Drug & supplement interaction

Licorice + Naloxone, Pentazocine

Naloxone, Pentazocine brand name: Talwin Nx.

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

Licorice has a minor interaction with Naloxone, Pentazocine. Theoretically, licorice might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.

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

Licorice and Naloxone, Pentazocine

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Naloxone, Pentazocine

Naloxone, Pentazocine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Licorice interacts with.

Theoretically, licorice might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that licorice induces CYP1A2 enzymes.
Severity Minor 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 with Talwin Nx (pentazocine plus naloxone): in lab studies, licorice seems to speed up a liver enzyme called CYP1A2, which is one of the routes your body uses to clear pentazocine. If that enzyme runs faster, pentazocine could be broken down a bit quicker, which might make it less effective at easing pain. Pentazocine works as the active drug itself, so this isn't a prodrug situation that would flip things around.

Now, please don't lose sleep over this. The evidence is only theoretical, coming from test-tube work, and the interaction is rated minor. Everyday culinary amounts of licorice almost certainly won't matter. Still, if you're taking concentrated licorice supplements regularly, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. 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 977 moderate, 62 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Naloxone, Pentazocine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 977 Minor 62 No known interaction 1,791 (incl. Naloxone, Pentazocine)
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 Naloxone, Pentazocine

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 Naloxone, Pentazocine, 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine

This page covers Licorice only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naloxone, Pentazocine page lists 167 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 Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 126 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Naloxone, Pentazocine page

“If you take pentazocine with naloxone (Talwin Nx) for pain, this is a list to handle with real care. Seven of its 167 entries rate major, and almost all of that serious risk comes from supplements that also sedate.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Naloxone, Pentazocine 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Naloxone, Pentazocine
Steady interest

#2,560 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
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
977Moderate
62Minor
1,790No known interaction
977 Moderate 62 Minor 1,790 No interaction
Moderate

977 interactions

Showing 60 of 977 moderate interactions — see all 977 on the Licorice page.

Minor

62 interactions

Showing 60 of 62 minor interactions — see all 62 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine, 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Naloxone, Pentazocine, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Licorice and Naloxone, Pentazocine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Licorice with Naloxone, Pentazocine?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Licorice and Naloxone, Pentazocine interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Naloxone, Pentazocine and Licorice?

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.