Drug & supplement interaction

Pheasant's Eye + Prednisolone

Prednisolone brand names: Prednisolone, Sterane, Delta Cortef, Cortalone, Pred Forte, and others.

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

Pheasant's Eye has a moderate interaction with Prednisolone. Theoretically, using pheasant's eye with prolonged corticosteroid therapy can cause cardiac glycoside toxicity.

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

Pheasant's Eye and Prednisolone

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

Moderate

CORTICOSTEROIDS

Why this applies to Prednisolone

Prednisolone falls under CORTICOSTEROIDS — the group Pheasant's Eye interacts with.

Theoretically, using pheasant's eye with prolonged corticosteroid therapy can cause cardiac glycoside toxicity.
Pheasant's eye contains cardiac glycosides. Concomitant use of corticosteroids with pheasant's eye can increase the therapeutic and adverse effects of long-term corticosteroid use due to potassium depletion and electrolyte imbalance.
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's the concern with pairing Pheasant's Eye and prednisolone. Prednisolone is a steroid, and when you take it for a long stretch it can quietly push your potassium levels down. Pheasant's Eye contains heart-acting compounds (cardiac glycosides, like those in digoxin), and low potassium makes the heart much more sensitive to those compounds. So the worry is that the two together could tip you toward heart rhythm problems or cardiac glycoside toxicity, with symptoms like nausea, a slow or irregular pulse, dizziness, or vision changes.

I want to be honest that this is theoretical, based on how these things work rather than real-world reports. Even so, Pheasant's Eye is poisonous and isn't something to use on your own. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.

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 Prednisolone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 1 Moderate 154 No known interaction 2,675 (incl. Prednisolone)
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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Pheasant's Eye or Prednisolone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Pheasant's Eye or Prednisolone, 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 Prednisolone

This page covers Pheasant's Eye only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Prednisolone page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 162 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Prednisolone page

“Prednisolone quiets inflammation and dampens the immune system, and its list of 202 interacting supplement and herbal ingredients, four of them rated major, deserves a careful read rather than a shrug. Grapefruit can push prednisolone levels up by blocking its breakdown, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Prednisolone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pheasant's Eye and Prednisolone 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

#1,101 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Prednisolone
Top 25%

#631 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
Medication

About Prednisolone

What Is Prednisolone Used For?

Brand names: Prednisolone, Sterane, Delta Cortef, Cortalone, Pred Forte, Solupred

Prednisolone is prescribed for many different conditions where inflammation or an overactive immune system is causing harm. These range from severe allergic reactions and asthma to certain skin diseases, blood disorders, eye problems, and some cancers.

It is also used to support the body when the adrenal glands aren't making enough of their own steroids, and to manage flares of conditions like ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, and nephrotic syndrome (a kidney condition causing protein loss in the urine).

See full Prednisolone drug information
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
1 Major 154 Moderate 2,674 No 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

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,674 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Pheasant's Eye list.

See the full Pheasant's Eye interactions page
See every supplement checked against Prednisolone, 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
Pheasant's Eye monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Prednisolone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Prednisolone, ranked by severity Prednisolone 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 Pheasant's Eye and Prednisolone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pheasant's Eye with Prednisolone?
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 Prednisolone 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

Still Have a Question About Prednisolone and Pheasant's Eye?

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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.