Drug & supplement interaction

Oriental Arborvitae + Nifedipine

Nifedipine brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, and others.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine 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 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

Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine

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 Nifedipine and Oriental Arborvitae 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Oriental Arborvitae at all — not against Nifedipine, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Oriental Arborvitae safety at a glance

Oriental Arborvita... overall Use caution Some plant parts and oils can be toxic, and human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When the leafy twig is used orally during pregnancy. Oriental arborvitae contains thujone. Thujone might stimulate uterine activity; avoid using. There is insuf... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety information, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Nifedipine and Oriental Arborvitae? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine 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.

  • Anxiety or restlessness Additional detail

    Oriental Arborvitae

    “Orally, taking oriental arborvitae long-term or at high doses might cause adverse effects due to the thujone constituent. Thujone-containing herbs can cause restlessness, vomiting, dizziness, tremors, kidney damage, hallucinations, and convulsions when used long-term or at high doses. Thujone intoxication can cause psychoactivity similar to tetrahydrocannibinol, the active constituent in marijuana. (12).”

    Oriental Arborvitae · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 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.

    Nifedipine

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

  • Dizziness Additional detail

    Oriental Arborvitae

    “Orally, thujone-containing herbs such as oriental arborvitae may cause dizziness and convulsions when used long-term or at high doses (12).”

    Oriental Arborvitae · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in vertigo.

    1 source cited
    1. 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.

    Nifedipine

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

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Oriental Arborvitae

    “Orally, thujone-containing herbs such as oriental arborvitae may cause vomiting when used long-term or at high doses (12).”

    Oriental Arborvitae · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 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.

    Nifedipine

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

Reported for Oriental Arborvitae but not commonly for Nifedipine: hallucinations, kidney problems and seizures.

Effects for Nifedipine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Oriental Arborvitae 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.

Special populations

Oriental Arborvitae in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When the leafy twig is used orally during pregnancy. Oriental arborvitae contains thujone. Thujone might stimulate uterine activity; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of oriental arborvitae when used topically during pregnancy; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Oriental Arborvitae or Nifedipine

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

This page covers Oriental Arborvitae only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nifedipine page lists 273 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), Beer (major) and Coca (major).

By severity: 11 major · 223 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nifedipine page

“Nifedipine (Procardia XL, Adalat) relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure and ease chest pain, and I would handle this list with real care, since 11 of its 273 entries carry a major rating. Grapefruit is the one to know cold.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nifedipine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 76 real supplement products containing Oriental Arborvitae, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Oriental Arborvitae. Even though Oriental Arborvitae itself has no known interaction with Nifedipine, 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 Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine 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 Oriental Arborvitae
Steady interest

#1,096 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Nifedipine
Top 10%

#151 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 Oriental Arborvitae reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Oriental Arborvitae

What is Oriental Arborvitae?

Oriental Arborvitae
  • Insomnia and restlessness
  • Constipation (seeds)
  • Hair loss and scalp health (topical)
  • Bleeding and heavy menstruation (traditional)
  • Cough and respiratory complaints

Oriental Arborvitae is an evergreen conifer used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the seeds (Bai Zi Ren) are taken to calm the mind and ease constipation, and the leaves (Ce Bai Ye) are used for bleeding and hair loss. Solid human evidence for these uses is limited, and parts of the plant can be toxic if misused. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it in pregnancy.

Platycladus orientalis · Cupressaceae · Seeds (Bai Zi Ren) and leaves/twigs (Ce Bai Ye) · Dried seeds, dried leaf, decoctions (teas), powders, capsules, and topical preparations

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

Oriental Arborvitae: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for Oriental Arborvitae as a supplement. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the seeds and leaves are used in specific amounts within formulas prepared by a trained practitioner, and the right amount depends on the part used and the preparation.If you choose to use a commercial product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them. Never ingest the concentrated essential oil unless directed by a qualified professional.

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

Read the full Oriental Arborvitae monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nifedipine

What Is Nifedipine Used For?

Brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, Nifed, Procardia, Adalat XL, Adalat CC, Adalat LA, Adalat Retard, Adipine MR, Adipine XL, Cardilate MR, Coracten SR, Coracten XL, Fortipine LA 40, Hypolar Retard 20, Nifedipress MR, Nifopress Retard, Tensipine MR

Nifedipine treats high blood pressure (hypertension), chronic stable angina (chest pain brought on by physical effort), and vasospastic angina (chest pain caused by spasm of the coronary arteries, sometimes called Prinzmetal's angina). Lowering blood pressure with nifedipine helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

The capsule form is approved for vasospastic angina and chronic stable angina only — it is not approved for high blood pressure. The extended-release tablet (including Procardia) covers all three uses: vasospastic angina, chronic stable angina, and high blood pressure.

See full Nifedipine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Oriental Arborvitae

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Oriental Arborvitae list.

See the full Oriental Arborvitae interactions page
See every supplement checked against Nifedipine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Oriental Arborvitae References

The 2 references that drive our Oriental Arborvitae 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. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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 Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Oriental Arborvitae with Nifedipine?
We do not list a known interaction between Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine. 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 Oriental Arborvitae and Nifedipine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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.
Does Nifedipine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Nifedipine has documented interactions with 273 supplements in our database — Oriental Arborvitae is not one of them. The Nifedipine 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

Oriental Arborvitae monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Nifedipine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Nifedipine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Nifedipine, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Nifedipine and Oriental Arborvitae?

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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.