Passion Flower - Niaspan (Niacin (prescription drug)) Interaction

Interaction Details

Pharmacist Analysis

Passionflower is not known to have many clinically significant drug interactions.

Nevertheless, it has been shown to have sedative effects, which can be additive when used in conjunction with sedative medications (e.g., Benadryl, benzodiazepines, opioids, etc...).

Therefore, we do list interactions between Passionflower and CNS (central nervous system) depressants or other drugs with strong sedative effects.

Additionally, certain constituents of Passionflower (such as apigenin and vitexin) may inhibit certain drug transports, specifically OATP2B1 and OATP1A2.

These are responsible for the uptake of certain drugs and other compounds into the body.

As Passionflower can inhibit these transports, it is possible that it might reduce the bioavailability of drugs that are substrates for these transporters but studies are far from conclusive on the matter.

There is no known drug interaction between Passionflower and the drug in question here, however.

As always, be sure to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your medication regimen.

Niacin (prescription drug) Overview

• Niacin is used with diet changes (restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of cholesterol (a fat-like substance) and other fatty substances in your blood and to increase the amount of high density lipoprotein (HDL; ''good cholesterol''). Niacin can be used in a number of situations including the following:

  • alone or in combination with other medications, such as HMG-CoA inhibitors (statins) or bile acid-binding resins;

  • to decrease the risk of another heart attack in patients with high cholesterol who have had a heart attack;

  • to prevent worsening of atherosclerosis (buildup of cholesterol and fats along the walls of the blood vessels) in patients with high cholesterol and coronary artery disease;

  • to reduce the amount of triglycerides (other fatty substances) in the blood in patients with very high triglycerides who are at risk of pancreatic disease (conditions affecting the pancreas, a gland that produces fluid to break down food and hormones to control blood sugar).

• Niacin is also used to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency), a disease caused by inadequate diet and other medical problems. Niacin is a B-complex vitamin. At therapeutic doses, niacin is a cholesterol-lowering medication.

• Results of a clinical study in people with heart disease and well-controlled cholesterol levels that compared people who took niacin and simvastatin with people who took simvastatin alone and found similar results for the two groups in the rate of heart attacks or strokes. Taking niacin along with simvastatin or lovastatin also has not been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease or death compared with the use of niacin, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about the risks and benefits of treating increased amounts of cholesterol in your blood with niacin and other medications.

Passion Flower - More Interactions

Passion Flower interacts with 814 drugs

Interaction Rating Key

These severity listings are for informational use only. Never start, stop or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.