Drug & supplement interaction

Padang Cassia + Erythromycin

Erythromycin brand names: Erythro S, PCE, E-Mycin, Erythro-ES, EryPed Chewable, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Padang Cassia has a moderate interaction with Erythromycin. In vitro research shows that a methanol extract of Padang cassia inhibits cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) activity.

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

Padang Cassia and Erythromycin

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Erythromycin

Erythromycin falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Padang Cassia interacts with.

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

Here's the quick version: your body uses a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear erythromycin. Lab tests suggest that an extract of Padang cassia cinnamon may slow that enzyme down a bit. If that happened in real life, erythromycin could hang around longer and its effects (and side effects) could be a little stronger. With this antibiotic, that mainly means more stomach upset, nausea, cramping, or diarrhea, and rarely effects on heart rhythm.

The big caveat: this is only test-tube data, not proven in people, so it's a theoretical concern. Everyday cinnamon in your food is very unlikely to matter. If you're taking concentrated cinnamon capsules along with erythromycin, just mention it to 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 936 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Erythromycin 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 Padang Cassia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Padang Cassia or Erythromycin

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

This page covers Padang Cassia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Erythromycin page lists 204 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 11 major · 153 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Erythromycin page

“Erythromycin calls for more supplement caution than most antibiotics, and the reason is one liver enzyme, CYP3A4. Erythromycin both blocks that enzyme and is broken down by it, so grapefruit can push erythromycin levels up while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Erythromycin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Padang Cassia and Erythromycin 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Erythromycin
Top half

#1,205 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
Medication

About Erythromycin

What Is Erythromycin Used For?

Brand names: Erythro S, PCE, E-Mycin, Erythro-ES, EryPed Chewable, Eryc, Ery-Tab, Rythro Enca, Erythro E-C, Erythro Base, Ilosone, Ilotycin

Erythromycin treats infections caused by susceptible bacteria. The oral products (delayed-release tablets, tablets and suspensions) are labeled for mild to moderate upper respiratory tract infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. For H. influenzae, it is used together with adequate doses of sulfonamides.

Erythromycin lactobionate injection (Erythrocin Lactobionate and other lactobionate products) is used for similar infections, including lower respiratory tract infections, when oral treatment is not possible or when the infection needs high blood levels right away. Topical erythromycin 2% solution, Ery 2% pads and Spotex gel are used on the skin to treat acne vulgaris.

See full Erythromycin drug information
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
936Moderate
0Minor
1,893No known interaction
Moderate

936 interactions

Showing 60 of 936 moderate interactions — see all 936 on the Padang Cassia page.

No interaction 1,893 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,893 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Padang Cassia 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Padang Cassia and Erythromycin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Padang Cassia with Erythromycin?
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 Padang Cassia and Erythromycin 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 Erythromycin and Padang Cassia?

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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.