Drug & supplement interaction

Oolong Tea + Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine

Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine brand name: Fiorinal.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine falls into 2 drug categories that Oolong Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, oolong tea might increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Oolong Tea and Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Oolong Tea interacts with whole categories of medication. Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Oolong Tea in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine

Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Oolong Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, oolong tea might increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Oolong tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is reported to have antiplatelet activity. Theoretically, the caffeine in oolong tea might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with these agents. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 simple version. The aspirin in Fiorinal is a blood thinner that keeps your platelets from clumping, which is why aspirin can make you bruise or bleed a little more easily. Oolong tea contains caffeine, and in lab studies caffeine showed some mild platelet-blocking activity of its own. So on paper, pairing the two could nudge your bleeding risk up a touch.

The good news is that this is theoretical. It comes from test-tube and animal work, and it has not actually been seen in people. A cup or two of oolong is very unlikely to cause trouble. Just keep an eye out for things like easy bruising, nosebleeds, or stomach upset, and check with your pharmacist if you drink a lot of tea or use concentrated supplements.

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 2

Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine also falls under STIMULANT DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Oolong tea contains caffeine. Due to the CNS stimulant effects of the caffeine constituent of oolong tea, concomitant use with stimulant drugs can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

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

Here's the simple version: your Fiorinal already contains caffeine on purpose, since a little caffeine helps the painkiller work better for tension headaches. Oolong tea also has caffeine. So when you sip oolong on top of this medication, you're really just stacking caffeine on caffeine.

That extra jolt can lead to the usual too-much-caffeine feelings: jitteriness, a racing or pounding heart, trouble sleeping, an upset stomach, or feeling anxious or restless. This is more of a theoretical, common-sense caution (expert opinion, not hard studies) than a dangerous reaction. A cup or two probably won't cause trouble for most people, but if you're sensitive to caffeine or have heart or blood pressure concerns, keep your tea modest and check in with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, et al; eds. Pharmacotherapy: A pathophysiologic approach. 4th ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1999.
  2. Institute of Medicine. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309082587/html/index.html. DOI

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

Oolong Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Oolong Tea has 8 major, 517 moderate, 126 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Oolong Tea

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine

This page covers Oolong Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine page lists 347 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), Danshen (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 13 major · 285 moderate · 49 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine page

“The aspirin inside Fiorinal (aspirin, butalbital, caffeine) is the reason this list deserves careful reading rather than a quick skim. More than 200 of the supplements and herbs on file can thin the blood further and raise bleeding risk on top of aspirin's own antiplatelet effect, and even ordinary alcohol, beer and wine included, carr…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 75 real supplement products containing Oolong Tea, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Oolong Tea. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine too, on top of Oolong Tea — 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 Oolong Tea and Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine 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 Oolong Tea
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine
Top 10%

#268 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 Oolong Tea

What is Oolong Tea?

  • Weight management
  • Mental alertness and energy
  • Heart health
  • Blood sugar support
  • Antioxidant support

Oolong tea is a traditional partially oxidized tea made from the same plant as green and black tea, and it provides caffeine and plant antioxidants. As a beverage it is generally considered safe for most healthy adults in moderate amounts, but evidence for specific health benefits like weight loss or blood sugar control is limited. If you have heart, blood pressure, or caffeine-sensitivity concerns, talk with your pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Oolong Tea monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine

What Is Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine Used For?

Brand name: Fiorinal

This combination is used to relieve the symptoms of tension (or muscle contraction) headache. The supported product is the oral capsule.

There is no evidence that it works or is safe for multiple recurrent headaches. Caution is needed because butalbital is habit-forming and can be abused.

See full Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Oolong Tea

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

8Major
517Moderate
126Minor
2,178No known interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

517 interactions

Showing 60 of 517 moderate interactions — see all 517 on the Oolong Tea page.

Minor

126 interactions

Showing 60 of 126 minor interactions — see all 126 on the Oolong Tea page.

No interaction 2,178 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 Oolong Tea and Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Oolong Tea with Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Oolong Tea and Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine?
Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine belongs to more than one drug category, and Oolong Tea interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Oolong Tea and Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine 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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