Drug & supplement interaction

Lime + Demeclocycline

Demeclocycline brand name: Declomycin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Lime has a moderate interaction with Demeclocycline. Theoretically, concomitant use of lime oil with photosensitizing drugs may increase the risk of phototoxicity.

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

Lime and Demeclocycline

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

Moderate

PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS

Why this applies to Demeclocycline

Demeclocycline falls under PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS — the group Lime interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of lime oil with photosensitizing drugs may increase the risk of phototoxicity.
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 for demeclocycline: this antibiotic is already well known for making your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so even normal sun exposure can lead to an easy sunburn, redness, or a rash while you're taking it. Lime adds a small wrinkle here. Concentrated lime oil (and even lime juice on the skin in sunlight) contains compounds that can also boost sun sensitivity, so in theory the two together could make a sunburn-type reaction more likely.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern based on lab data, not strong human studies, and a slice of lime in your drink is very unlikely to matter. The bigger habit worth keeping is good sun protection while on this drug. If you use lime essential oil on your skin, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Naganuma M, Hirose S, Nakayama Y, et al. A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Arch Dermatol Res 1985;278:31-6. . 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

Lime Also Interacts With Other Medications

Lime has 885 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Demeclocycline 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 Lime

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Demeclocycline

This page covers Lime only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Demeclocycline page lists 161 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Oleander (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 7 major · 134 moderate · 20 minor.

Open the Demeclocycline interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 322 real supplement products containing Lime, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lime. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Demeclocycline too, on top of Lime — 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 Lime and Demeclocycline 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 Lime
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Demeclocycline
Top half

#1,181 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 Lime

What is Lime?

Lime
  • Source of vitamin C
  • Digestive upset
  • Skin care
  • Mood and aromatherapy
  • Flavoring and food preservation

Lime is a common citrus fruit and a good natural source of vitamin C and plant antioxidants. As a food it is generally safe and enjoyed by most people, but evidence that lime treats any specific health condition is limited. Use the essential oil with care, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated lime products for health reasons.

Read the full Lime monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Demeclocycline

What Is Demeclocycline Used For?

Brand name: Declomycin

Demeclocycline Hydrochloride tablets are used to treat bacterial infections caused by susceptible organisms. These include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Q fever, tick fevers, respiratory tract infections (including those caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae), cholera, plague, tularemia, brucellosis, relapsing fever, chancroid, and sexually transmitted infections such as lymphogranuloma venereum, nongonococcal urethritis, and gonorrhea (when penicillin cannot be used).

It is also used for certain skin and skin structure infections, bartonellosis, granuloma inguinale, actinomycosis, listeriosis, anthrax (when penicillin is contraindicated), and as an adjunct in acute intestinal amebiasis. In severe acne, it may be used as part of combination therapy. It should only be used for infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria that respond to it.

See full Demeclocycline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lime

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

0Major
885Moderate
0Minor
1,944No known interaction
Moderate

885 interactions

Showing 60 of 885 moderate interactions — see all 885 on the Lime page.

No interaction 1,944 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 Lime and Demeclocycline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lime with Demeclocycline?
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 Lime and Demeclocycline 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.