Drug & supplement interaction

Kaolin + Digoxin

Digoxin brand names: Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin, Digitek.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Kaolin has a moderate interaction with Digoxin. Evidence is conflicting about the effect of kaolin on digoxin pharmacokinetics.

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

Kaolin and Digoxin

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

Moderate

DIGOXIN (Lanoxin)

Evidence is conflicting about the effect of kaolin on digoxin pharmacokinetics. To avoid a potential interaction, separate digoxin and kaolin doses by at least 3 hours.
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 simple version. Kaolin is a clay that soaks things up in your gut. If you swallow it around the same time as your digoxin, it may grab some of the digoxin before your body can absorb it. That could mean less medicine actually gets into you, which matters because digoxin works in a very narrow window where small changes count.

If your digoxin level drifts too low, your heart failure or rhythm may not stay as well controlled (think more shortness of breath, swelling, or a racing or irregular heartbeat). The good news: the studies here are mixed and not very strong, and the easy fix is timing. Spacing your digoxin at least 3 hours apart from kaolin usually avoids the problem. Check with your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

References
  1. Rodin SM, Johnson BF. Pharmacokinetic interactions with digoxin. Clin Pharmacokinet 1988;15:227-44.
  2. Allen MD, Greenblatt DJ, Harmatz JS, Smith TW. Effect of magnesium-aluminum hydroxide and kaolin-pectin on absorption of digoxin from tablets and capsules. J Clin Pharmacol 1981;21:26-30. PubMed
  3. Albert KS, Ayres JW, DiSanto AR, et al. Influence of kaolin-pectin suspension on digoxin bioavailability. J Pharm Sc 1978;67:1582-6.
  4. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 335 - Antidiarrheal drug products for over-the-counter human use. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=335.50

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

Kaolin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Kaolin has 6 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Digoxin 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 Kaolin

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Kaolin or Digoxin

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

This page covers Kaolin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Digoxin page lists 113 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Aloe (major), Blue Flag (major), Danshen (major) and European Buckthorn (major).

By severity: 18 major · 79 moderate · 16 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Digoxin page

“Digoxin is a heart medicine with a narrow therapeutic index, meaning the gap between a helpful blood level and a harmful one is small, and few drugs give me more pause when supplements enter the picture. The most serious entries here are herbs that themselves contain digoxin-like cardiac glycosides, foxglove and lily-of-the-valley amon…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Digoxin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Kaolin and Digoxin 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 Kaolin
Steady interest

#1,202 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Digoxin
Top 25%

#577 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 Kaolin

What is Kaolin?

Kaolin
  • Diarrhea
  • Upset stomach and nausea
  • Skincare and facial masks
  • Soothing minor skin irritation
  • Excessive salivation (traditional)

Kaolin is a soft, white clay mineral that has long been used in antidiarrheal products and skincare because it absorbs water and binds substances in the gut. Older diarrhea products often combined it with pectin, but modern guidelines favor rehydration and other treatments, and high-quality evidence for kaolin alone is limited. It is generally considered low-risk for short-term use, but check with your pharmacist or doctor before use, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Read the full Kaolin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Digoxin

What Is Digoxin Used For?

Brand names: Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin, Digitek

Digoxin tablets, oral solution, and injections (including Lanoxin brand) are all approved to treat mild to moderate heart failure in adults — improving symptoms like exercise tolerance and reducing hospitalizations, though it does not extend life. It is also approved to control the resting ventricular rate (how fast the lower chambers beat) in adults with chronic atrial fibrillation. The oral solution specifically notes it should not be used for multifocal atrial tachycardia.

In children with heart failure, digoxin is used to strengthen the heart's contractions (increase myocardial contractility). Digoxin is best used alongside a diuretic (water pill) and an ACE inhibitor when possible.

See full Digoxin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kaolin

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

0Major
6Moderate
0Minor
2,823No known interaction
Moderate

6 interactions

No interaction 2,823 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 Kaolin and Digoxin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Kaolin with Digoxin?
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 Kaolin and Digoxin 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 Digoxin and Kaolin?

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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.