Drug & supplement interaction

Passion Flower + Levofloxacin

Levofloxacin brand names: Levaquin, Levaquin Injection, Leva-pak.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Passion Flower has a minor interaction with Levofloxacin. Theoretically, passion flower might reduce the bioavailability of OATP2B1 and OATP1A2 substrates.

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

Passion Flower and Levofloxacin

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

Minor

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Levofloxacin

Levofloxacin falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Passion Flower interacts with.

Theoretically, passion flower might reduce the bioavailability of OATP2B1 and OATP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the passion flower constituents apigenin and vitexin inhibit OATP2B1 and OATP1A2. This inhibition may be dose-dependent. One specific high-flavonoid passion flower extract (Valverde) seems to inhibit OATP2B1 and OATP1A2, while another extract with a lower flavonoid concentration (Arkocaps) shows less potent inhibition. OATPs are responsible for the uptake of drugs and other compounds into the body; however, the specific activities of OATP2B1 and OATP1A2 are not well characterized.
Severity Minor 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 gist for pairing passion flower with levofloxacin. Levofloxacin isn't a prodrug, so it works as-is once your body absorbs it. The concern on file is that certain passion flower compounds (like vitexin and apigenin) may block transporters called OATPs that help shuttle drugs into your system. In theory, this could lower how much levofloxacin gets absorbed, which might mean a weaker antibiotic effect and a tougher time clearing your infection.

I want to be honest though: this is very early lab-dish research, not real-world cases, and it's rated minor. The amount likely depends on how concentrated the extract is. Since finishing an antibiotic fully matters, just give your pharmacist a heads-up before combining them.

References
  1. Schäfer AM, Gilgen PM, Spirgi C, et al. Constituents of Passiflora incarnata, but Not of Valeriana officinalis, Interact with the Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides (OATP)2B1 and OATP1A2. Planta Med. 2021. 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

Passion Flower Also Interacts With Other Medications

Passion Flower has 248 moderate, 587 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levofloxacin 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 Passion Flower

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Passion Flower or Levofloxacin

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

This page covers Passion Flower only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levofloxacin page lists 155 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 13 major · 121 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levofloxacin page

“Levofloxacin (Levaquin) is a potent fluoroquinolone antibiotic, and its supplement list deserves real respect, with 13 of the 155 entries rated major. The most everyday hazards are fruit juices.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levofloxacin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,129 real supplement products containing Passion Flower, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Passion Flower. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levofloxacin too, on top of Passion Flower — 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 Passion Flower and Levofloxacin 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 Passion Flower
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levofloxacin
Top 25%

#450 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 Passion Flower

What is Passion Flower?

Passion Flower
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Restlessness
  • Mild nervous tension
  • Muscle tension

Passion flower is a traditional calming herb that many people use for anxiety and sleep. Early studies hint it may help with mild anxiety and restlessness, but the evidence is limited and more research is needed. It is generally well tolerated short-term, but should be avoided in pregnancy and discussed with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Passion Flower monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Levofloxacin

What Is Levofloxacin Used For?

Brand names: Levaquin, Levaquin Injection, Leva-pak

Levofloxacin treats bacterial infections in adults, including pneumonia (both community-acquired and hospital-acquired), skin infections, urinary tract infections, kidney infections, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and sinus infections. It is also used after exposure to inhalational anthrax and for plague.

Because levofloxacin carries significant risks, it should only be used for uncomplicated urinary tract infections, acute bacterial worsening of chronic bronchitis, and acute bacterial sinusitis when no other treatment option is available. Always use it only for infections confirmed or strongly suspected to be bacterial.

See full Levofloxacin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Passion Flower

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

0Major
248Moderate
587Minor
1,994No known interaction
Moderate

248 interactions

Showing 60 of 248 moderate interactions — see all 248 on the Passion Flower page.

Minor

587 interactions

Showing 60 of 587 minor interactions — see all 587 on the Passion Flower page.

No interaction 1,994 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 Passion Flower and Levofloxacin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Passion Flower with Levofloxacin?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Passion Flower and Levofloxacin interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Levofloxacin and Passion Flower?

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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.