Drug & supplement interaction

Licorice + Betamethasone

Betamethasone brand names: Celestone, Diprolene AF, Diprosone.

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

Betamethasone falls into 2 drug categories that Licorice can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, licorice might decrease the absorption of P-glycoprotein substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Licorice and Betamethasone

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Betamethasone

Betamethasone falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Licorice interacts with.

Theoretically, licorice might decrease the absorption of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research shows that licorice can increase P-glycoprotein activity.
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 of this one: betamethasone is a corticosteroid that's handled in part by a transporter called P-glycoprotein, which acts like a pump moving the drug around your body. Lab studies (test tube and animal work, not people) suggest licorice may rev up that pump. In theory, a more active pump could push betamethasone out and lower how much your body absorbs, meaning a slightly weaker effect on the swelling, redness, and itching you're trying to calm.

I want to be honest about how soft this evidence is. It's theoretical and hasn't been shown to matter in real patients, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it, especially with a topical cream that mostly works on the skin. Still, if you're using licorice supplements regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor and don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Wang H, Dong L, Qu F, et al. Effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of nobiletin in rats and its potential mechanism. Pharm Biol. 2020 Dec;58(1):352-356. PubMed
Moderate

CORTICOSTEROIDS

2 of 2

Betamethasone also falls under CORTICOSTEROIDS.

Theoretically, concomitant use of licorice and corticosteroids might increase the side effects of corticosteroids.
Case reports suggest that concomitant use of licorice and oral corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone, can potentiate the duration of activity and increase blood levels of corticosteroids. Additionally, in one case report, a patient with neurogenic orthostatic hypertension stabilized on fludrocortisone 0.1 mg twice daily developed pseudohyperaldosteronism after recent consumption of large amounts of black licorice.
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: licorice (the real kind with glycyrrhizin, not DGL) can slow how your body breaks down steroids like betamethasone, so the steroid effect may linger a bit longer and run a little stronger. On top of that, licorice itself causes your body to hold onto sodium and lose potassium, which adds to the same things a corticosteroid can do, so the effects can stack.

Honestly though, this is mostly a concern with oral or systemic betamethasone (like Celestone), not a thin layer of cream or ointment on your skin, which barely gets absorbed. The evidence here is anecdotal and theoretical, based on case reports, so I wouldn't panic. If you take betamethasone by mouth or injection and regularly snack on black licorice, watch for swelling, rising blood pressure, or muscle weakness from low potassium, and run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Armanini D, Lewicka S, Pratesi C, et al. Further studies on the mechanism of the mineralocorticoid action of licorice in humans. J Endocrinol Invest 1996;19:624-9. PubMed
  2. Quinkler M, Stewart PM. Hypertension and the cortisol-cortisone shuttle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003;88:2384-92. PubMed
  3. Chen MF, Shimada F, Kato H, Yano S, Kanaoka M. Effect of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone following low dosage of prednisolone hemisuccinate. Endocrinol Jpn 1990;37:331-41. PubMed
  4. Teelucksingh S, Mackie AD, Burt D, McIntyre MA, Brett L, Edwards CR. Potentiation of hydrocortisone activity in skin by glycyrrhetinic acid. Lancet 1990;335(8697):1060-3. PubMed
  5. Fugh-Berman, A. Herb-drug interactions. Lancet 2000;355(9198):134-138. PubMed
  6. Chen, M. F., Shimada, F., Kato, H., Yano, S., and Kanaoka, M. Effect of oral administration of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone. Endocrinol Jpn 1991;38(2):167-174. PubMed
  7. Benge E, Shah P, Yamaguchi L, Josef V. Trick or Treat? Licorice-Induced Hypokalemia: A Case Report. Cureus 2020;12(11):e11656. 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

Licorice Also Interacts With Other Medications

Licorice has 976 moderate, 63 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Betamethasone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 976 Minor 63 No known interaction 1,791 (incl. Betamethasone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Licorice

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Licorice or Betamethasone

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

This page covers Licorice only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Betamethasone page lists 124 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate) and Alder Buckthorn (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 102 moderate · 19 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Betamethasone page

“Betamethasone (Celestone, Diprolene) works by quieting the immune system, which is exactly why this list warrants a slow, careful read. More than fifty of the ingredients here are immune stimulants that can push back against the steroid, and another sizable group changes how much of the drug the body absorbs or holds onto.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Betamethasone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,721 real supplement products containing Licorice, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Licorice. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Betamethasone too, on top of Licorice — 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 Licorice and Betamethasone 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 Licorice
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Betamethasone
Steady interest

#1,696 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 Licorice

What is Licorice?

Licorice
  • Sore throat and cough
  • Heartburn and stomach upset
  • Mouth ulcers and digestive complaints
  • Inflammation
  • Traditional tonic/adrenal support

Licorice root is a traditional remedy used for sore throats, coughs, and digestive complaints, but solid human evidence is limited for most uses. Regular licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can raise blood pressure and lower potassium when taken in large amounts or for a long time, so deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) products are often preferred. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart, or kidney problems.

Read the full Licorice monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Betamethasone Topical

What Is Betamethasone Topical Used For?

Brand names: Celestone, Diprolene AF, Diprosone

Betamethasone topical is used to relieve the redness, swelling, and itching of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses (skin conditions that respond to steroid treatment). Sernivo Spray is specifically approved for plaque psoriasis of the body. Diprolene (topical cream, ointment, or gel) is indicated for inflammatory and itchy skin conditions in patients 13 years of age and older.

This medication is for use on the skin only. It is not approved for use on the face, groin, or underarms, and it is not for use in the eyes, mouth, or vagina.

See full Betamethasone Topical drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Licorice

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

0Major
976Moderate
63Minor
1,790No known interaction
976 Moderate 63 Minor 1,790 No interaction
Moderate

976 interactions

Showing 60 of 976 moderate interactions — see all 976 on the Licorice page.

Minor

63 interactions

Showing 60 of 63 minor interactions — see all 63 on the Licorice page.

No interaction 1,790 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,790 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Licorice list.

See the full Licorice interactions page
See every supplement checked against Betamethasone, 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
Licorice monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Betamethasone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Betamethasone, ranked by severity Betamethasone Topical drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Licorice and Betamethasone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Licorice with Betamethasone?
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 Licorice and Betamethasone?
Betamethasone belongs to more than one drug category, and Licorice 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 Licorice and Betamethasone 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 Betamethasone and Licorice?

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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.