Drug & supplement interaction

Oleander + Furosemide

Furosemide brand name: Lasix.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Oleander has a major interaction with Furosemide. Theoretically, diuretic drugs may increase the risk of oleander toxicity.

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

Oleander and Furosemide

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

Major

DIURETIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Furosemide

Furosemide falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Oleander interacts with.

Theoretically, diuretic drugs may increase the risk of oleander toxicity.
Concomitant use of potassium depleting diuretics and oleander can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion.
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

First and most important: oleander is genuinely poisonous, and I'd urge you not to take it at all. But here's why pairing it with furosemide (Lasix) is an especially risky combination. Furosemide is a 'water pill' that pulls extra salt and water out through your urine. The catch is that it also flushes out potassium, which can leave your levels low.

Oleander's natural chemicals act on the heart a lot like digoxin, and low potassium makes the heart far more sensitive to those effects. So furosemide doesn't break down oleander or change how it's processed; instead it sets the stage for oleander to trigger dangerous, irregular heartbeats more easily. This concern is based on how these substances work rather than formal studies, but the stakes are high. Please talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using anything containing oleander.

References
  1. Burnham TH, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons, Updated Monthly. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis, MO.

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

Oleander Also Interacts With Other Medications

Oleander has 132 major, 23 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Furosemide 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 Oleander

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Oleander or Furosemide

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Oleander or Furosemide, 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 Furosemide

This page covers Oleander only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Furosemide page lists 227 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Asarabacca (major) and Lithium (major).

By severity: 9 major · 193 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Furosemide page

“Yellow dock is where I would start with furosemide (Lasix). This water pill already flushes potassium, and heavy yellow dock use can compound that loss, one of nine major-rated interactions on a list of 227 that deserves genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Furosemide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Oleander and Furosemide 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 Oleander
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Furosemide
Top half

#1,031 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 Oleander

What is Oleander?

  • Heart failure (traditional)
  • Cancer (investigational)
  • Skin conditions
  • Asthma (folk use)
  • Pain relief (folk use)

Oleander is a highly poisonous ornamental plant, and every part of it can cause life-threatening heart and nervous system effects, even in small amounts. There is no proven safe dose for self-use, and serious poisonings and deaths have occurred from teas, extracts, and accidental ingestion. We strongly advise against using oleander as a supplement.

Read the full Oleander monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Furosemide

What Is Furosemide Used For?

Brand name: Lasix

Furosemide treats edema, which is swelling from extra fluid. This includes edema linked to congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney disease, including nephrotic syndrome. Tablets and oral solution are used in adults and children. Oral forms may also be used in adults for high blood pressure, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.

Injections are used when a pill is not practical or in emergencies. Furosemide injection (IV or IM) is also used as add-on treatment for acute pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs). Furoscix is a under-the-skin (subcutaneous) product for edema in adults with chronic heart failure or chronic kidney disease, and in children weighing 43 kg and above. Lasix Onyu is a subcutaneous product for edema in adults with chronic heart failure.

See full Furosemide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Oleander

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

132Major
23Moderate
0Minor
2,674No known interaction
Major

132 interactions

Showing 60 of 132 major interactions — see all 132 on the Oleander page.

Moderate

23 interactions

No interaction 2,674 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 Oleander and Furosemide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Oleander with Furosemide?
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 Oleander and Furosemide 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

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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.