Drug & supplement interaction

Lily-of-the-valley + Danthron , Docusate

Danthron , Docusate brand name: Co-Danthrusate (UK).

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Lily-of-the-valley has a moderate interaction with Danthron , Docusate. Theoretically, using lily-of-the-valley with stimulant laxatives can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity.

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

Lily-of-the-valley and Danthron , Docusate

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

Moderate

STIMULANT LAXATIVES

Why this applies to Danthron , Docusate

Danthron , Docusate falls under STIMULANT LAXATIVES — the group Lily-of-the-valley interacts with.

Theoretically, using lily-of-the-valley with stimulant laxatives can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity.
Lily-of-the-valley contains cardiac glycosides. The overuse of stimulant laxatives can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity with lily-of-the-valley due to potassium depletion.
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 connection most people miss with Co-Danthrusate (the danthron and docusate combo): it's a stimulant laxative, and using it too much or too often can flush potassium out of your body. Low potassium is the real troublemaker here. Lily-of-the-valley contains natural heart-affecting compounds (cardiac glycosides) that work a lot like the heart drug digoxin, and when your potassium runs low, those compounds hit your heart harder than they should.

That combo could raise the risk of toxic effects on the heart, things like a slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat, nausea, or feeling dizzy. To be fair, this is a theoretical concern based on how these things work, not a stack of case reports. Honestly, lily-of-the-valley isn't safe to take on its own anyway. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Lily-of-the-valley Also Interacts With Other Medications

Lily-of-the-valley has 26 major, 130 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Danthron , Docusate 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 Lily-of-the-valley

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Danthron , Docusate

This page covers Lily-of-the-valley only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Danthron , Docusate page lists 46 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Jalap (major), Oleander (major), Alder Buckthorn (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 34 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Danthron , Docusate page

“Co-Danthrusate pairs danthron, a stimulant laxative, with docusate, a stool softener, and that stimulant action is exactly why its list of 46 interacting supplements deserves genuine care. Twenty-nine of the entries are herbal laxatives that pile the same effect on top and can drain fluid and potassium fast.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Danthron , Docusate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Lily-of-the-valley as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 10 real supplement products containing Lily-of-the-valley, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lily-of-the-valley. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Danthron , Docusate too, on top of Lily-of-the-valley — 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 Lily-of-the-valley and Danthron , Docusate 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 Lily-of-the-valley
Steady interest

#1,299 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Danthron , Docusate
Top 25%

#677 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 Lily-of-the-valley

What is Lily-of-the-valley?

Lily-of-the-valley
  • Heart failure (historical)
  • Irregular heartbeat (historical)
  • Fluid retention/edema
  • General heart tonic (traditional)

Lily-of-the-valley is a poisonous plant that contains powerful heart-affecting compounds called cardiac glycosides, similar to the drug digoxin. While it was used historically for heart conditions, it is dangerous and is not recommended for self-treatment. All parts of the plant are toxic, and accidental poisoning can be life-threatening.

Read the full Lily-of-the-valley monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lily-of-the-valley

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

26Major
130Moderate
0Minor
2,673No known interaction
Major

26 interactions

Moderate

130 interactions

Showing 60 of 130 moderate interactions — see all 130 on the Lily-of-the-valley page.

No interaction 2,673 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 Lily-of-the-valley and Danthron , Docusate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lily-of-the-valley with Danthron , Docusate?
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 Lily-of-the-valley and Danthron , Docusate 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

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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.