Drug & supplement interaction

Hoodia + Penbutolol Sulfate

Penbutolol Sulfate brand name: Levatol.

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

Penbutolol Sulfate falls into 2 drug categories that Hoodia can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Clinical research shows that hoodia can increase blood pressure.

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

Hoodia and Penbutolol Sulfate

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Penbutolol Sulfate

Penbutolol Sulfate falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Hoodia interacts with.

Clinical research shows that hoodia can increase blood pressure. Theoretically, concomitant use of hoodia with antihypertensive drugs might decrease the effectiveness of the antihypertensive drugs and increase the risk of hypertension. Some antihypertensive drugs include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), Amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.
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 simple version: penbutolol (Levatol) is a beta blocker you take to bring your blood pressure down and ease the workload on your heart. Hoodia, on the other hand, has been shown in some research to actually raise blood pressure. So putting the two together could work against each other, possibly leaving your numbers higher than you and your doctor are aiming for.

I'll be honest with you, this concern is mostly theoretical, based on how hoodia behaves rather than studies of these two used together. Still, if your readings creep up or you notice headaches or feeling off, that's worth mentioning. Please don't stop your penbutolol. Just check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding hoodia.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blom WAM, Abrahamse SL, Bradford R, et al. Effects of 15-d repeated consumption of Hoodia gordonii purified extract on safety, ad libitum energy intake, and body weight in healthy, overweight women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94(5) PubMed
Moderate

BETA-BLOCKERS

2 of 2

Penbutolol Sulfate also falls under BETA-BLOCKERS.

Evidence from in vitro research shows that hoodia may stimulate beta-adrenergic receptors. Also, clinical research shows that hoodia can increase blood pressure and heart rate. Theoretically, using hoodia with beta-blockers might decrease the effects of these medications. Some beta-blocker drugs include atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal).
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 penbutolol (Levatol): it works by calming down beta-receptors to slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. Hoodia, on the other hand, may do the opposite in lab studies, gently stimulating those same beta-receptors. In some human research it has nudged blood pressure and heart rate up. So in theory, taking hoodia could push against penbutolol and make it work a little less well, meaning your numbers might not stay as well controlled.

I want to be honest though, this concern is mostly theoretical and based on pharmacology, not strong human trials. Still, since penbutolol is treating your blood pressure, I'd loop in your doctor or pharmacist before adding hoodia, and keep an eye on your readings if you do.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blom WAM, Abrahamse SL, Bradford R, et al. Effects of 15-d repeated consumption of Hoodia gordonii purified extract on safety, ad libitum energy intake, and body weight in healthy, overweight women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94(5) PubMed
  2. Roza O, Lovász N, Zupkó I, Hohmann J, Csupor D. Sympathomimetic activity of a Hoodia gordonii product: a possible mechanism of cardiovascular side effects. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:171059.

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

Hoodia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hoodia has 261 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Penbutolol Sulfate one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 261 No known interaction 2,569 (incl. Penbutolol Sulfate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hoodia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Penbutolol Sulfate

This page covers Hoodia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Penbutolol Sulfate page lists 139 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 113 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Penbutolol Sulfate page

“Penbutolol sulfate (Levatol) is a beta-blocker that lowers blood pressure and slows the heart, and its supplement file earns real vigilance, since five of the 139 ingredients on record carry a major rating. The great majority, 119 ingredients, tug on blood pressure one way or the other, some stacking with the drug until it falls too fa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Penbutolol Sulfate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 283 real supplement products containing Hoodia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Hoodia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Penbutolol Sulfate too, on top of Hoodia — 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 Hoodia and Penbutolol Sulfate 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 Hoodia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Penbutolol Sulfate
Steady interest

#2,371 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 Hoodia

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia
  • Appetite suppression
  • Weight loss
  • Reducing food cravings
  • Traditional use for hunger and thirst on long journeys

Hoodia is a succulent plant from southern Africa that is marketed as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, but solid human evidence that it actually works is lacking. The few quality studies done have not shown meaningful weight loss, and some products on the market may not even contain real hoodia. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Read the full Hoodia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Penbutolol

What Is Penbutolol Used For?

Brand name: Levatol

  • Penbutolol is used to treat high blood pressure. Penbutolol is in a class of medications called beta blockers. It works by relaxing blood vessels and slowing heart rate to improve blood flow and decrease blood pressure.

See full Penbutolol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hoodia

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

0Major
261Moderate
0Minor
2,568No known interaction
261 Moderate 2,568 No interaction
Moderate

261 interactions

Showing 60 of 261 moderate interactions — see all 261 on the Hoodia page.

No interaction 2,568 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,568 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hoodia list.

See the full Hoodia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Penbutolol Sulfate, 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
Hoodia monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Penbutolol Sulfate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Penbutolol Sulfate, ranked by severity Penbutolol 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 Hoodia and Penbutolol Sulfate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hoodia with Penbutolol Sulfate?
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 Hoodia and Penbutolol Sulfate?
Penbutolol Sulfate belongs to more than one drug category, and Hoodia 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 Hoodia and Penbutolol Sulfate 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

Still Have a Question About Penbutolol Sulfate and Hoodia?

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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.