Drug & supplement interaction

Lily-of-the-valley + Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone brand names: Cortef, Hydrocortone, Carmol HC cream, Hydrocortisone Iodoquinol Cream, Vytone Cream, and others.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Major

Lily-of-the-valley has a major interaction with Hydrocortisone. Theoretically, using lily-of-the-valley with prolonged corticosteroid therapy can cause cardiac glycoside toxicity.

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

Lily-of-the-valley and Hydrocortisone

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

Major

CORTICOSTEROIDS

Why this applies to Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone falls under CORTICOSTEROIDS — the group Lily-of-the-valley interacts with.

Theoretically, using lily-of-the-valley with prolonged corticosteroid therapy can cause cardiac glycoside toxicity.
Lily-of-the-valley contains cardiac glycosides. Concomitant, long-term corticosteroid use can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion and electrolyte imbalance.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the connection worth knowing. Lily-of-the-valley naturally contains cardiac glycosides, chemicals that act much like the heart drug digoxin. Hydrocortisone itself doesn't break down these plant compounds. Instead, the worry is about your potassium level. When hydrocortisone is taken at higher doses or for a long stretch, it can slowly lower your potassium and throw off your body's electrolyte balance.

Low potassium makes the heart far more sensitive to cardiac glycosides, so the lily-of-the-valley compounds could hit harder and possibly trigger dangerous rhythm problems, nausea, or a slow or irregular heartbeat. This is a theoretical concern based on how these substances behave, not on strong human studies. Still, lily-of-the-valley is genuinely poisonous and isn't safe for self-treatment. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining anything like this.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 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 25 major, 131 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Hydrocortisone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 25 Moderate 131 No known interaction 2,674 (incl. Hydrocortisone)
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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Lily-of-the-valley or Hydrocortisone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Lily-of-the-valley or Hydrocortisone, 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 Hydrocortisone

This page covers Lily-of-the-valley only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrocortisone page lists 205 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 Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 164 moderate · 37 minor.

Open the Hydrocortisone 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 Hydrocortisone 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 Hydrocortisone 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

#1,149 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrocortisone
Top half

#818 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
Medication

About Hydrocortisone

What Is Hydrocortisone Used For?

Brand names: Cortef, Hydrocortone, Carmol HC cream, Hydrocortisone Iodoquinol Cream, Vytone Cream, Massengil Medicated Towelettes, Dioderm, Efcortelan Cream, Mildison, Alphaderm, Calmurid HC, Efcortelan Ointment, Texacort, Alkindi Sprinkle

Hydrocortisone comes in many products, and each one is approved for different uses. Which one you get depends on the condition being treated.

Cortef tablets are used for adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, rheumatic disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis) and collagen diseases such as lupus. Hydrocortisone sodium succinate and Solu-Cortef injections are used when oral therapy is not feasible, for severe allergic states, skin diseases, and adrenal insufficiency. Alkindi (oral granules) is used as replacement therapy in children with adrenocortical insufficiency. Cortenema, Hydrocortisone Rectal Suspension and Cortifoam are used for ulcerative colitis or ulcerative proctitis. Topical hydrocortisone butyrate and valerate products, including Evesse lotion, are used for itchy, inflamed skin conditions and atopic dermatitis.

See full Hydrocortisone drug information Hydrocortisone NDC codes and packages
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.

25Major
131Moderate
0Minor
2,673No known interaction
25 Major 131 Moderate 2,673 No interaction
Major

25 interactions

Moderate

131 interactions

Showing 60 of 131 moderate interactions — see all 131 on the Lily-of-the-valley page.

No interaction 2,673 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Lily-of-the-valley against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,673 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lily-of-the-valley list.

See the full Lily-of-the-valley interactions page
See every supplement checked against Hydrocortisone, 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
Lily-of-the-valley monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Hydrocortisone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Hydrocortisone, ranked by severity Hydrocortisone drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Hydrocortisone NDC codes and packages › Every package, labeler and price in the FDA directory 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 Lily-of-the-valley and Hydrocortisone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lily-of-the-valley with Hydrocortisone?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Lily-of-the-valley and Hydrocortisone interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Hydrocortisone and Lily-of-the-valley?

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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.