Drug & supplement interaction

Hollyhock + Phenylephrine

Phenylephrine brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Hollyhock and Phenylephrine 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.

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Interaction report

Hollyhock and Phenylephrine

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 Phenylephrine and Hollyhock 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.

Hollyhock safety at a glance

Hollyhock overall Use caution Generally considered gentle, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data during breastfeeding, so avoid use.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Phenylephrine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications — including alpha-adrenergic agonists, stimulant drugs, serotonergic drugs. Hollyhock has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Phenylephrine’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

Hollyhock Does Interact With Other Medications

Hollyhock has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine 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 Hollyhock

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

What to actually watch for

What Phenylephrine’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Hollyhock. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Phenylephrine’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A slow heartbeat Worth acting on
  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on mentioned in 6.2% of FDA reports for Phenylephrine
  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on
  • Blurred vision
  • Headache mentioned in 7.8% of FDA reports for Phenylephrine
  • Nausea mentioned in 7.6% of FDA reports for Phenylephrine
  • Vomiting

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Phenylephrine. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 221,388 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Phenylephrine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Hollyhock’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Hollyhock side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Hollyhock has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Hollyhock or Phenylephrine

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

This page covers Hollyhock only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenylephrine page lists 81 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 60 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenylephrine page

“If you take phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, Biorphen) for congestion, treat this list as one that needs real attention, since six of its 81 entries carry a major rating. Phenylephrine tightens blood vessels to clear your nose, and more than half of the interactions here come from stimulant ingredients, ephedra above all, that can push blood…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenylephrine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Hollyhock and 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 Hollyhock
Steady interest

#1,390 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Phenylephrine
Top half

#749 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 Hollyhock reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The Hollyhock and Phenylephrine records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Hollyhock

What is Hollyhock?

  • Sore throat and cough
  • Digestive upset
  • Soothing irritated skin
  • Mild inflammation
  • Urinary discomfort

Hollyhock is a flowering plant in the mallow family that has been used in traditional medicine, mainly as a soothing (demulcent) remedy for the throat, gut, and skin. Solid human studies are very limited, so its benefits are not well proven. It is generally considered gentle, but you should still talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Alcea rosea · Malvaceae · Flowers, leaves, and roots · Tea, dried flowers, extracts, topical preparations

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

Hollyhock: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for hollyhock. Traditional use most often involves a tea made from the dried flowers or leaves.Because products vary in strength and form, the safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Hollyhock monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenylephrine

What Is Phenylephrine Used For?

Brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen

Phenylephrine is used in several different products, and each one has its own use.

Injection (IV): raises blood pressure in adults with clinically important hypotension (low blood pressure) caused mainly by widened blood vessels. Some injections are labeled for anesthesia only. Others are labeled for anesthesia and septic shock.

Eye drops: Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is used to dilate the pupil.

Nasal products: temporarily relieve nasal and sinus congestion from the common cold, hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies.

Rectal suppositories: relieve itching, burning and discomfort from hemorrhoids and temporarily shrink hemorrhoidal tissue.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Phenylephrine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (221,388 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 20,609 reports
Headache 17,301 reports
Nausea 16,925 reports
Diarrhea 14,221 reports
Dyspnea 13,719 reports
See full Phenylephrine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hollyhock

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Hollyhock page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Hollyhock References

The 1 references that drive our Hollyhock 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. Zhang Y, Jin L, Chen Q, et al. Hypoglycemic activity evaluation and chemical study on hollyhock flowers. Fitoterapia 2015;102:7-14. 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 Hollyhock and Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Hollyhock with Phenylephrine?
We do not list a known interaction between Hollyhock and Phenylephrine. 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.
How was the Hollyhock and Phenylephrine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Phenylephrine is filed under 5 classifications, and Hollyhock has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Phenylephrine'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 Hollyhock interact with any other medications?
Yes. Hollyhock has 86 documented drug interactions in our database — Phenylephrine 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 Phenylephrine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Phenylephrine has documented interactions with 81 supplements in our database — Hollyhock is not one of them. The Phenylephrine 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 Phenylephrine and Hollyhock?

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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.