Drug & supplement interaction

Pu-erh Tea + Dipyridamole

Dipyridamole brand names: Persantine, Dipyridamole, Persantin, Persantin Injection, Persantin Retard.

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

Dipyridamole falls into 2 drug categories that Pu-erh Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, pu-erh tea may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Pu-erh Tea and Dipyridamole

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Dipyridamole

Dipyridamole falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Pu-erh Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, pu-erh tea may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is reported to have antiplatelet activity. Theoretically, the caffeine in pu-erh tea might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with antiplatelet drugs. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 gist: dipyridamole is an antiplatelet medicine, meaning it makes your platelets less likely to clump and form clots. Pu-erh tea contains caffeine, and caffeine has been reported to have a mild antiplatelet effect of its own. So the concern is simply additive. Stack two things that both nudge your blood toward less clotting, and in theory you could bruise more easily or bleed a bit longer from a cut.

Now the reassuring part: this is a theoretical worry based on lab and animal data, not real human reports. A normal cup or two of pu-erh is very unlikely to cause trouble. I'd be more cautious with concentrated supplements or large daily amounts. If you notice unusual bruising or bleeding, check in with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ali M, Afzal M. A potent inhibitor of thrombin stimulated platelet thromboxane formation from unprocessed tea. Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1987;27:9-13. PubMed
  2. Ardlie NG, Glew G, Schultz BG, Schwartz CJ. Inhibition and reversal of platelet aggregation by methyl xanthines. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1967;18:670-3. DOI
  3. Steptoe, A., Gibson, E. L., Vuononvirta, R., Hamer, M., Wardle, J., Rycroft, J. A., Martin, J. F., and Erusalimsky, J. D. The effects of chronic tea intake on platelet activation and inflammation: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Atherosclerosis PubMed
Moderate

DIPYRIDAMOLE (Persantine)

2 of 2
Theoretically, pu-erh tea might decrease the vasodilatory effects of dipyridamole and interfere with its use prior to stress testing.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is a methylxanthine that may inhibit dipyridamole-induced vasodilation. It is recommended that methylxanthines such as caffeine, as well as methylxanthine-containing products such as pu-erh tea, be stopped 24 hours prior to pharmacological stress tests. Methylxanthines appear more likely to interfere with dipyridamole (Persantine) than adenosine-induced stress testing.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

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 key thing to know: pu-erh tea naturally contains caffeine, and caffeine can blunt the way dipyridamole works. Dipyridamole opens up (widens) your blood vessels, and that effect matters most when doctors use a dipyridamole-based stress test to look at blood flow to your heart. Caffeine can partly cancel out that widening, which could make the test less accurate.

This is mostly a concern around testing rather than your daily clot-prevention dose. Most clinics ask you to avoid all caffeine, including pu-erh and other teas, for at least 24 hours before a dipyridamole stress test. If you drink pu-erh regularly, just tell your pharmacist or the team doing your test so they can advise you. Don't change your medication on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Underwood DA. Which medications should be held before a pharmacologic or exercise stress test? Cleve Clin J Med 2002;69:449-50. PubMed
  2. Aqel RA, Zoghbi GJ, Trimm JR, et al. Effect of caffeine administered intravenously on intracoronary-administered adenosine-induced coronary hemodynamics in patients with coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 2004;93:343-6. PubMed
  3. Zheng XM, Williams RC. Serum caffeine levels after 24-hour abstention: clinical implications on dipyridamole (201)Tl myocardial perfusion imaging. J Nucl Med Technol 2002;30:123-7.
  4. Smits P, Straatman C, Pijpers E, Thien T. Dose-dependent inhibition of the hemodynamic response to dipyridamole by caffeine. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1991;50:529-37. PubMed
  5. Banko, L. T., Haq, S. A., Rainaldi, D. A., Klem, I., Siegler, J., Fogel, J., Sacchi, T. J., and Heitner, J. F. Incidence of caffeine in serum of patients undergoing dipyridamole myocardial perfusion stress test by an intensive versus routine caffeine his
  6. Smits, P., Corstens, F. H., Aengevaeren, W. R., Wackers, F. J., and Thien, T. False-negative dipyridamole-thallium-201 myocardial imaging after caffeine infusion. J Nucl.Med. 1991;32(8):1538-1541. 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

Pu-erh Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pu-erh Tea has 9 major, 447 moderate, 210 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dipyridamole one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 9 Moderate 447 Minor 210 No known interaction 2,164 (incl. Dipyridamole)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Pu-erh Tea

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Pu-erh Tea. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Dipyridamole

This page covers Pu-erh Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dipyridamole page lists 219 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adenosine (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major) and Aconite (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 190 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dipyridamole page

“Dipyridamole (Persantine) keeps platelets from clumping so clots don't form, often after a stroke or heart valve surgery, and that job is exactly why the 219 supplements on this page warrant real vigilance. The bulk of the list, including most of the 190 moderate entries, adds its own blood-thinning or antiplatelet effect on top of the…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dipyridamole interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pu-erh Tea and Dipyridamole 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 Pu-erh Tea
Steady interest

#1,372 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Dipyridamole
Top 25%

#590 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 Pu-erh Tea

What is Pu-erh Tea?

  • Weight management
  • Cholesterol and heart health
  • Digestion after meals
  • Mental alertness
  • General antioxidant support

Pu-erh tea is a fermented, aged form of tea made from the same plant as green and black tea. It is enjoyed worldwide as a beverage and is sometimes promoted for weight loss, cholesterol, and digestion, but human evidence for these uses is limited. As a normal drink it is generally well tolerated, though it does contain caffeine.

Read the full Pu-erh Tea monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dipyridamole

What Is Dipyridamole Used For?

Brand names: Persantine, Dipyridamole, Persantin, Persantin Injection, Persantin Retard

Dipyridamole tablets are used alongside warfarin (a blood thinner) to help prevent dangerous blood clots from forming after cardiac valve replacement surgery. It is not used alone for this purpose — it works as an add-on to anticoagulant therapy.

Dipyridamole Injection is used as an alternative to exercise during thallium myocardial perfusion imaging — a type of heart scan that checks blood flow through the coronary arteries. It is given to patients who are unable to exercise adequately for the test.

See full Dipyridamole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pu-erh Tea

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

9Major
447Moderate
210Minor
2,163No known interaction
9 Major 447 Moderate 210 Minor 2,163 No interaction
Major

9 interactions

Moderate

447 interactions

Showing 60 of 447 moderate interactions — see all 447 on the Pu-erh Tea page.

Minor

210 interactions

Showing 60 of 210 minor interactions — see all 210 on the Pu-erh Tea page.

No interaction 2,163 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,163 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Pu-erh Tea list.

See the full Pu-erh Tea interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dipyridamole, 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
Pu-erh Tea monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Dipyridamole supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Dipyridamole, ranked by severity Dipyridamole 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 Pu-erh Tea and Dipyridamole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pu-erh Tea with Dipyridamole?
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 Pu-erh Tea and Dipyridamole?
Dipyridamole belongs to more than one drug category, and Pu-erh Tea 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 Pu-erh Tea and Dipyridamole 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.