Drug & supplement interaction

Lime + Varenicline

Varenicline brand names: Chantix, Champix, Tyrvaya.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Lime and Varenicline in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Varenicline states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Lime and Varenicline

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Varenicline and Lime in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Lime safety at a glance

Lime overall Generally safe Lime is safe for most people when used as a normal food or drink.
Pregnancy Use caution Lime as food is generally fine, but concentrated extracts or essential oil should be avoided unless cleared by your doctor.
Breastfeeding Use caution Lime in food amounts is likely fine, but safety of concentrated products is not well studied.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Varenicline and Lime? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Varenicline

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Varenicline is filed under 3 classifications — including organic cation transporter 2 (oct2) substrates, oral drugs. Lime has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates (moderate) and photosensitizing drugs (moderate) — and none of Varenicline’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Lime Does Interact With Other Medications

Lime has 886 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Varenicline isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 886 No known interaction 1,944 (incl. Varenicline)
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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Lime and Varenicline May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Lime

    “Orally, lime juice may cause diarrhea or tooth sensitivity and wear, but these adverse effects are rare.

    Topically, lime oil and lime juice can cause allergic contact dermatitis (12,4058,100122,100132). Phytophotodermatitis is common when topical exposure to lime is followed by exposure to the sun.

    Intravaginally, 20% to 100% lime juice can cause burning, dryness, pain, itching, erythema, edema, or abnormal bleeding.”

    Lime · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    6 sources cited
    1. 59927. Garcia, O. P., Diaz, M., Rosado, J. L., and Allen, L. H. Ascorbic acid from lime juice does not improve the iron status of iron-deficient women in rural Mexico. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 2003;78(2):267-273. PubMed
    2. 100123. Bamise CT, Dinyain VE, Kolawole KA. Dental erosion due to lime consumption; review of literature and case report. East Afr J Public Health. 2009;6(2):141-3. PubMed
    3. 100131. Rungruanghiranya S, Ekpanyaskul C, Sakulisariyaporn C, Watcharanat P, Akkalakulawas K. Efficacy of fresh lime for smoking cessation. J Med Assoc Thai. 2012;95 Suppl 12:S76-82.
    4. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    5. 4058. Roesyanto-Mahadi ID, Geursen-Reitsma AM, van Joost T, et al. Sensitization to fragrance materials in Indonesian cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22:212-7. PubMed
    6. 100122. Assarian Z, Nixon RL. Protein contact dermatitis caused by lime in a pastry chef. Contact Dermatitis. 2015;73(1):54-6. PubMed

    “Intravaginally, 20% lime juice has resulted in burning, dryness, erythema, and edema. Higher doses of 25%, 50%, or 100% lime juice were dose-dependently related to vaginal, cervical, or vulval symptoms, especially pain, itching, and abnormal bleeding. The abnormal bleeding was most common in women that had applied 100% lime juice with a tampon. Peeling, erythema, discharge, and tenderness also occurred.”

    Lime · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in erythema.

    2 sources cited
    1. 100127. Hemmerling A, Potts M, Walsh J, Young-Holt B, Whaley K, Stefanski DA. Lime juice as a candidate microbicide? An open-label safety trial of 10% and 20% lime juice used vaginally. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2007;16(7):1041-51. PubMed
    2. 100128. Mauck CK, Ballagh SA, Creinin MD, et al. Six-day randomized safety trial of intravaginal lime juice. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2008;49(3):243-50. PubMed

    Varenicline

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Varenicline. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Swelling Additional detail

    Lime

    Recorded for Lime in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Bleeding or bruising above.

    Varenicline

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Varenicline. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Lime

    “Orally, diarrhea has been reported as an adverse effects in a clinical trial.”

    Lime · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 59927. Garcia, O. P., Diaz, M., Rosado, J. L., and Allen, L. H. Ascorbic acid from lime juice does not improve the iron status of iron-deficient women in rural Mexico. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 2003;78(2):267-273. PubMed

    Varenicline

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Varenicline. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Lime

    “Topically, lime can rarely contribute to allergic contact dermatitis.”

    Lime · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 4058. Roesyanto-Mahadi ID, Geursen-Reitsma AM, van Joost T, et al. Sensitization to fragrance materials in Indonesian cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22:212-7. PubMed
    2. 100122. Assarian Z, Nixon RL. Protein contact dermatitis caused by lime in a pastry chef. Contact Dermatitis. 2015;73(1):54-6. PubMed
    3. 100132. Swerdlin A, Rainey D, Storrs FJ. Fragrance mix reactions and lime allergic contact dermatitis. Dermatitis. 2010;21(4):214-6. DOI

    Varenicline

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Varenicline. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Lime but not commonly for Varenicline: itching.

Effects for Varenicline come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Lime come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Varenicline Products Have a Food Rule — Lime Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Varenicline says to take it with food. If you take Lime on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Varenicline with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Varenicline products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Varenicline tablets should be taken orally after eating and with a full glass of water.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Varenicline — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Varenicline Is Prescribed For, and What Lime Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Varenicline is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Lime is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Varenicline is prescribed for: Varenicline tablets — sold under brand names including Chantix — are used to help adults quit smoking. They work as part of a structured smoking cessation program. Tyrvaya (varenicline solution) nasal spray is a separate product used to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It is not used for smoking cessation.

Lime has been studied for:

  • Smoking cessation studied, not established Lime has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Lime for smoking cessation

    Preliminary clinical research in people quitting smoking shows that taking fresh lime as needed for 12 weeks is as effective as nicotine gum for reducing cravings. It also seems to improve continuous abstinence over the last 3 weeks of treatment and after an additional 12 weeks. Abstinence was measured using exhaled carbon monoxide.

