Drug & supplement interaction

Onion + Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide brand name: Coricidin HBP Maximum Strength Flu.

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

Onion has a moderate interaction with Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide. Theoretically, taking onion might increase the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP2E1.

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

Onion and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) SUBSTRATES — the group Onion interacts with.

Theoretically, taking onion might increase the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP2E1.
Animal research shows that taking onion powder inhibits CYP2E1. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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

The piece in this combo product that connects to onion is the acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen is partly broken down by a liver enzyme called CYP2E1. In animal studies, onion powder appears to slow that enzyme down. If that held true in people, more of each acetaminophen dose would stay in the body for a bit longer.

Here's the honest part: this is theoretical, based on lab and animal work, and it has never actually been reported in humans. Eating onion in your normal meals is not a concern. Where I'd pay a little more attention is with concentrated onion supplements taken regularly, mostly because acetaminophen overuse stresses the liver. The safest move is to stick to the dosing on the label and check with your pharmacist before adding onion capsules.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Teyssier, C., Amiot, M. J., Mondy, N., Auger, J., Kahane, R., and Siess, M. H. Effect of onion consumption by rats on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes. Food Chem.Toxicol. 2001;39(10):981-987. 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

Onion Also Interacts With Other Medications

Onion has 274 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 274 No known interaction 2,556 (incl. Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Onion

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

This page covers Onion only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide page lists 275 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), Grapefruit (major) and Henbane (major).

Open the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,061 real supplement products containing Onion, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Onion. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide too, on top of Onion — 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 Onion and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide 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 Onion
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide
Top half

#1,063 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 Onion

What is Onion?

Onion
  • Colds and respiratory symptoms
  • Heart and cholesterol health
  • Blood sugar support
  • Antimicrobial and wound care
  • Scar appearance (topical gels)

Onion is a common food with a long history in traditional medicine, and it contains antioxidants like quercetin and sulfur compounds. Eating onion as part of a balanced diet is safe for most people, but high-dose supplements have only limited human evidence for any specific health condition. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated onion products for a medical reason.

Read the full Onion monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Onion

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

0Major
274Moderate
0Minor
2,555No known interaction
274 Moderate 2,555 No interaction
Moderate

274 interactions

Showing 60 of 274 moderate interactions — see all 274 on the Onion page.

No interaction 2,555 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,555 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Onion list.

See the full Onion interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, 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
Onion monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, 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 Onion and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Onion with Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide?
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 Onion and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide 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 Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide and Onion?

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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.