Drug & supplement interaction

Plum + Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Plum has a moderate interaction with Diclofenac Sodium. Theoretically, plum juice might have antiplatelet effects.

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

Plum and Diclofenac Sodium

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Plum interacts with.

Theoretically, plum juice might have antiplatelet effects.
Consuming plum juice while taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding. In healthy volunteers, drinking plum juice 200 mL daily for 28 days prolonged clotting time and inhibited platelet aggregation.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 simple version: diclofenac is an NSAID, and like other drugs in that family, it can already make your blood a little slower to clot and can irritate your stomach lining. Plum juice may add to that. In one study, healthy people who drank about 200 mL of plum juice daily for 28 days had longer clotting times and less platelet stickiness. So pairing concentrated plum juice with diclofenac could nudge you toward easier bruising, nosebleeds, or stomach bleeding.

That said, this is fairly mild evidence, and eating a plum or a few prunes now and then is very unlikely to cause trouble. The concern is daily, large amounts of plum juice or supplements. If you take diclofenac regularly, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor before adding them.

References
  1. Santhakumar AB, Kundur AR, Fanning K, Netzel M, Stanley R, Singh I. Consumption of anthocyanin-rich Queen Garnet plum juice reduces platelet activation related thrombogenesis in healthy volunteers. J. Functional Foods. 2015;12:11-22. DOI
  2. Santhakumar AB, Kundur AR, Sabapathy S, Stanley R, Singh I. The potential of anthocyanin-rich Queen Garnet plum juice supplementation in alleviating thrombotic risk under induced oxidative stress conditions. J. Functional Foods. 2015;14:747-57. DOI

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

Plum Also Interacts With Other Medications

Plum has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Diclofenac Sodium 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 Plum

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Plum or Diclofenac Sodium

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Plum or Diclofenac Sodium, 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 Diclofenac Sodium

This page covers Plum only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diclofenac Sodium page lists 308 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 266 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Diclofenac Sodium page

“Diclofenac (Voltaren), a daily mainstay for arthritis and joint pain, comes with a supplement list that calls for real vigilance. Of the 308 ingredients on file, 7 rate major, and roughly two hundred entries share a single theme: anything with blood-thinning activity adds to diclofenac's own bleeding risk, especially in the stomach.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Diclofenac Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,682 real supplement products containing Plum, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Plum. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Diclofenac Sodium too, on top of Plum — 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 Plum and Diclofenac Sodium 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 Plum
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diclofenac Sodium
Top 10%

#273 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 Plum

What is Plum?

  • Constipation
  • Digestive health
  • Bone health support
  • Antioxidant source
  • General nutrition

Plums and their dried form (prunes) are common, nutritious foods that are best known for helping relieve constipation thanks to their fiber and sorbitol content. They are generally safe as food, but eating large amounts can cause gas, bloating, or loose stools. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially if you have a medical condition.

Read the full Plum monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diclofenac

What Is Diclofenac Used For?

Brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, Diclo SR, Voltarol, Acoflam, Defenac, Dicloflex, Diclovol, Diclozip, Fenactol, Flamrase, Volraman, Diclomax SR, Diclomax Retard, Motifene 75 mg, Voltarol 75 mg SR, Acoflam 75 SR, Defenac SR, Dexomon 75 SR, Dicloflex 75 SR, Diclovol SR, Fenactol 75 mg SR, Flamatak 75 MR, Flamrase SR, Flexotard MR 75, Rheumatac Retard 75, Rhumalgan CR, Slofenac SR, Volsaid Retard 75, Voltarol Retard, Acoflam Retard, Defenac Retard, Dexomon Retard 100, Dicloflex Retard, Diclovol Retard, Fenactol Retard 100 mg, Flamatak 100 MR, Volsaid Retard 100, Voltarol Ophtha Multidose, Voltarol Ophtha, Pennsaid, Voltaren Emulgel, Dyloject

Diclofenac comes in many forms, and each one is approved for different uses. Which one you get depends on what you are treating.

  • Oral tablets: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and (delayed-release) ankylosing spondylitis, plus period pain and mild to moderate pain for the immediate-release potassium tablets.
  • Capsules: mild to moderate acute pain in adults.
  • Oral solution (powder for solution): acute treatment of migraine attacks in adults.
  • Topical gel and solution: osteoarthritis pain, mainly of the knees (and hands for the gel).
  • Skin patches (Flector, diclofenac epolamine): acute pain from minor strains, sprains and bruises.
See full Diclofenac drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Plum

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Plum page.

No interaction 2,708 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 Plum and Diclofenac Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Plum with Diclofenac Sodium?
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 Plum and Diclofenac Sodium 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.