Drug & supplement interaction

Jackfruit + Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Jackfruit has a moderate interaction with Phenobarbital. Theoretically, jackfruit seeds might cause additive sedation when taken with CNS depressants.

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

Jackfruit and Phenobarbital

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Jackfruit interacts with.

Theoretically, jackfruit seeds might cause additive sedation when taken with CNS depressants.
Animal research shows that jackfruit seeds can cause sedation.
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: phenobarbital already works by calming down your brain, which is why it controls seizures and eases anxiety but can also leave you drowsy, foggy, or unsteady. The concern with jackfruit is simply additive sleepiness. Animal studies hint that jackfruit seeds may have a mild sedating effect, so in theory stacking them on top of phenobarbital could make you feel extra groggy or slowed down.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is theoretical and comes only from lab and animal research, not from people. Eating jackfruit as a normal food is very unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated seed supplements are the bigger question mark. If you plan to use one, run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Ratnasooriya WD, Jayakody JR. Artocarpus heterophyllus seeds inhibits sexual competence but not fertility of male rats. Indian J Exp Biol 2002;40(3):304-308.

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

Jackfruit Also Interacts With Other Medications

Jackfruit has 436 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Phenobarbital one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Jackfruit

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Jackfruit or Phenobarbital

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

This page covers Jackfruit only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenobarbital page lists 174 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Henbane (major).

By severity: 10 major · 143 moderate · 21 minor.

Open the Phenobarbital interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Jackfruit and Phenobarbital 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 Jackfruit
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenobarbital
Top half

#1,150 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 Jackfruit

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit
  • General nutrition
  • Blood sugar support
  • Digestive health (fiber)
  • Antioxidant support
  • Wound care (traditional, latex/leaves)

Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit that is nutritious and safe to eat as a food, offering fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. While its leaves, seeds, and other parts are used in traditional medicine for things like blood sugar and digestion, strong human evidence for these supplement uses is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated jackfruit products for a health condition.

Read the full Jackfruit monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenobarbital

What Is Phenobarbital Used For?

Brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal

Phenobarbital tablets and oral solutions are used to treat generalized and partial seizures and as a sedative. Phenobarbital Sodium injection is used as a long-term anticonvulsant for generalized tonic-clonic and focal seizures, for emergency control of acute convulsive episodes (including status epilepticus), for sedation, short-term treatment of insomnia, and as a preanesthetic. It is also used in pediatric patients as an anticonvulsant and sedative, including before and after surgery.

Sezaby (phenobarbital injection, intravenous) is specifically indicated for the treatment of neonatal seizures in term and preterm infants. It is not approved for use in adolescents or adults.

See full Phenobarbital drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Jackfruit

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

0Major
436Moderate
0Minor
2,393No known interaction
Moderate

436 interactions

Showing 60 of 436 moderate interactions — see all 436 on the Jackfruit page.

No interaction 2,393 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 Jackfruit and Phenobarbital Together: Common Questions

Can you take Jackfruit with Phenobarbital?
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.
How serious is the Jackfruit and Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital and Jackfruit?

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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.