Drug & supplement interaction

Pleurisy Root + Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide

Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide brand name: Diutensen.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Pleurisy Root has a moderate interaction with Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide. Theoretically, concomitant use of potassium-depleting diuretics and pleurisy root can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Pleurisy Root and Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide

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

Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide

Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Pleurisy Root interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of potassium-depleting diuretics and pleurisy root can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion. Some diuretics that can deplete potassium include chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, Microzide), and others.
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 connection worth knowing about. Your Diutensen contains methyclothiazide, a thiazide diuretic (water pill) that tends to flush potassium out of your body. Pleurisy root naturally contains heart-active compounds called cardiac glycosides. When potassium runs low, the heart becomes more sensitive to those glycosides, and that's where the theoretical concern lies. Low potassium combined with these plant compounds could raise the odds of irregular heartbeats, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, or muscle weakness.

I want to be honest about the strength of this: it's based on pharmacology reasoning, not solid studies. Still, since pleurisy root can be genuinely toxic and your medication lowers potassium, I'd skip combining them. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding any herbal product.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 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

Pleurisy Root Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pleurisy Root has 1 major, 115 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide 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 Pleurisy Root

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide

This page covers Pleurisy Root only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide page lists 227 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 · 192 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide page

“Diutensen pairs two blood-pressure medicines, cryptenamine and methyclothiazide, and its supplement list calls for genuine care, starting with the ten major-rated entries among the 227 on file. The dominant pattern is additive pressure lowering, 119 ingredients that can push blood pressure down too far, plus 73 more that stack onto the…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pleurisy Root and Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide 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 Pleurisy Root
Steady interest

#1,092 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide
Steady interest

#1,589 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 Pleurisy Root

What is Pleurisy Root?

  • Respiratory congestion
  • Pleurisy and chest discomfort
  • Coughs and bronchitis
  • Promoting sweating during fevers
  • Loosening mucus

Pleurisy root is the dried root of Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), a plant used in traditional North American and herbal medicine mainly for respiratory complaints. There is very little modern scientific evidence that it works for any condition, and it contains compounds that can be toxic, so caution is strongly advised. Pregnant and breastfeeding people should avoid it, and anyone considering it should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Pleurisy Root monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pleurisy Root

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

1Major
115Moderate
0Minor
2,713No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

115 interactions

Showing 60 of 115 moderate interactions — see all 115 on the Pleurisy Root page.

No interaction 2,713 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Pleurisy Root and Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pleurisy Root with Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide?
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 Pleurisy Root and Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide 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 Cryptenamine, Methyclothiazide and Pleurisy Root?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.