Drug & supplement interaction

Hops + Levobupivacaine

Levobupivacaine brand name: Chirocaine.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Levobupivacaine falls into 2 drug categories that Hops can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Hops extract does not seem to affect the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.

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

Hops and Levobupivacaine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Hops interacts with whole categories of medication. Levobupivacaine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Hops 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 Levobupivacaine

Levobupivacaine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Hops interacts with.

Hops extract does not seem to affect the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that flavonoid constituents of hops inhibit CYP1A2 enzyme activity. However, a pharmacokinetic study in healthy postmenopausal patients shows that taking a standardized extract of spent hops containing prenylated phenols, as 59.5 mg twice daily for 2 weeks, does not affect levels of caffeine, a CYP1A2 probe substrate.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the good news on combining hops with levobupivacaine (Chirocaine). Levobupivacaine is a local anesthetic your body partly clears through a liver enzyme called CYP1A2, and lab studies hinted that flavonoids in hops might slow that enzyme down. In theory, slowing it could let more of the drug linger and raise the odds of effects like numbness, tingling around the mouth, dizziness, or a slow or irregular heartbeat.

But this is really just test-tube data. When researchers actually gave people standardized hops, it didn't change how they cleared a CYP1A2 marker drug. So a meaningful interaction looks unlikely. Since levobupivacaine is usually given by a clinician during a procedure, just mention any supplements you take to your doctor or pharmacist beforehand.

References
  1. Henderson MC, Miranda CL, Stevens JF, et al. In vitro inhibition of human P450 enzymes by prenylated flavonoids from hops, Humulus lupulus. Xenobiotica 2000;30:235-51.. PubMed
  2. van Breemen RB, Chen L, Tonsing-Carter A, et al. Pharmacokinetic Interactions of a Hop Dietary Supplement with Drug Metabolism in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68(18):5212-5220. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Levobupivacaine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, hops extract might alter metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates; however, this effect may not be clinically significant.
Animal research suggests that specific constituents of hops, called lupulones, can induce hepatic CYP3A4 enzyme activity. However, a pharmacokinetic study in healthy postmenopausal patients with normal metabolism shows that taking a standardized extract of spent hops containing prenylated phenols, as 59.5 mg twice daily for 2 weeks, decreases the concentration of alprazolam, a CYP3A4 probe substrate, by 7.6%. This reduction is unlikely to be clinically relevant.
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 honest picture: Levobupivacaine (Chirocaine) is a local anesthetic, the kind your provider injects to numb an area or block nerve pain. Your liver clears it partly through an enzyme called CYP3A4, and some lab and animal data hint that hops compounds might nudge that enzyme to work a little faster. In theory, that could clear the drug slightly quicker and shave a bit off how long the numbing lasts.

In real life, this is very unlikely to matter. The human study we have on hops showed only a tiny effect, around 8 percent, which isn't enough to change how a numbing injection works. Also, levobupivacaine is usually a one-time dose given by a professional. Still, it's always smart to mention any supplements you take to your doctor or pharmacist before a procedure.

References
  1. Mannering, G. J., Shoeman, J. A., and Deloria, L. B. Identification of the antibiotic hops component, colupulone, as an inducer of hepatic cytochrome P-4503A in the mouse. Drug Metab Dispos 1992;20(2):142-147. DOI
  2. van Breemen RB, Chen L, Tonsing-Carter A, et al. Pharmacokinetic Interactions of a Hop Dietary Supplement with Drug Metabolism in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68(18):5212-5220. PubMed

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

Hops Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hops has 289 moderate, 573 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levobupivacaine 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 Hops

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levobupivacaine

This page covers Hops only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levobupivacaine page lists 172 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Fever Bark (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 124 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levobupivacaine page

“Levobupivacaine (Chirocaine) is a local anesthetic, injected for surgery, nerve blocks, and epidurals, and the 172 supplement interactions on file deserve genuine attention ahead of a procedure. Most of the list involves ingredients that change how the liver clears the drug, either raising its blood level toward toxicity or lowering it…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levobupivacaine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,325 real supplement products containing Hops, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Hops. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levobupivacaine too, on top of Hops — 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 Hops and Levobupivacaine 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 Hops
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levobupivacaine
Steady interest

#2,595 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 Hops

What is Hops?

Hops
  • Sleep problems and insomnia
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Mild digestive complaints
  • Flavoring in beer and food

Hops are most often used for sleep and mild anxiety, frequently combined with valerian, but the human evidence is limited and not very strong. They are generally well tolerated when used short-term, though they may cause drowsiness, and should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding because their safety is unknown.

Read the full Hops monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hops

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

0Major
289Moderate
573Minor
1,967No known interaction
Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Hops page.

Minor

573 interactions

Showing 60 of 573 minor interactions — see all 573 on the Hops page.

No interaction 1,967 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 Hops and Levobupivacaine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hops with Levobupivacaine?
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 Hops and Levobupivacaine?
Levobupivacaine belongs to more than one drug category, and Hops 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 Hops and Levobupivacaine 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.