Drug & supplement interaction

L-citrulline + Bromocriptine

Bromocriptine brand name: Parlodel.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between L-citrulline and Bromocriptine 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 label for Bromocriptine states a food rule worth keeping to, and 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

L-citrulline and Bromocriptine

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 Bromocriptine and L-citrulline 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.

L-citrulline safety at a glance

L-citrulline overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy adults, but long-term safety is not fully studied.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety data, so it is best to avoid supplements during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid supplemental use.

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

Still wondering about combining Bromocriptine and L-citrulline? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Bromocriptine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Bromocriptine is filed under 4 classifications — including ergot derivatives, dopamine agonists, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. L-citrulline has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (moderate) — and none of Bromocriptine’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

L-citrulline Does Interact With Other Medications

L-citrulline has 178 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Bromocriptine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 178 No known interaction 2,652 (incl. Bromocriptine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against L-citrulline

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests L-citrulline and Bromocriptine 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    L-citrulline

    “Orally, 2 of 25 patients with pulmonary hypertension reported cough while taking 1 gram of powdered L-citrulline in water daily.”

    L-citrulline · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cough.

    1 source cited
    1. 94963. Sharif Kashani B, Tahmaseb Pour P, Malekmohammad M, et al. Oral l-citrulline malate in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome: a clinical trial. J Cardiol 2014;64:231-5. PubMed

    “Orally, 2 of 25 patients with pulmonary hypertension reported increased urinary frequency and edema while taking 1 gram of powdered L-citrulline in water daily.”

    L-citrulline · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hypertension.

    1 source cited
    1. 94963. Sharif Kashani B, Tahmaseb Pour P, Malekmohammad M, et al. Oral l-citrulline malate in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome: a clinical trial. J Cardiol 2014;64:231-5. PubMed

    Bromocriptine

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

  • Stomach upset Additional detail

    L-citrulline

    “Orally, gastrointestinal intolerance, stomach discomfort, and heartburn have been reported with L-citrulline use.”

    L-citrulline · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dyspepsia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 94955. Balderas-Munoz K, Castillo-Martínez L, Orea-Tejeda A, et al. Improvement of ventricular function in systolic heart failure patients with oral L-citrulline supplementation. Cardiol J 2012;19:612-7. PubMed
    2. 94963. Sharif Kashani B, Tahmaseb Pour P, Malekmohammad M, et al. Oral l-citrulline malate in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome: a clinical trial. J Cardiol 2014;64:231-5. PubMed
    3. 94966. Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res 2010;24:1215-22. PubMed

    Bromocriptine

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

  • Swelling Additional detail

    L-citrulline

    Recorded for L-citrulline in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Raised blood pressure above.

    Bromocriptine

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

Reported for L-citrulline but not commonly for Bromocriptine: heartburn and cough.

Effects for Bromocriptine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for L-citrulline 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.

How to take them

Some Bromocriptine Products Have a Food Rule — L-citrulline Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Bromocriptine says to take it with food. If you take L-citrulline on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Bromocriptine with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Bromocriptine products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Taken within two hours after waking in the morning with food ( 2.1 ) Initial dose is one tablet (0.8 mg) daily increased weekly by one tablet until maximal tolerated daily dose of 1.6 to 4.8 mg is achieved.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Bromocriptine — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Bromocriptine Is Prescribed For, and What L-citrulline Has Been Studied For

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

Bromocriptine is prescribed for: Bromocriptine mesylate tablets and capsules (sold as Parlodel and generics) treat conditions caused by too much prolactin in the blood — including missed periods, unwanted breast milk production, infertility, and hypogonadism (low sex-hormone function). They are also used for prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors (adenomas), acromegaly (excess growth hormone), and the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease, often alongside levodopa. Cycloset — a specific bromocriptine tablet formulation — is separately approved as an add-on to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Cycloset should not be used for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

L-citrulline has been studied for:

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

    L-citrulline for diabetes

    It is unclear if oral L-citrulline is beneficial in patients with diabetes.

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 Bromocriptine on your own; if you are taking L-citrulline for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About L-citrulline or Bromocriptine

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

This page covers L-citrulline only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bromocriptine page lists 143 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 99 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Bromocriptine page

“Grapefruit is the supplement-aisle item I would flag first for anyone taking bromocriptine (Parlodel). It blocks CYP3A4, the enzyme that clears bromocriptine, so drug levels can climb and side effects with them.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Bromocriptine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking L-citrulline as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 63 real supplement products containing L-citrulline, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides L-citrulline. Even though L-citrulline itself has no known interaction with Bromocriptine, 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 L-citrulline and Bromocriptine 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 L-citrulline
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Bromocriptine
Top 25%

#498 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 L-citrulline reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The L-citrulline and Bromocriptine 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 L-citrulline

What is L-citrulline?

