Drug & supplement interaction

Policosanol + Propranolol Hydrochloride

Propranolol Hydrochloride brand name: Hemangeol.

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

Propranolol Hydrochloride falls into 2 drug categories that Policosanol can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Concomitant use of policosanol with beta-blockers can cause additive blood pressure-lowering effects.

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

Policosanol and Propranolol Hydrochloride

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

BETA-BLOCKERS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Propranolol Hydrochloride

Propranolol Hydrochloride falls under BETA-BLOCKERS — the group Policosanol interacts with.

Concomitant use of policosanol with beta-blockers can cause additive blood pressure-lowering effects.
Clinical research shows that policosanol 5 mg daily can have additive blood pressure-lowering effects in patients with hypertension who are taking beta-blockers. Also, animal research shows that policosanol can increase the blood-pressure lowering effects of propranolol.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence A

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: policosanol can add to the blood pressure lowering that propranolol already does. Propranolol isn't a prodrug, so this isn't about how the liver activates it. Instead, both this supplement and the medicine push blood pressure in the same downward direction, and good-quality research shows the effects can stack on top of each other.

One thing worth noting: the propranolol you're asking about (Hemangeol) is usually given to babies for hemangiomas, where lower blood pressure or a slow heart rate already needs careful watching. Adding policosanol could make those drops a little bigger. I wouldn't start or stop anything on your own. Please run it by your pharmacist or doctor first so they can keep an eye on things.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Molina, Cuevas, V, Arruzazabala, M. L., Carbajal, Quintana D., Mas, Ferreiro R., and Valdes, Garcia S. Effect of policosanol on arterial blood pressure in rats. Study of the pharmacological interaction with nifedipine and propranolol. Arch Med Res 1998;29
  2. Castano G, Mas R, Gamez R, et al. Concomitant use of policosanol and beta-blockers in older patients. Int J Clin Pharmacol.Res 2004;24:65-77.
Moderate

PROPRANOLOL (Inderal)

2 of 2
Animal research shows that taking policosanol along with propranolol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effects of propranolol.
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 simple version: combining policosanol with propranolol may add to propranolol's blood-pressure-lowering action. Propranolol isn't a prodrug, so this isn't about how it's broken down. Instead, the concern is that the two together could push blood pressure or heart rate a bit lower than expected. In babies taking the oral solution (Hemangeol) for hemangiomas, that could show up as unusual sleepiness, poor feeding, cool or pale skin, or a slow heartbeat.

I want to keep this in perspective, though. The warning comes only from animal research, not human studies, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Still, since this medicine is for infants, please don't add policosanol without checking with your pediatrician or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Molina, Cuevas, V, Arruzazabala, M. L., Carbajal, Quintana D., Mas, Ferreiro R., and Valdes, Garcia S. Effect of policosanol on arterial blood pressure in rats. Study of the pharmacological interaction with nifedipine and propranolol. Arch Med Res 1998;29

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

Policosanol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Policosanol has 241 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Propranolol Hydrochloride one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 241 No known interaction 2,589 (incl. Propranolol Hydrochloride)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Policosanol

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Propranolol Hydrochloride

This page covers Policosanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Propranolol Hydrochloride page lists 236 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), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

Open the Propranolol Hydrochloride interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 479 real supplement products containing Policosanol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Policosanol. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Propranolol Hydrochloride too, on top of Policosanol — 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 Policosanol and Propranolol Hydrochloride 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 Policosanol
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Propranolol Hydrochloride
Top half

#1,146 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 Policosanol

What is Policosanol?

Policosanol
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart and blood vessel health
  • Leg pain from poor circulation (intermittent claudication)
  • Physical stamina and energy

Policosanol is a mix of waxy alcohols (mostly octacosanol) made from sugar cane or other plant waxes, and it is often marketed as a natural way to lower cholesterol. Early studies from Cuba showed strong cholesterol-lowering effects, but independent studies in other countries have mostly failed to confirm these benefits. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take cholesterol medicine.

Read the full Policosanol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma)

What Is Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma) Used For?

Brand name: Hemangeol

This intravenous (IV) form of propranolol is used in hospital settings to treat serious, life-threatening heart rhythm problems. It works on several types of abnormal rhythms, including those that happen during anesthesia or are caused by drug toxicity.

Specific uses include fast heart rhythms coming from the upper chambers of the heart (supraventricular tachycardia), dangerous rhythms caused by too much digitalis in the body, and certain fast rhythms triggered by excess stress hormones (catecholamines) during surgery.

See full Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma) drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Policosanol

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

0Major
241Moderate
0Minor
2,588No known interaction
241 Moderate 2,588 No interaction
Moderate

241 interactions

Showing 60 of 241 moderate interactions — see all 241 on the Policosanol page.

No interaction 2,588 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,588 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Policosanol list.

See the full Policosanol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Propranolol Hydrochloride, 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
Policosanol monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Propranolol Hydrochloride supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Propranolol Hydrochloride, ranked by severity Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma) 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 Policosanol and Propranolol Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Policosanol with Propranolol Hydrochloride?
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 Policosanol and Propranolol Hydrochloride?
Propranolol Hydrochloride belongs to more than one drug category, and Policosanol 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 Policosanol and Propranolol Hydrochloride 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 Propranolol Hydrochloride and Policosanol?

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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.