Drug & supplement interaction

Job's Tears + Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine

Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine brand name: Dimetapp DM.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Job's Tears has a moderate interaction with Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine. Animal research suggests that Job's tears might enhance absorption of dextromethorphan in the small intestine.

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

Job's Tears and Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine

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

Moderate

DEXTROMETHORPHAN (Robitussin DM, others)

Animal research suggests that Job's tears might enhance absorption of dextromethorphan in the small intestine. Single dose oral administration of Job's tears bran ethanolic extract along with oral administration of a five-drug cocktail containing dextromethorphan increases dextromethorphan area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) without altering major cytochrome P450 activities in the liver. This effect has not been reported in humans.
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

Your Dimetapp DM combo includes dextromethorphan, the cough suppressant. There's a little research here suggesting Job's Tears might help your gut absorb more of the dextromethorphan part. In theory, that could mean a bit more of it reaching your bloodstream, which might add to side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, or feeling a little foggy or queasy.

Here's the honest part though: this comes from animal studies only, and it hasn't been shown in people. So I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Eating Job's Tears as a food almost certainly won't matter, and even concentrated supplements are an unknown here. If you take this product regularly or plan to use a Job's Tears supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Yao HT, Lin JH, Liu YT, Li ML, Chiang W. Food-Drug Interaction between the Adlay Bran Oil and Drugs in Rats. Nutrients 2019;11(10):2473. 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

Job's Tears Also Interacts With Other Medications

Job's Tears has 127 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine 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 Job's Tears

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Job's Tears. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine

This page covers Job's Tears only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine page lists 149 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Grapefruit (major), Lithium (major) and Peyote (major).

By severity: 7 major · 120 moderate · 22 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine page

“Dimetapp DM, the cold medicine combining brompheniramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine, earns more caution than its over-the-counter status suggests. Seven of the 149 supplement ingredients on this page carry a major rating, and most of those stack stimulant effects on top of phenylephrine, pushing blood pressure and heart strai…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Job's Tears as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 111 real supplement products containing Job's Tears, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Job's Tears. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine too, on top of Job's Tears — 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 Job's Tears and Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine 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 Job's Tears
Steady interest

#1,196 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine
Top 25%

#572 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 Job's Tears

What is Job's Tears?

  • Digestive support
  • Skin health and smoothness
  • Mild swelling or water retention
  • General nourishing food/tonic
  • Joint discomfort (traditional use)

Job's Tears is a grain-like seed long used as a food and in traditional medicine, especially in East Asia. While it is generally safe as a food and is being studied for possible effects on metabolism, inflammation, and immunity, strong human evidence for its health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially during pregnancy.

Read the full Job's Tears monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Job's Tears

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

0Major
127Moderate
0Minor
2,702No known interaction
Moderate

127 interactions

Showing 60 of 127 moderate interactions — see all 127 on the Job's Tears page.

No interaction 2,702 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 Job's Tears and Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Job's Tears with Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine?
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 Job's Tears and Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine 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 Brompheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine and Job's Tears?

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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.