Drug & supplement interaction

Padang Cassia + Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan brand name: Coricidin II Extra Strength Cold and Flu.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan falls into 2 drug categories that Padang Cassia can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. There is some concern that ingesting large amounts of Padang cassia might cause hepatotoxicity in some people.

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

Padang Cassia and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Padang Cassia interacts with.

There is some concern that ingesting large amounts of Padang cassia might cause hepatotoxicity in some people. Padang cassia contains coumarin. Coumarin has caused hepatotoxicity in animal models. In otherwise healthy humans, very high doses of coumarin, from 50-7000 mg daily, can result in hepatotoxicity that resolves when coumarin use is discontinued. Lower amounts might also cause liver problems in sensitive people, such as those with liver disease or those taking potentially hepatotoxic agents.
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 key thing with Coricidin II: it contains acetaminophen, which is processed by your liver and is well known for causing liver strain when too much is taken. Padang cassia (a cassia cinnamon) naturally contains coumarin, which in concentrated supplement doses has been linked to liver irritation in sensitive people. So the worry here is two things that lean on the liver stacking up together.

To be fair, this concern is mostly theoretical and based on pharmacology, not strong human studies. Sprinkling cinnamon on your oatmeal is no problem. The caution is really about concentrated cinnamon capsules taken regularly alongside acetaminophen, especially if you already have liver issues or drink alcohol. Watch for yellowing skin, dark urine, or belly pain, and check with your pharmacist before combining the two.

References
  1. Press release. Cinnamon capsules to reduce blood sugar are medicinal products! Efficacy has not been scientifically proven - some products contain high levels of coumarin. Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfM), Germany, November 11, 2006. Available a
  2. Felter SP, Vassallo JD, Carlton BD, Daston GP. A safety assessment of coumarin taking into account species-specificity of toxicokinetics. Food Chem Toxicol 2006;44:462-75. PubMed
  3. Choi, J., Lee, K. T., Ka, H., Jung, W. T., Jung, H. J., and Park, H. J. Constituents of the essential oil of the Cinnamomum cassia stem bark and the biological properties. Arch Pharm Res 2001;24(5):418-423.
  4. Wang R, Wang R, Yan B. Extraction of essential oils from five cinnamon leaves and identification of their volatile compound compositions. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies 2009;10:289-92. DOI
  5. Wang YH, Avula B, Nanayakkara NP, et al. Cassia cinnamon as a source of coumarin in cinnamon-flavored food and food supplements in the United States. J Agric Food Chem 2013;61(18):4470-6. PubMed
  6. Woehrlin F, Fry H, Abraham K, Preiss-Weigert A. Quantification of flavoring constituents in cinnamon: high variation of coumarin in cassia bark from the German retail market and in authentic samples from Indonesia. J Agric Food Chem 2010;58(19):10568-75. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

In vitro research shows that a methanol extract of Padang cassia inhibits cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) activity. Theoretically, taking Padang cassia with CYP3A4 substrates might increase the effects and side effects of these substrates.
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

This Coricidin product is a combo: acetaminophen for pain and fever, chlorpheniramine for runny nose and allergy symptoms, and dextromethorphan to quiet a cough. Of these, dextromethorphan is the one that leans on the CYP3A4 enzyme. The idea here is that concentrated Padang cassia (cassia cinnamon) might slow that enzyme down a bit. If that happened, dextromethorphan could build up and bring stronger side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, or feeling a little foggy or off-balance.

But here's the honest part: this is only a test-tube finding, not something proven in people. Cinnamon as a normal kitchen spice almost certainly won't cause trouble. The bigger concern would be high-dose cinnamon capsules. If you take those regularly, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Subehan S, Kadota S, Tezuka Y. In vitro mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 3A4 by a new constituent of Cinnamomum burmani. Planta Med 2008;74(12):1474-80.

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

Padang Cassia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Padang Cassia has 933 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan 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 Padang Cassia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan

This page covers Padang Cassia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan 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).

By severity: 10 major · 220 moderate · 45 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan page

“Alcohol is the risk to understand first. It carries major ratings alongside the acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan combination sold as Coricidin II Extra Strength Cold and Flu, because acetaminophen already taxes the liver, and heavy drinking on top of it raises the chance of genuine liver injury.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Padang Cassia and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan 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 Padang Cassia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan
Top 25%

#598 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 Padang Cassia

What is Padang Cassia?

  • Adding flavor to food
  • Digestive upset
  • Blood sugar support
  • Antimicrobial purposes
  • Antioxidant support

Padang Cassia is a type of cinnamon (Indonesian or Korintje cinnamon) grown mainly in Indonesia and used widely as a kitchen spice. As a supplement, evidence for health benefits like blood sugar control is limited and mixed, and like other cassia cinnamons it naturally contains coumarin, which can be harmful to the liver in large amounts. Use food amounts freely, but talk to a pharmacist or doctor before taking concentrated cinnamon supplements.

Read the full Padang Cassia monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Padang Cassia

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

0Major
933Moderate
0Minor
1,896No known interaction
Moderate

933 interactions

Showing 60 of 933 moderate interactions — see all 933 on the Padang Cassia page.

No interaction 1,896 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 Padang Cassia and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Padang Cassia with Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan?
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 Padang Cassia and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan?
Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan belongs to more than one drug category, and Padang Cassia 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 Padang Cassia and Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan 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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