset, heartburn, or, with heavy long-term use, stomach irritation. Neither drug here is a prodrug, so this doesn't make the medicine stronger in a helpful way.

The good news: this is only theoretical and has never been reported in real people. Everyday cups of hibiscus tea are very unlikely to matter. If you regularly use concentrated hibiscus supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Johnson SS, Oyelola FT, Ari T, Juho H. In vitro inhibitory activities of the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (family Malvaceae) on selected cytochrome P450 isoforms. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013 Apr 12;10(3):533-40.

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

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hibiscus Sabdariffa has 2 major, 266 moderate, 818 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Naproxen, Sumatriptan 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Naproxen, Sumatriptan

This page covers Hibiscus Sabdariffa only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naproxen, Sumatriptan page lists 332 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Asarabacca (major) and Beer (major).

By severity: 14 major · 273 moderate · 45 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Naproxen, Sumatriptan page

“Treximet combines naproxen, an anti-inflammatory painkiller, with sumatriptan for migraine, and that pairing gives its interaction list real teeth. Of the 332 supplements and herbs on file, 14 carry a major rating, and those are the entries to understand first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Naproxen, Sumatriptan interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Naproxen, Sumatriptan 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Naproxen, Sumatriptan
Steady interest

#2,256 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa

What is Hibiscus Sabdariffa?

Hibiscus Sabdariffa
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart and cholesterol health
  • Digestive upset
  • Antioxidant support
  • Fever and general wellness

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a tart, cranberry-flavored plant most often consumed as a tea, and its best-studied use is for mildly lowering blood pressure. Evidence for other uses is limited, and while hibiscus tea is generally well tolerated in food amounts, concentrated supplements should be used cautiously and avoided in pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it for a medical condition.

Read the full Hibiscus Sabdariffa monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hibiscus Sabdariffa

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

2Major
266Moderate
818Minor
1,743No known interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

266 interactions

Showing 60 of 266 moderate interactions — see all 266 on the Hibiscus Sabdariffa page.

Minor

818 interactions

Showing 60 of 818 minor interactions — see all 818 on the Hibiscus Sabdariffa page.

No interaction 1,743 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Naproxen, Sumatriptan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hibiscus Sabdariffa with Naproxen, Sumatriptan?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Naproxen, Sumatriptan?
Naproxen, Sumatriptan belongs to more than one drug category, and Hibiscus Sabdariffa 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Naproxen, Sumatriptan 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

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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.