Drug & supplement interaction

Huperzine A + Edrophonium, Atropine

Edrophonium, Atropine brand name: Enlon-Plus.

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

Edrophonium, Atropine falls into 2 drug categories that Huperzine A can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, huperzine A might decrease the effects of anticholinergic drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Huperzine A and Edrophonium, Atropine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Edrophonium, Atropine

Edrophonium, Atropine falls under ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS — the group Huperzine A interacts with.

Theoretically, huperzine A might decrease the effects of anticholinergic drugs.
Huperzine A has acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibiting effects. In animal models, huperzine A reversed cognitive deficits induced by scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug.
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. Huperzine A works by raising levels of acetylcholine in the body. The atropine part of this combo does the opposite, it blocks acetylcholine to do its job (drying secretions, speeding up the heart, calming the gut). So in theory, huperzine A could push against atropine and weaken some of its effects. Edrophonium itself already boosts acetylcholine, so huperzine A pulls in the same direction there.

I want to be honest about the evidence though: this concern comes only from animal and lab studies, not real patients, and Enlon-Plus is typically given in a hospital or clinic under close supervision. That makes a meaningful clash unlikely in everyday life. Still, mention any huperzine A use to the team caring for you so they have the full picture.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ye JW, Cai JX, Wang LM, Tang XC. Improving effects of huperzine A on spatial working memory in aged monkeys and young adult monkeys with experimental cognitive impairment. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1999;288:814-9.. DOI
  2. Wang T, Tang XC. Reversal of scopolamine-induced deficits in radial maze performance by (-)-huperzine A: comparison with E2020 and tacrine. Eur J Pharmacol 1998;349:137-42. PubMed
  3. Cheng, D. H., Ren, H., and Tang, X. C. Huperzine A, a novel promising acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Neuroreport 12-20-1996;8(1):97-101. PubMed
Moderate

CHOLINERGIC DRUGS

2 of 2

Edrophonium, Atropine also falls under CHOLINERGIC DRUGS.

Theoretically, concurrent use of huperzine A with cholinergic drugs might increase the effects and side effects of these medications.
Huperzine A can inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and might cause cumulative effects if used with cholinergic drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 thing about Enlon-Plus: it combines edrophonium, which boosts the brain chemical acetylcholine by blocking the same enzyme that Huperzine A blocks, with a little atropine to balance things out. Since Huperzine A works the very same way as edrophonium (both slow down acetylcholinesterase), stacking them could pile on too much of that cholinergic effect.

What might that look like? Things like watery eyes, drooling, sweating, an upset stomach or cramping, and a slow heartbeat. To be fair, this drug is given in a controlled medical setting, usually for short diagnostic or surgical use, so the overlap is mostly theoretical. Still, it's worth telling the team you take Huperzine A so they can account for it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Skolnick AA. Old Chinese herbal medicine used for fever yields possible new Alzheimer Disease therapy. JAMA 1997;277:776. DOI

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

Huperzine A Also Interacts With Other Medications

Huperzine A has 218 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Edrophonium, Atropine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 218 No known interaction 2,612 (incl. Edrophonium, Atropine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Huperzine A

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Edrophonium, Atropine

This page covers Huperzine A only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Edrophonium, Atropine page lists 34 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Henbane (major), Scopolia (major), Angel's Trumpet (moderate), Arenaria Rubra (moderate) and Bacopa (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 29 moderate · 3 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Edrophonium, Atropine page

“Enlon-Plus combines edrophonium, which raises levels of the nerve messenger acetylcholine, with atropine, which tempers its side effects, and the supplements listed below can tip that balance in either direction. I read this list with real caution.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Edrophonium, Atropine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 86 real supplement products containing Huperzine A, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Huperzine A. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Edrophonium, Atropine too, on top of Huperzine A — 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 Huperzine A and Edrophonium, Atropine 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 Huperzine A
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Edrophonium, Atropine
Top half

#1,021 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 Huperzine A

What is Huperzine A?

Huperzine A
  • Memory and cognitive support
  • Alzheimer's disease and dementia
  • Age-related memory decline
  • Focus and mental performance
  • Myasthenia gravis (traditional/older use)

Huperzine A is a purified compound from a Chinese clubmoss that acts like a mild cholinesterase inhibitor, similar in mechanism to some prescription Alzheimer's drugs. Some small studies suggest it may modestly help memory in people with dementia, but the evidence is limited and the quality is uncertain. Because it is biologically active and not well standardized, talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Huperzine A monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Huperzine A

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

0Major
218Moderate
0Minor
2,611No known interaction
218 Moderate 2,611 No interaction
Moderate

218 interactions

Showing 60 of 218 moderate interactions — see all 218 on the Huperzine A page.

No interaction 2,611 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,611 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Huperzine A list.

See the full Huperzine A interactions page
See every supplement checked against Edrophonium, Atropine, 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
Huperzine A monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Edrophonium, Atropine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Edrophonium, Atropine, 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 Huperzine A and Edrophonium, Atropine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Huperzine A with Edrophonium, Atropine?
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 Huperzine A and Edrophonium, Atropine?
Edrophonium, Atropine belongs to more than one drug category, and Huperzine A 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 Huperzine A and Edrophonium, Atropine 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 Edrophonium, Atropine and Huperzine A?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.