Drug & supplement interaction

Pheasant's Eye + Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide

Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide brand name: Esimil.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Pheasant's Eye has a moderate interaction with Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide. Theoretically, taking pheasant's eye with diuretic drugs might increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity.

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SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Pheasant's Eye and Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide

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

Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide

Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Pheasant's Eye interacts with.

Theoretically, taking pheasant's eye with diuretic drugs might increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity.
Pheasant's eye contains cardiac glycosides. Theoretically, concomitant use of potassium depleting diuretics and pheasant's eye can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion.
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 is the key piece with Esimil: the hydrochlorothiazide part is a water pill that can push your potassium levels down over time. That matters because Pheasant's Eye contains heart-acting compounds (cardiac glycosides) much like those in digoxin, and low potassium makes the heart more sensitive to these compounds. So combining the two could, in theory, raise your odds of glycoside toxicity, things like nausea, a slow or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, or visual changes.

I'll be honest, this concern is based on how these substances work rather than solid human studies, so it's theoretical. But Pheasant's Eye is genuinely poisonous with very little safety margin, so I'd never recommend using it on your own. Please talk with your doctor or pharmacist before mixing anything like this with your blood pressure medicine.

References
  1. Burnham TH, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons, Updated Monthly. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis, MO.

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

Pheasant's Eye Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pheasant's Eye has 1 major, 154 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide 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 Pheasant's Eye

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Pheasant's Eye. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide

This page covers Pheasant's Eye only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide page lists 231 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 10 major · 196 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide page

“Guanethidine with hydrochlorothiazide (Esimil) lowers blood pressure two ways at once, and 231 supplement and herbal ingredients on file can interfere with it, ten rated major and just 25 minor, so treat this page with genuine care. Most of the 196 moderate entries pile extra blood-pressure-lowering on top of the drug, and a second lar…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pheasant's Eye and Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide 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 Pheasant's Eye
Steady interest

#1,136 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide
Steady interest

#1,541 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 Pheasant's Eye

What is Pheasant's Eye?

  • Heart failure symptoms
  • Irregular or weak heartbeat
  • Fluid retention (as a diuretic)
  • Nervous heart complaints
  • Mild anxiety with heart palpitations

Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis) is a toxic plant that contains heart-acting compounds similar to those in foxglove. It has been used in traditional and old European medicine for heart problems, but it is poisonous and has a very narrow margin of safety. You should not use it on your own — it should only ever be considered under direct medical supervision, if at all.

Read the full Pheasant's Eye monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pheasant's Eye

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

1Major
154Moderate
0Minor
2,674No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

154 interactions

Showing 60 of 154 moderate interactions — see all 154 on the Pheasant's Eye page.

No interaction 2,674 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 Pheasant's Eye and Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pheasant's Eye with Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide?
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 Pheasant's Eye and Guanethidine, Hydrochlorothiazide 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

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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.