    1 source cited
    1. 100131. Rungruanghiranya S, Ekpanyaskul C, Sakulisariyaporn C, Watcharanat P, Akkalakulawas K. Efficacy of fresh lime for smoking cessation. J Med Assoc Thai. 2012;95 Suppl 12:S76-82.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Varenicline on your own; if you are taking Lime for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Varenicline

This page covers Lime only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Varenicline page lists 20 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate) and Glucomannan (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 10 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Varenicline page

“For anyone taking varenicline (Chantix, Champix, Tyrvaya) to quit smoking, this list earns real caution rather than a quick skim. Activated charcoal is the single entry rated major; it binds many medicines in the gut and can pull varenicline's blood levels down, and losing that support mid-quit is a genuine setback.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Varenicline 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. Even though Lime itself has no known interaction with Varenicline, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Lime and Varenicline 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 Varenicline
Top half

#793 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Lime reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Lime and Varenicline records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
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.

Citrus aurantifolia · Rutaceae · Fruit, juice, peel, and essential oil · Fresh fruit, juice, essential oil, zest/peel, extracts

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Lime is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Lime record says about it on its own.

Lime: dosing

There is no standardized medicinal dose of lime. As a food, people use lime juice, zest, or wedges freely to taste.

From our Lime monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Lime monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Varenicline

What Is Varenicline Used For?

Brand names: Chantix, Champix, Tyrvaya

Varenicline tablets — sold under brand names including Chantix — are used to help adults quit smoking. They work as part of a structured smoking cessation program.

Tyrvaya (varenicline solution) nasal spray is a separate product used to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It is not used for smoking cessation.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Varenicline

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 14,514 reports
Depression 8,686 reports
Abnormal dreams 7,841 reports
Anxiety 5,978 reports
Insomnia 5,620 reports
See full Varenicline 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
886Moderate
0Minor
1,943No known interaction
886 Moderate 1,943 No interaction
Moderate

886 interactions

Showing 60 of 886 moderate interactions — see all 886 on the Lime page.

No interaction 1,943 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,943 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lime list.

See the full Lime interactions page
See every supplement checked against Varenicline, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Lime References

The 20 references that drive our Lime monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Roesyanto-Mahadi ID, Geursen-Reitsma AM, van Joost T, et al. Sensitization to fragrance materials in Indonesian cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22:212-7. PubMed
  3. Naganuma M, Hirose S, Nakayama Y, et al. A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Arch Dermatol Res 1985;278:31-6. . PubMed
  4. Bailey DG, Dresser GK, Bend JR. Bergamottin, lime juice, and red wine as inhibitors of cytochrome P450 3A4 activity: comparison with grapefruit juice. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2003;73:529-37. PubMed
  5. Weber, I. C., Davis, C. P., and Greeson, D. M. Phytophotodermatitis: the other "lime" disease. J Emerg.Med 1999;17(2):235-237. PubMed
  6. Wagner, A. M., Wu, J. J., Hansen, R. C., Nigg, H. N., and Beiere, R. C. Bullous phytophotodermatitis associated with high natural concentrations of furanocoumarins in limes. Am.J Contact Dermat. 2002;13(1):10-14. PubMed
  7. Garcia, O. P., Diaz, M., Rosado, J. L., and Allen, L. H. Ascorbic acid from lime juice does not improve the iron status of iron-deficient women in rural Mexico. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 2003;78(2):267-273. PubMed
  8. Coffman, K., Boyce, W. T., and Hansen, R. C. Phytophotodermatitis simulating child abuse. Am.J Dis.Child 1985;139(3):239-240. PubMed
  9. Adegoke SA, Oyelami OA, Olatunya OS, Adeyemi LA. Effects of lime juice on malaria parasite clearance. Phytother Res. 2011;25(10):1547-50. PubMed
  10. Adegoke SA, Shehu UA, Mohammed LO, Sanusi Y, Oyelami OA. Influence of lime juice on the severity of sickle cell anemia. J Altern Complement Med. 2013;19(6):588-92. PubMed
  11. Assarian Z, Nixon RL. Protein contact dermatitis caused by lime in a pastry chef. Contact Dermatitis. 2015;73(1):54-6. PubMed
  12. Bamise CT, Dinyain VE, Kolawole KA. Dental erosion due to lime consumption; review of literature and case report. East Afr J Public Health. 2009;6(2):141-3. PubMed
  13. Flugman SL. Mexican beer dermatitis: a unique variant of lime phytophotodermatitis attributable to contemporary beer-drinking practices. Arch Dermatol. 2010;146(10):1194-5. PubMed
  14. Galvañ-Pérez Del Pulgar JI, Linares-Barrios M, Galvañ-Pozo JI Jr. Acropigmentation of the dorsum of the hands from preparing mojitos: A lime-induced phytophotodermatosis. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2016;107(3):253-5. DOI
  15. Hemmerling A, Potts M, Walsh J, Young-Holt B, Whaley K, Stefanski DA. Lime juice as a candidate microbicide? An open-label safety trial of 10% and 20% lime juice used vaginally. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2007;16(7):1041-51. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Lime and Varenicline Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Lime with Varenicline?
We do not list a known interaction between Lime and Varenicline. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Lime and Varenicline have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Lime and Varenicline at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Varenicline says to take it with food. If you take Lime on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Varenicline with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Varenicline products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Lime and Varenicline used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Lime in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Varenicline is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Lime and Varenicline combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Varenicline is filed under 3 classifications, and Lime has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Varenicline's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Lime interact with any other medications?
Yes. Lime has 886 documented drug interactions in our database — Varenicline is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Varenicline interact with any supplements?
Yes. Varenicline has documented interactions with 20 supplements in our database — Lime is not one of them. The Varenicline interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Lime monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Varenicline drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Varenicline supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Varenicline, 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 References The 20 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Varenicline and Lime?

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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.