Drug & supplement interaction

Pau D'arco + Ondansetron

Ondansetron brand name: Zofran.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Pau D'arco and Ondansetron 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.

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Interaction report

Pau D'arco and Ondansetron

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 Ondansetron and Pau D'arco 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.

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.

Pau D'arco safety at a glance

Pau D'arco overall Use caution May cause side effects at higher doses and human safety data is limited.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally in typical doses. Animal studies have found that lapachol, a constituent of pau d'arco, has teratogenic and abortifacient effects; avoid using.... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so avoid 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 Ondansetron and Pau D'arco? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Ondansetron

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Ondansetron is filed under 7 classifications — including serotonergic drugs, serotonergic drugs, cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates. Pau D'arco has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) — and none of Ondansetron’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Pau D'arco Does Interact With Other Medications

Pau D'arco has 122 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Ondansetron isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Pau D'arco

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Pau D'arco. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What Pau D'arco Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Ondansetron. It is the side-effect record for Pau D'arco on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Pau D'arco, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Wheezing Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Occupational exposure to sawdust from the pau d'arco tree and related species may cause asthma and dermatitis. The fresh sawdust can produce erythema and papules which progress to a severe weeping and crusting dermatitis.”

    Pau D'arco · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.

    1 source cited
    1. 92184. Algranti E, Mendonça EM, Ali SA, Kokron CM, Raile V. Occupational asthma caused by Ipe (Tabebuia spp) dust. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2005;15(1):81-3.
  • Anemia / Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, the lapachol constituent of pau d'arco, taken in doses above 1.5 grams daily, may cause anemia and increased risk of bleeding.”

    Pau D'arco · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    1 source cited
    1. 91939. Block JB, Serpick AA, Miller W, Wiernik PH. Early clinical studies with lapachol (NSC-11905). Cancer Chemother Rep 2. 1974;4(4):27-8.
  • Dizziness Additional detail

    “Orally, the lapachol constituent of pau d'arco, taken in doses above 1.5 grams daily, may cause dizziness.”

    Pau D'arco · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in vertigo.

    1 source cited
    1. 91939. Block JB, Serpick AA, Miller W, Wiernik PH. Early clinical studies with lapachol (NSC-11905). Cancer Chemother Rep 2. 1974;4(4):27-8.
  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, the lapachol constituent of pau d'arco, taken in doses above 1.5 grams daily, may cause severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.”

    Pau D'arco · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 91939. Block JB, Serpick AA, Miller W, Wiernik PH. Early clinical studies with lapachol (NSC-11905). Cancer Chemother Rep 2. 1974;4(4):27-8.
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Recorded for Pau D'arco in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Wheezing above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Pau D'arco — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Ondansetron’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Ondansetron column appears here.

Special populations

Pau D'arco in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally in typical doses. Animal studies have found that lapachol, a constituent of pau d'arco, has teratogenic and abortifacient effects; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of pau d'arco when used topically in 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

Overlapping uses

What Ondansetron Is Prescribed For, and What Pau D'arco Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Ondansetron is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Pau D'arco is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Ondansetron is prescribed for: Ondansetron is used to prevent nausea and vomiting in several situations. Oral forms (tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, and oral solution) are approved to prevent nausea and vomiting from highly or moderately emetogenic (nausea-causing) cancer chemotherapy, from radiation therapy to the abdomen or whole body, and from surgery. Ondansetron injection (given intravenously or intramuscularly in a clinical setting) is approved to prevent nausea and vomiting from emetogenic cancer chemotherapy — including high-dose cisplatin — in adults and children as young as 6 months old, as well as to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Pau D'arco has been studied for:

  • Cancer studied, not established Pau D'arco has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Pau D'arco for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral pau d'arco for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of pau d'arco for this purpose.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Ondansetron on your own; if you are taking Pau D'arco for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Pau D'arco or Ondansetron

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Pau D'arco or Ondansetron, 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 Ondansetron

This page covers Pau D'arco only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ondansetron page lists 195 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lithium (major), St. John's Wort (major) and 1,3-dmaa (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 145 moderate · 46 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ondansetron page

“Ondansetron (Zofran) often stands between you and relentless nausea from chemotherapy or surgery, so read this page carefully. Four of the 195 ingredients rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ondansetron interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Pau D'arco as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 707 real supplement products containing Pau D'arco, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pau D'arco. Even though Pau D'arco itself has no known interaction with Ondansetron, 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 Pau D'arco and Ondansetron 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 Pau D'arco
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ondansetron
Steady interest

#2,073 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 Pau D'arco reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Pau D'arco and Ondansetron 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 Pau D'arco

What is Pau D'arco?

