Drug & supplement interaction

Phellodendron + Torsemide

Torsemide brand names: Demadex, Soaanz.

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

Torsemide falls into 2 drug categories that Phellodendron can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, phellodendron might have additive effects with antihypertensive drugs.

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

Phellodendron and Torsemide

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. Torsemide 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

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Torsemide

Torsemide falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Phellodendron interacts with.

Theoretically, phellodendron might have additive effects with antihypertensive drugs.
Phellodendron contains berberine. Animal research suggests that berberine can have hypotensive effects. Also, a clinical study suggests that taking berberine in combination with amlodipine can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure when compared with amlodipine alone. Theoretically, phellodendron might also reduce blood pressure.
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: Torsemide is a water pill that lowers blood pressure by helping your body shed extra salt and fluid. Phellodendron contains berberine, which in animal studies and one small human trial appeared to nudge blood pressure down on its own. So when you stack the two, the worry is an additive effect, meaning your blood pressure could drop a little lower than you bargained for.

If that happens, you might feel lightheaded, dizzy, or woozy when you stand up, especially since torsemide already pulls fluid out. I want to be honest though: this concern is theoretical, based on how these things work rather than strong proof. Please don't change anything on your own. Just give your pharmacist or doctor a heads-up so they can keep an eye on your blood pressure.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sabir M and Bhide NK. Study of some pharmacological actions of berberine. Ind J Physiol & Pharmac 1971;15(3):111-132.
  2. Chun YT, Yip TT, Lau KL, and et al. A biochemical study on the hypotensive effect of berberine in rats. Gen Pharmac 1979;10:177-182. PubMed
  3. Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;161:69-81. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Torsemide also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, phellodendron might increase serum levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
Phellodendron contains berberine. Preliminary clinical research shows that berberine can inhibit CYP2C9. Theoretically, phellodendron might also inhibit CYP2C9.
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 for Torsemide: your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C9 to help clear this water pill from your body. Phellodendron contains berberine, which early research suggests can slow that same enzyme down. In theory, that could let torsemide build up a bit more than usual.

If that happened, you might notice stronger water-pill effects: extra trips to the bathroom, dizziness or lightheadedness (especially standing up), feeling dried out, or muscle cramps from low potassium. To be honest, this is a theoretical concern based on how the enzyme works, not on real cases, so don't panic. Still, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, rather than changing anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Guo, Y., Chen, Y., Tan, Z. R., Klaassen, C. D., and Zhou, H. H. Repeated administration of berberine inhibits cytochromes P450 in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2012;68(2):213-217. 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 Torsemide 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. Torsemide)
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 Torsemide

This page covers Phellodendron only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Torsemide page lists 251 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), Apple (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 10 major · 204 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Torsemide page

“Torsemide (Demadex, Soaanz) is a water pill for fluid buildup from heart failure, kidney disease, or liver disease, and its supplement list earns genuine caution, with 10 of the 251 flagged ingredients rated major. Most entries either pile onto its blood-pressure-lowering effect or add extra diuretic action that can pull your potassium…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Torsemide 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 Torsemide 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 Torsemide 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Torsemide
Top half

#1,090 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
Medication

About Torsemide

What Is Torsemide Used For?

Brand names: Demadex, Soaanz

Torsemide tablets are used to treat edema — excess fluid buildup causing swelling — associated with heart failure, renal disease, or hepatic disease. Removing that extra fluid can relieve swelling and make breathing easier.

Torsemide tablets are also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of serious cardiovascular events, including strokes and heart attacks. It can be used alone or alongside other blood pressure medications.

See full Torsemide drug information
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 Torsemide, 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 Torsemide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Torsemide, ranked by severity Torsemide 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 Phellodendron and Torsemide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Phellodendron with Torsemide?
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 Torsemide?
Torsemide 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 Torsemide 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 Torsemide 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.