Drug & supplement interaction

Peppermint + Bendamustine Hydrochloride

Bendamustine Hydrochloride brand name: Bendeka.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Minor

Peppermint has a minor interaction with Bendamustine Hydrochloride. Theoretically, peppermint might increase the levels of CYP1A2 substrates.

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

Peppermint and Bendamustine Hydrochloride

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Bendamustine Hydrochloride

Bendamustine Hydrochloride falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Peppermint interacts with.

Theoretically, peppermint might increase the levels of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro and animal research shows that peppermint oil and peppermint leaf inhibit CYP1A2. However, in clinical research, peppermint tea did not significantly affect the metabolism of caffeine, a CYP1A2 substrate. It is possible that the 6-day duration of treatment may have been too short to identify a difference.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 bendamustine (Bendeka). The liver enzyme called CYP1A2 plays a part in breaking it down. In a test tube and in animal studies, peppermint oil seemed to slow that enzyme. If that held true in people, bendamustine could clear a little slower and build up, which in theory might mean more of its usual side effects, things like low blood counts, nausea, fatigue, or a higher infection risk.

That said, this is mostly theoretical. When researchers tested peppermint in actual humans, it didn't meaningfully change how a similar drug was processed. The risk is rated minor. Still, since bendamustine is a chemotherapy drug, please run any peppermint supplement past your oncology team or pharmacist before adding it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
  2. Maliakal PP, Wanwimolruk S. Effect of herbal teas on hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2001;53:1323-9. PubMed
  3. Begas E, Tsioutsiouliti A, Kouvaras E, et al. Effects of peppermint tea consumption on the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2A6, Xanthine Oxidase, N-acetyltranferase-2 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases-1A1/1A6 in healthy volunteers. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;100:80-9 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

Peppermint Also Interacts With Other Medications

Peppermint has 731 moderate, 64 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Bendamustine Hydrochloride one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 731 Minor 64 No known interaction 2,035 (incl. Bendamustine Hydrochloride)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Peppermint

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Bendamustine Hydrochloride

This page covers Peppermint only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bendamustine Hydrochloride page lists 86 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Acerola (moderate), Adrafinil (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ashitaba (moderate).

By severity: 62 moderate · 24 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Bendamustine Hydrochloride page

“Bendamustine (Bendeka), a chemotherapy used for certain leukemias and lymphomas, carries 86 supplement and herbal interactions on file, and none of them rates major, so this is a watch-and-adjust list rather than an alarm. Nearly all of the entries, about 80, involve the same liver enzyme, CYP1A2, which helps process bendamustine.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Bendamustine Hydrochloride interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,980 real supplement products containing Peppermint, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Peppermint. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Bendamustine Hydrochloride too, on top of Peppermint — 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 Peppermint and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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 Peppermint
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Bendamustine Hydrochloride
Top half

#764 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 Peppermint

What is Peppermint?

Peppermint
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Indigestion and gas
  • Nausea
  • Tension headache (topical oil)
  • Colds and congestion
  • Freshening breath

Peppermint is a popular herb with the best evidence supporting enteric-coated peppermint oil for easing IBS symptoms. It is generally well tolerated for most adults, but it can cause heartburn and is not recommended in concentrated oil form for infants and young children. Check with your pharmacist or doctor before using it regularly, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Read the full Peppermint monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bendamustine Injection

What Is Bendamustine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Bendeka

Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is also used for adults with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) — a slow-growing type of blood cancer — when the disease has continued to progress during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.

For CLL, how well bendamustine works compared to other first-line treatments (aside from chlorambucil) has not been fully established.

See full Bendamustine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Peppermint

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

0Major
731Moderate
64Minor
2,034No known interaction
731 Moderate 64 Minor 2,034 No interaction
Moderate

731 interactions

Showing 60 of 731 moderate interactions — see all 731 on the Peppermint page.

Minor

64 interactions

Showing 60 of 64 minor interactions — see all 64 on the Peppermint page.

No interaction 2,034 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,034 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Peppermint list.

See the full Peppermint interactions page
See every supplement checked against Bendamustine Hydrochloride, ranked by severity
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
Peppermint monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Bendamustine Hydrochloride supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Bendamustine Hydrochloride, ranked by severity Bendamustine Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Peppermint and Bendamustine Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Peppermint with Bendamustine Hydrochloride?
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 Peppermint and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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 Bendamustine Hydrochloride and Peppermint?

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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.