Drug & supplement interaction

Nutmeg + Buprenorphine Hydrochloride

Buprenorphine Hydrochloride brand names: Belbuca, Probuphine.

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

Nutmeg has a moderate interaction with Buprenorphine Hydrochloride. Theoretically, nutmeg might increase the risk of additive sedation when taken with CNS depressants.

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

Nutmeg and Buprenorphine Hydrochloride

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Buprenorphine Hydrochloride

Buprenorphine Hydrochloride falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Nutmeg interacts with.

Theoretically, nutmeg might increase the risk of additive sedation when taken with CNS depressants.
Animal studies suggest that nutmeg extracts and several volatile oils in nutmeg, such as methyleugenol, isoeugenol, safrole, myristicin, trimyristin, 1,8-cineole, and geranyl acetate, have sedative effects. One animal study shows that petroleum ether extracts of nutmeg can potentiate the effects of pentobarbital or phenobarbital. However, evidence from other animal research suggests that the nutmeg constituent myristicin can actually reduce sleeping time in rats pretreated with phenobarbital.
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 Belbuca (buprenorphine) and nutmeg. Buprenorphine is a strong pain medicine that can slow you down, causing drowsiness, dizziness, and slowed breathing. Some lab and animal studies hint that certain oils in nutmeg may have a mild calming or sedating effect of their own. The worry on file is simply that these two relaxing effects could stack up, leaving you more sleepy or foggy than expected.

I want to be honest though: this is theoretical and based only on animal research, and the findings were even mixed. Normal cooking amounts of nutmeg are very unlikely to matter. Large "medicinal" doses of nutmeg are never a good idea anyway. If you're taking buprenorphine, just run any concentrated nutmeg supplement past your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sangalli BC, Chiang W. Toxicology of nutmeg abuse. Clin Toxicol 2000;38:671-8. PubMed
  2. Hallstrom H, Thuvander A. Toxicological evaluation of myristicin. Nat Toxins 1997;5:186-92. DOI
  3. Jeong HG, Yun CH. Induction of rat hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes by myristicin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995;217:966-71. PubMed
  4. Sell AB, Carlini EA. Anesthetic action of methyleugenol and other eugenol derivatives. Pharmacology. 1976;14(4):367-77. PubMed
  5. Fundarò A, Cassone MC. [Action of essential oils of chamomile, cinnamon, absinthium, mace and origanum on operant conditioning behavior of the rat]. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 1980;56(22):2375-80.
  6. Grover JK, Khandkar S, Vats V, Dhunnoo Y, Das D. Pharmacological studies on Myristica fragrans--antidiarrheal, hypnotic, analgesic and hemodynamic (blood pressure) parameters. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2002;24(10):675-80. PubMed
  7. Sherry CJ, Ray LE, Herron RE. The pharmacological effects of the ligroin extract of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). J Ethnopharmacol. 1982;6(1):61-6.

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

Nutmeg Also Interacts With Other Medications

Nutmeg has 527 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Buprenorphine Hydrochloride one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 527 No known interaction 2,303 (incl. Buprenorphine Hydrochloride)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Nutmeg

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Buprenorphine Hydrochloride

This page covers Nutmeg only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Buprenorphine Hydrochloride page lists 182 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major), Grapefruit (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 8 major · 144 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Buprenorphine Hydrochloride page

“Buprenorphine (Belbuca, Probuphine) is an opioid used for chronic pain and for opioid dependence, and the interactions collected here deserve genuine vigilance; 8 of the 182 ingredients rate major. The list splits mostly two ways.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Buprenorphine Hydrochloride interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 182 real supplement products containing Nutmeg, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Nutmeg. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Buprenorphine Hydrochloride too, on top of Nutmeg — 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 Nutmeg and Buprenorphine Hydrochloride 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 Nutmeg
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Buprenorphine Hydrochloride
Steady interest

#1,844 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 Nutmeg

What is Nutmeg?

Nutmeg
  • Digestive upset
  • Diarrhea
  • Sleep and relaxation
  • Pain and inflammation
  • Flavoring spice

Nutmeg is a popular cooking spice that has long been used in traditional medicine for digestion and other complaints, but there is little solid human research to support its medicinal use. In normal cooking amounts it is generally safe, but larger "medicinal" doses can cause serious poisoning, so it should never be taken in high amounts.

Read the full Nutmeg monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Nutmeg

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

0Major
527Moderate
0Minor
2,302No known interaction
527 Moderate 2,302 No interaction
Moderate

527 interactions

Showing 60 of 527 moderate interactions — see all 527 on the Nutmeg page.

No interaction 2,302 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,302 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Nutmeg list.

See the full Nutmeg interactions page
See every supplement checked against Buprenorphine Hydrochloride, 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
Nutmeg monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Buprenorphine Hydrochloride supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Buprenorphine Hydrochloride, 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 Nutmeg and Buprenorphine Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Nutmeg with Buprenorphine Hydrochloride?
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 Nutmeg and Buprenorphine Hydrochloride 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

Still Have a Question About Buprenorphine Hydrochloride and Nutmeg?

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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.