Drug & supplement interaction

Plum + Naproxen

Naproxen brand names: Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Anaprox DS, Naproxyn, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Plum has a moderate interaction with Naproxen. 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 Naproxen

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Naproxen

Naproxen 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 thing to know about pairing plum juice with naproxen. Naproxen already has its own mild blood-thinning side effect, and it can irritate the stomach lining, which is why it sometimes causes stomach upset, ulcers, or bleeding with longer use. In one small study, drinking about 200 mL of plum juice daily made blood take a little longer to clot and made platelets less sticky. Stack that on top of naproxen and you could, in theory, bruise more easily or bleed a bit more readily.

This is mostly theoretical and based on concentrated juice, not a slice of plum or a few prunes with breakfast. Food amounts are very unlikely to matter. If you drink plum juice every day or use a supplement, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor, and watch for unusual bruising, nosebleeds, or dark stools.

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 Naproxen 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 Naproxen

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 Naproxen, 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 Naproxen

This page covers Plum only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naproxen page lists 311 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 · 260 moderate · 44 minor.

Open the Naproxen 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 Naproxen 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 Naproxen 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Naproxen
Top 5%

#48 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 Naproxen

What Is Naproxen Used For?

Brand names: Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Anaprox DS, Naproxyn, Navalbine, Naproxen, Naprosyn EC, Napro-Na, Aleve, Arthroxen, Synflex, EC-Naprosyn

Naproxen tablets, naproxen sodium tablets, and naproxen oral suspension are used to relieve the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. They are also used for tendonitis, bursitis, and acute gout, and for managing pain and primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps).

Naproxen Sodium Controlled-Release Tablets are indicated for the same conditions plus the relief of mild to moderate pain. Several over-the-counter naproxen sodium products are indicated for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains from headache, backache, muscular aches, toothache, menstrual cramps, minor arthritis pain, and the common cold, and to temporarily reduce fever.

See full Naproxen 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 Naproxen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Plum with Naproxen?
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 Naproxen 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.