Drug & supplement interaction

Horsetail + Risedronate

Risedronate brand name: Actonel DR.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Horsetail and Risedronate 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Horsetail and Risedronate

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 Risedronate and Horsetail 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.

Horsetail safety at a glance

Horsetail overall Use caution May be used short-term by healthy adults, but long-term use and unverified products carry real risks.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Risedronate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Risedronate is filed under 2 classifications — bisphosphonates, oral drugs. Horsetail has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), diuretic drugs (moderate) and efavirenz (sustiva) (moderate) — and none of Risedronate’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

Horsetail Does Interact With Other Medications

Horsetail has 188 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Risedronate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 188 No known interaction 2,642 (incl. Risedronate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Horsetail

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Horsetail and Risedronate May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    Horsetail

    “Orally, horsetail has been associated with mild gastrointestinal side effects including abdominal distension, increased frequency of bowel movements, and nausea. Orally, chronic consumption of horsetail infusion has been associated with acute pancreatitis.”

    Horsetail · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dyslipidemia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 55576. Tiktinskii, O. L. and Bablumian, I. A. [Therapeutic action of Java tea and field horsetail in uric acid diathesis]. Urol.Nefrol.(Mosk) 1983;3(1):47-50.
    2. 97574. García Gavilán MD, Moreno García AM, Rosales Zabal JM, Navarro Jarabo JM, Sánchez Cantos A. Case of drug-induced acute pancreatitis produced by horsetail infusions. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2017 Apr;109(4):301-304. PubMed

    Risedronate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Risedronate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Horsetail

    “In one case report, a patient with asymptomatic hepatitis B developed symptomatic liver failure following consumption of boiled horsetail juice 500 mL daily for 2 weeks. Liver enzymes returned to normal following discontinuation of the juice. It is not known if the horsetail juice was contaminated or mixed with other ingredients.”

    Horsetail · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 92291. Klnçalp S, Ekiz F, Basar Ö, Coban S, Yüksel O. Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail)-induced liver injury. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Feb;24(2):213-4. PubMed

    Risedronate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Risedronate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Horsetail

    “There is limited clinical research evaluating the safety of horsetail.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Abdominal distension, increased bowel movements, and nausea.”

    Horsetail · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    Risedronate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Risedronate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Horsetail

    “In one case report, a patient developed seborrheic dermatitis after topical application of horsetail, requiring treatment with local epinephrine and oral antihistamines. The nicotine component of horsetail was determined to be the likely cause of this reaction.”

    Horsetail · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 13563. Sudan BJ. Seborrhoeic dermatitis induced by nicotine of horsetails (Equisetum arvense L.). Contact Dermatitis 1985;13:201-2.

    Risedronate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Risedronate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea Additional detail

    Horsetail

    Recorded for Horsetail in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Diarrhea above.

    Risedronate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Risedronate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Horsetail but not commonly for Risedronate: bloating or gas, pancreatitis and low sodium.

Effects for Risedronate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Horsetail come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Overlapping uses

What Risedronate Is Prescribed For, and What Horsetail Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Risedronate is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Horsetail is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Risedronate is prescribed for: Risedronate sodium tablets are used to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, treat osteoporosis in men to increase bone mass, and treat and prevent osteoporosis caused by long-term steroid (glucocorticoid) use in both men and women. They are also used to treat Paget's disease of bone — a condition where bones break down and rebuild abnormally, becoming enlarged and weakened. Risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets (brands Atelvia and Risedronate Sodium delayed-release) are approved specifically for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis only — not for the other uses listed above.

Horsetail has been studied for:

  • Osteoporosis studied, not established Horsetail has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Horsetail for osteoporosis

    It is unclear if oral horsetail is beneficial for osteoporosis.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Risedronate on your own; if you are taking Horsetail for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Horsetail or Risedronate

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

This page covers Horsetail only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Risedronate page lists 23 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Calcium (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), Dolomite (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 13 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Risedronate page

“Risedronate (Actonel DR) is an osteoporosis medicine with an Achilles heel, poor absorption. Only a small fraction of each dose ever reaches the bone, and the 23 supplements on this page deserve genuine wariness because nearly all of them attack that weak point by binding or blunting the drug in the gut.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Risedronate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,089 real supplement products containing Horsetail, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Horsetail. Even though Horsetail itself has no known interaction with Risedronate, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Horsetail and Risedronate 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 Horsetail
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Risedronate
Steady interest

#1,568 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 Horsetail reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Horsetail and Risedronate records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Horsetail

What is Horsetail?

Horsetail
  • Fluid retention (mild diuretic)
  • Urinary and bladder concerns
  • Hair, skin, and nail support
  • Wound healing
  • Bone health

Horsetail is a traditional herb most often used as a mild diuretic and for hair, nail, and bone support, but high-quality human evidence is limited. It can cause thiamine (vitamin B1) loss with long-term use, and some related species are toxic, so choose products carefully and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Equisetum arvense · Equisetaceae · Aerial parts (stems) · Tea, capsules, tablets, liquid extract, tincture, dried herb

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

Horsetail: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for horsetail. The right amount can vary by product, form (tea, capsule, or extract), and how it is prepared.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.

