Drug & supplement interaction

Pregnenolone + Drospirenone

Drospirenone brand name: Drospirenone.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Drospirenone falls into 2 drug categories that Pregnenolone can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking pregnenolone might enhance the effects of progestin.

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

Pregnenolone and Drospirenone

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

PROGESTIN

1 of 2

Why this applies to Drospirenone

Drospirenone falls under PROGESTIN — the group Pregnenolone interacts with.

Theoretically, taking pregnenolone might enhance the effects of progestin.
Pregnenolone is a precursor for several steroid hormones, including progestin.
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: drospirenone is a lab-made progestin, often found in birth control pills and sometimes used for menopause hormone therapy. Pregnenolone is a hormone your body uses as a starting material to build other steroid hormones, including progesterone-like ones. The thought is that adding pregnenolone could nudge your overall progestin-type activity a bit higher, possibly adding to drospirenone's effects.

I want to be honest with you though: this is a theoretical concern based on how these hormones work on paper, not from real patient studies. If extra activity did happen, you might notice things like breast tenderness, bloating, mood shifts, or spotting. Because drospirenone also affects potassium, mixing in another hormone is worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before you start pregnenolone.

References
  1. Devlin TM, ed. Textbook of Biochemistry With Clinical Correlations. third ed. New York: Wiley-Liss Inc., 1992.
Moderate

PROGESTERONE

2 of 2

Drospirenone also falls under PROGESTERONE.

Theoretically, taking pregnenolone might enhance the effects of progesterone.
In humans, some research shows that oral administration of pregnenolone can increase levels of progesterone. However, other research shows no effect on progesterone levels. It is possible the impact of pregnenolone on progesterone levels may be dose dependent.
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: drospirenone is a synthetic, progestin-type hormone, often found in birth control pills and used for hormone-related needs. Pregnenolone is a natural hormone your body can turn into other hormones, including progesterone. The thinking is that adding pregnenolone could nudge your progesterone-like activity a little higher, which might add to drospirenone's effects.

I'll be honest with you, this one is theoretical and based on how these hormones work, not strong proof. Some studies showed pregnenolone raised progesterone, others showed nothing, and it may depend on the dose. If anything did stack up, you might notice more breast tenderness, bloating, mood shifts, or spotting. Since drospirenone can also affect potassium, please run this combo by your pharmacist or doctor before mixing them.

References
  1. Ritsner MS, Gibel A, Shleifer T, et al. Pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: an 8-week, double-blind, randomized, controlled, 2-center, parallel-group trial. J Clin Psychiatry 20 PubMed
  2. Marx CE, Keefe RS, Buchanan RW, et al. Proof-of-concept trial with the neurosteroid pregnenolone targeting cognitive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009;34(8):1885-903. 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

Pregnenolone Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pregnenolone has 81 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Drospirenone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Pregnenolone

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Drospirenone

This page covers Pregnenolone only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Drospirenone page lists 168 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 116 moderate · 49 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Drospirenone page

“Most people taking drospirenone use it as birth control, often alongside everyday things like coffee, melatonin, or fish oil, and that is why this list of 168 ingredients deserves genuine care. Three entries rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Drospirenone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 303 real supplement products containing Pregnenolone, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pregnenolone. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Drospirenone too, on top of Pregnenolone — 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 Pregnenolone and Drospirenone 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 Pregnenolone
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Drospirenone
Steady interest

#1,528 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 Pregnenolone

What is Pregnenolone?

Pregnenolone
  • Memory and cognitive support
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Anti-aging
  • Fatigue and low energy
  • Mood support

Pregnenolone is a hormone your body makes naturally and a building block for other hormones like cortisol, DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone. It is sold as a supplement for memory, mood, and anti-aging, but solid human evidence for these uses is very limited. Because it is a hormone, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Pregnenolone monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pregnenolone

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

0Major
81Moderate
0Minor
2,748No known interaction
Moderate

81 interactions

Showing 60 of 81 moderate interactions — see all 81 on the Pregnenolone page.

No interaction 2,748 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 Pregnenolone and Drospirenone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pregnenolone with Drospirenone?
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 Pregnenolone and Drospirenone?
Drospirenone belongs to more than one drug category, and Pregnenolone 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 Pregnenolone and Drospirenone 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 Drospirenone and Pregnenolone?

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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.