Drug & supplement interaction

Phellodendron + Pentobarbitone

Pentobarbitone brand name: Pentobarbitone.

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

Pentobarbitone falls into 2 drug categories that Phellodendron can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, phellodendron might increase the sedative effects of CNS depressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Phellodendron and Pentobarbitone

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Phellodendron interacts with whole categories of medication. Pentobarbitone falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Phellodendron in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Pentobarbitone

Pentobarbitone falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Phellodendron interacts with.

Theoretically, phellodendron might increase the sedative effects of CNS depressants.
Phellodendron contains berberine. Animal research suggests that berberine may have sedative effects. Theoretically, phellodendron might also have CNS depressants effects.
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

Pentobarbitone is a barbiturate, a strong sedative that slows down your central nervous system. The concern here is simple: phellodendron may add to that slowing effect. Phellodendron contains berberine, and in animal studies berberine has shown calming, sedative-like activity. Stack that on top of a powerful sleep medicine and you could feel more drowsy, foggy, or unsteady than expected, with slower breathing in higher-dose situations.

I want to be honest about the evidence, though. This is theoretical, based on how these compounds behave rather than real cases in people. It is not a reason to panic, but since pentobarbitone is already potent, it is worth mentioning to your pharmacist or doctor before adding phellodendron. Don't start or stop anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Janbaz KH, Gilani AH. Studies on preventive and curative effects of berberine on chemical-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents. Fitoterapia 2000;71:25-33.. PubMed
  2. Shanbhag, S. M., Kulkarni, H. J., and Gaitonde, B. B. Pharmacological actions of berberine on the central nervous system. Jpn.J Pharmacol 1970;20(4):482-487. PubMed
  3. Peng, W. H., Hsieh, M. T., and Wu, C. R. Effect of long-term administration of berberine on scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats. Jpn J Pharmacol 1997;74(3):261-266. DOI
  4. Sabir M and Bhide NK. Study of some pharmacological actions of berberine. Ind J Physiol & Pharmac 1971;15(3):111-132.
Moderate

PENTOBARBITAL (Nembutal)

2 of 2
Theoretically, phellodendron might increase the sedative effect of pentobarbital.
Phellodendron contains berberine. Animal research shows that berberine can prolong pentobarbital-induced sleeping time. Theoretically, phellodendron might increase the sedative effects of pentobarbital.
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 gist: pentobarbitone is a barbiturate sedative, the kind of medicine that slows your brain down to help with sleep, calm seizures, or assist with sedation. Phellodendron's main active compound is berberine, and in animal studies berberine made pentobarbital-induced sleep last longer. So in theory, pairing the two could deepen or prolong the sedation.

What might that look like in real life? Possibly feeling extra drowsy, groggy, foggy-headed, or slow to wake up. Keep in mind this is theoretical, drawn from lab and animal work, not solid human data, so I don't want to overstate it. Still, since pentobarbitone is already a strong sedative, it's worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Janbaz KH, Gilani AH. Studies on preventive and curative effects of berberine on chemical-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents. Fitoterapia 2000;71:25-33.. 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

Phellodendron Also Interacts With Other Medications

Phellodendron has 1,159 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Pentobarbitone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,159 No known interaction 1,671 (incl. Pentobarbitone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Phellodendron

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pentobarbitone

This page covers Phellodendron only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pentobarbitone page lists 127 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 103 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pentobarbitone page

“Pentobarbitone is a barbiturate, one of the older and heavier sedatives, and the gap between a dose that helps sleep and one that slows breathing too far is not a generous one. That is why I read this particular list with genuine concern.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pentobarbitone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 393 real supplement products containing Phellodendron, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Phellodendron. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pentobarbitone too, on top of Phellodendron — 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 Phellodendron and Pentobarbitone 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 Phellodendron
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pentobarbitone
Top half

#839 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 Phellodendron

What is Phellodendron?

Phellodendron
  • Digestive complaints and diarrhea
  • Inflammation and joint discomfort
  • Stress and weight management (in combination products)
  • Skin conditions (topical, traditional)
  • Antimicrobial support

Phellodendron is a traditional Chinese medicine bark (Huang Bai) that contains berberine and other plant compounds with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity in lab studies. Human evidence for most uses is limited, and it is often sold in combination with other herbs, making its individual effects hard to judge. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Phellodendron monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Phellodendron

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

0Major
1,159Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
1,159 Moderate 1,670 No interaction
Moderate

1,159 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,159 moderate interactions — see all 1,159 on the Phellodendron page.

No interaction 1,670 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,670 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Phellodendron list.

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

Can you take Phellodendron with Pentobarbitone?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Phellodendron and Pentobarbitone?
Pentobarbitone belongs to more than one drug category, and Phellodendron interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Phellodendron and Pentobarbitone 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 Pentobarbitone and Phellodendron?

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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.