Pau D'arco
  • Infections (bacterial, fungal, yeast)
  • Inflammation
  • Immune support
  • Digestive complaints
  • Skin conditions

Pau d'arco is a South American tree bark traditionally used for infections and inflammation, and it contains compounds like lapachol that show activity in lab studies. However, strong human evidence is lacking, and safety concerns exist at higher doses, so it should be used cautiously and discussed with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Handroanthus impetiginosus · Bignoniaceae · Inner bark · Tea (decoction), capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures

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

Pau D'arco: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for pau d'arco. Products vary widely in strength and form, and the amount of active compounds can differ from one product to another.Because larger doses raise the risk of toxic effects, it is best to use the smallest reasonable amount, follow the directions on the product label, and not exceed them.

From our Pau D'arco monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Pau D'arco monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ondansetron

What Is Ondansetron Used For?

Brand name: Zofran

Ondansetron is used to prevent nausea and vomiting in several situations. Oral forms (tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, and oral solution) are approved to prevent nausea and vomiting from highly or moderately emetogenic (nausea-causing) cancer chemotherapy, from radiation therapy to the abdomen or whole body, and from surgery.

Ondansetron injection (given intravenously or intramuscularly in a clinical setting) is approved to prevent nausea and vomiting from emetogenic cancer chemotherapy — including high-dose cisplatin — in adults and children as young as 6 months old, as well as to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ondansetron

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (121,840 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 14,459 reports
Fatigue 10,275 reports
Diarrhea 9,488 reports
Vomiting 8,777 reports
Dyspnea 5,971 reports
See full Ondansetron drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pau D'arco

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

0Major
122Moderate
0Minor
2,707No known interaction
Moderate

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 moderate interactions — see all 122 on the Pau D'arco page.

No interaction 2,707 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Pau D'arco References

The 6 references that drive our Pau D'arco 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. Gómez Castellanos JR, Prieto JM, Heinrich M. Red Lapacho (Tabebuia impetiginosa)--a global ethnopharmacological commodity? J Ethnopharmacol 2009;121:1-13. PubMed
  2. Guerra, Mde O., Mazoni, A. S., Brandao, M. A., and Peters, V. M. Toxicology of Lapachol in rats: embryolethality. Braz.J Biol. 2001;61(1):171-174. PubMed
  3. Felicio, A. C., Chang, C. V., Brandao, M. A., Peters, V. M., and Guerra, Mde O. Fetal growth in rats treated with lapachol. Contraception 2002;66(4):289-293. PubMed
  4. Son, D. J., Lim, Y., Park, Y. H., Chang, S. K., Yun, Y. P., Hong, J. T., Takeoka, G. R., Lee, K. G., Lee, S. E., Kim, M. R., Kim, J. H., and Park, B. S. Inhibitory effects of Tabebuia impetiginosa inner bark extract on platelet aggregation and vascular s
  5. Block JB, Serpick AA, Miller W, Wiernik PH. Early clinical studies with lapachol (NSC-11905). Cancer Chemother Rep 2. 1974;4(4):27-8.
  6. Algranti E, Mendonça EM, Ali SA, Kokron CM, Raile V. Occupational asthma caused by Ipe (Tabebuia spp) dust. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2005;15(1):81-3.

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 Pau D'arco and Ondansetron Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Pau D'arco with Ondansetron?
We do not list a known interaction between Pau D'arco and Ondansetron. 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.
Are Pau D'arco and Ondansetron used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Pau D'arco in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Ondansetron is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Pau D'arco and Ondansetron combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Ondansetron is filed under 7 classifications, and Pau D'arco has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Ondansetron's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Pau D'arco interact with any other medications?
Yes. Pau D'arco has 122 documented drug interactions in our database — Ondansetron is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Ondansetron interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ondansetron has documented interactions with 195 supplements in our database — Pau D'arco is not one of them. The Ondansetron interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Ondansetron and Pau D'arco?

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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.