Drug & supplement interaction

Higenamine + Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine

Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine brand name: Duphrene.

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

Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine falls into 2 drug categories that Higenamine can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, higenamine might increase the levels and clinical effects drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Higenamine and Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine

Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Higenamine interacts with.

Theoretically, higenamine might increase the levels and clinical effects drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that higenamine inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes by 21%. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.
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 gist with Duphrene, which is a combo of two antihistamines (chlorpheniramine and pyrilamine) plus the decongestant phenylephrine. In a test-tube study, higenamine blocked the CYP3A4 enzyme by about 21 percent. That enzyme helps clear part of this medicine, so in theory slowing it could let levels creep up. If that happened, you might feel more of the usual effects, things like drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, or a faster, more pounding heartbeat.

My honest take: this is only lab data and has never been seen in real people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The bigger concern is that higenamine itself is a stimulant that can raise heart rate and blood pressure, and the phenylephrine here can too. Please run this pairing by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Liu Y, Santillo MF. Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 3A4 enzyme inhibition by amine stimulants in dietary supplements. Drug Test Anal. 2016;8(3-4):307-10. PubMed
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 2

Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine also falls under STIMULANT DRUGS.

Theoretically, higenamine might increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity when taken with stimulant drugs.
Higenamine has stimulant effects due to agonist activity at beta2-adrenoreceptors. In cardiac muscle, higenamine appears to have a positive inotropic effect and increase heart rate. However, it does not appear to increase blood pressure.
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

The piece of this combo product I'm watching is the phenylephrine. It's a decongestant that works by tightening up blood vessels, which can nudge your blood pressure up and sometimes speed your heart along. Higenamine is its own stimulant, acting on the adrenaline-type receptors in your heart. Stack the two together and, at least on paper, you could feel more of that revved-up effect: a racing or pounding heartbeat, jitteriness, or a headache.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern based on how these ingredients behave, not on strong human studies, so for most healthy folks it may not amount to much. But if you have high blood pressure, heart trouble, or feel any palpitations, skip the higenamine and check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Wagner H, Reiter M, Ferstl W. New drugs with cardiotonic activity. Part 1. Chemistry and pharmacology of the cardiotonic active principle of Annona squamosa L. Planta Med 1980;40:77-85.
  2. Park CW, Chang KC, Lim JK. Effects of higenamine on isolated heart adrenoceptor of rabbit. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 1984;267:279-88.
  3. Liu WH, Zhou YP, Zeng GY. Effects of dl-demethylcoclaurine on experimental heart failure. Acta Pharm Sinica 1988;23:81-5.
  4. Zhang Z, Liu X, Tao Z, et al. Effects of higeramine on hemodynamics and its tolerability and safety, an experimental study. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2002;82:352-5.

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

Higenamine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Higenamine has 890 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 890 No known interaction 1,940 (incl. Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Higenamine

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine

This page covers Higenamine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine page lists 229 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Grapefruit (major), Henbane (major) and Lithium (major).

By severity: 10 major · 175 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine page

“Grapefruit is where I would start with Duphrene (chlorpheniramine, pyrilamine, phenylephrine). It slows the enzyme that clears this cold and allergy medicine, so levels can climb higher than intended, and it holds one of the ten major ratings among the 229 ingredients on file.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 154 real supplement products containing Higenamine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Higenamine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine too, on top of Higenamine — 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 Higenamine and Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine 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 Higenamine
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine
Steady interest

#2,761 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 Higenamine

What is Higenamine?

  • Weight loss and fat burning
  • Pre-workout energy and performance
  • Appetite suppression
  • Athletic stimulant
  • Traditional medicine remedies

Higenamine is a plant-based stimulant compound added to many weight-loss and pre-workout supplements, but there is very little human evidence that it works and real concerns about heart and blood pressure effects. It is banned in sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and product labels often list inaccurate amounts, so most people should approach it with caution and talk to a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Higenamine monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Higenamine

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

0Major
890Moderate
0Minor
1,939No known interaction
890 Moderate 1,939 No interaction
Moderate

890 interactions

Showing 60 of 890 moderate interactions — see all 890 on the Higenamine page.

No interaction 1,939 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,939 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Higenamine list.

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

Can you take Higenamine with Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine?
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 Higenamine and Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine?
Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine belongs to more than one drug category, and Higenamine 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 Higenamine and Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, Phenylephrine 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

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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.