L-citrulline
  • Exercise performance
  • Muscle soreness and fatigue
  • Blood flow and circulation
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Blood pressure support

L-citrulline is an amino acid that the body turns into L-arginine to help make nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and may improve blood flow. It is popular for exercise performance and circulation, but the evidence is mixed and most benefits are modest. It appears generally well tolerated, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have a health condition or are pregnant.

Amino acid (made by the body and found in foods; supplements are usually made by fermentation) · Powder, capsules, tablets; also sold as citrulline malate

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

L-citrulline: dosing

There is no official standardized dose of L-citrulline, and the right amount can depend on the form (plain L-citrulline versus citrulline malate) and the reason for use. Doses used in studies vary widely.Because of this, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and start with the lowest suggested amount.

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

Read the full L-citrulline monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bromocriptine

What Is Bromocriptine Used For?

Brand name: Parlodel

Bromocriptine mesylate tablets and capsules (sold as Parlodel and generics) treat conditions caused by too much prolactin in the blood — including missed periods, unwanted breast milk production, infertility, and hypogonadism (low sex-hormone function). They are also used for prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors (adenomas), acromegaly (excess growth hormone), and the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease, often alongside levodopa.

Cycloset — a specific bromocriptine tablet formulation — is separately approved as an add-on to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Cycloset should not be used for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

See full Bromocriptine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & L-citrulline

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

0Major
178Moderate
0Minor
2,651No known interaction
178 Moderate 2,651 No interaction
Moderate

178 interactions

Showing 60 of 178 moderate interactions — see all 178 on the L-citrulline page.

No interaction 2,651 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,651 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full L-citrulline list.

See the full L-citrulline interactions page
See every supplement checked against Bromocriptine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

L-citrulline References

The 8 references that drive our L-citrulline 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. Cheng JW, Balwin SN. L-arginine in the management of cardiovascular diseases. Ann Pharmacother 2001;35:755-64. PubMed
  2. Schwedhelm E, Maas R, Freese R, et al. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of oral L-citrulline and L-arginine: impact on nitric oxide metabolism. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2008;65:51-9. PubMed
  3. Romero MJ, Platt DH, Caldwell RB, Caldwell RW. Therapeutic use of citrulline in cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Drug Rev 2006;24:275-90. PubMed
  4. Balderas-Munoz K, Castillo-Martínez L, Orea-Tejeda A, et al. Improvement of ventricular function in systolic heart failure patients with oral L-citrulline supplementation. Cardiol J 2012;19:612-7. PubMed
  5. Sharif Kashani B, Tahmaseb Pour P, Malekmohammad M, et al. Oral l-citrulline malate in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome: a clinical trial. J Cardiol 2014;64:231-5. PubMed
  6. Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res 2010;24:1215-22. PubMed
  7. Mirenayat MS, Moradi S, Mohammadi H, Rouhani MH. Effect of L-citrulline supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2018;20(11):98. PubMed
  8. Xu Z, Liu C, Liu S, Zhou Z. Comparison of efficacy and safety of daily oral L-arginine and PDE5Is alone or combination in treating erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Andrologia. 2021:e14007. 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 L-citrulline and Bromocriptine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take L-citrulline with Bromocriptine?
We do not list a known interaction between L-citrulline and Bromocriptine. 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 L-citrulline and Bromocriptine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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.
Should I take L-citrulline and Bromocriptine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Bromocriptine says to take it with food. If you take L-citrulline on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Bromocriptine with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Bromocriptine products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are L-citrulline and Bromocriptine 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 L-citrulline in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Bromocriptine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the L-citrulline and Bromocriptine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Bromocriptine is filed under 4 classifications, and L-citrulline has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Bromocriptine'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 L-citrulline interact with any other medications?
Yes. L-citrulline has 178 documented drug interactions in our database — Bromocriptine 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 Bromocriptine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Bromocriptine has documented interactions with 143 supplements in our database — L-citrulline is not one of them. The Bromocriptine 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

L-citrulline monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Bromocriptine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Bromocriptine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Bromocriptine, 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 8 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Bromocriptine and L-citrulline?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.