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

Read the full Horsetail monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Risedronate

What Is Risedronate Used For?

Brand name: Actonel DR

Risedronate sodium tablets are used to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, treat osteoporosis in men to increase bone mass, and treat and prevent osteoporosis caused by long-term steroid (glucocorticoid) use in both men and women. They are also used to treat Paget's disease of bone — a condition where bones break down and rebuild abnormally, becoming enlarged and weakened.

Risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets (brands Atelvia and Risedronate Sodium delayed-release) are approved specifically for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis only — not for the other uses listed above.

See full Risedronate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Horsetail

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

0Major
188Moderate
0Minor
2,641No known interaction
188 Moderate 2,641 No interaction
Moderate

188 interactions

Showing 60 of 188 moderate interactions — see all 188 on the Horsetail page.

No interaction 2,641 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,641 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Horsetail list.

See the full Horsetail interactions page
See every supplement checked against Risedronate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Horsetail References

The 14 references that drive our Horsetail 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. Sudan BJ. Seborrhoeic dermatitis induced by nicotine of horsetails (Equisetum arvense L.). Contact Dermatitis 1985;13:201-2.
  2. Perez Gutierrez RM, Laguna GY, Walkowski A. Diuretic activity of Mexican equisetum. J Ethnopharmacol 1985;14:269-72. PubMed
  3. Lemus I, Garcia R, Erazo S, et al. Diuretic activity of an Equisetum bogotense tea (Platero herb): evaluation in healthy volunteers. J Ethnopharmacol 1996;54:55-8. PubMed
  4. Revilla MC, Andrade-Cetto A, Islas S, Wiedenfeld H. Hypoglycemic effect of Equisetum myriochaetum aerial parts on type 2 diabetic patients. J Ethnopharmacol 2002;81:117-20. PubMed
  5. Tiktinskii, O. L. and Bablumian, I. A. [Therapeutic action of Java tea and field horsetail in uric acid diathesis]. Urol.Nefrol.(Mosk) 1983;3(1):47-50.
  6. Henderson JA, Evans EV, and McIntosh RA. The antithiamine action of Equisetum. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 1952;120:375-378.
  7. Carneiro DM, Freire RC, Honório TC, Zoghaib I, Cardoso FF, Tresvenzol LM, de Paula JR, Sousa AL, Jardim PC, da Cunha LC. Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial to Assess the Acute Diuretic Effect of Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail) in Healthy Voluntee
  8. Klnçalp S, Ekiz F, Basar Ö, Coban S, Yüksel O. Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail)-induced liver injury. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Feb;24(2):213-4. PubMed
  9. Ortega García JA, Angulo MG, Sobrino-Najul EJ, Soldin OP, Mira AP, Martínez-Salcedo E, Claudio L. Prenatal exposure of a girl with autism spectrum disorder to 'horsetail' (Equisetum arvense) herbal remedy and alcohol: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2011 M PubMed
  10. Cordova E, Morganti L, Rodriguez C. Possible Drug-Herb Interaction between Herbal Supplement Containing Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and Antiretroviral Drugs. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2017;16(1):11-13.
  11. García Gavilán MD, Moreno García AM, Rosales Zabal JM, Navarro Jarabo JM, Sánchez Cantos A. Case of drug-induced acute pancreatitis produced by horsetail infusions. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2017 Apr;109(4):301-304. PubMed
  12. Vieira GT, de Oliveira TT, Carneiro MAA, et al. Antidiabetic effect of Equisetum giganteum L. extract on alloxan-diabetic rabbit. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;260:112898. PubMed
  13. Health Canada. Organism-Equisetum arvense. Available at: http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/ingredReq.do?id=6117&lang=eng. Accessed 21-July 2021.
  14. Bates D, Duong TB, Kheyson S, Moore K. Hyponatremia Secondary to Decreased Oral Intake and SIADH and Possibly Exacerbated by Horsetail (Equisetum arvense). Can J Hosp Pharm 2021;74(4):386-389. 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 Horsetail and Risedronate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Horsetail with Risedronate?
We do not list a known interaction between Horsetail and Risedronate. 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.
Do Horsetail and Risedronate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Horsetail and Risedronate used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Horsetail in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Risedronate is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Horsetail and Risedronate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Risedronate is filed under 2 classifications, and Horsetail has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Risedronate'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 Horsetail interact with any other medications?
Yes. Horsetail has 188 documented drug interactions in our database — Risedronate 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 Risedronate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Risedronate has documented interactions with 23 supplements in our database — Horsetail is not one of them. The Risedronate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Horsetail monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Risedronate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Risedronate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Risedronate, 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 References The 14 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Risedronate and Horsetail?

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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.