Drug & supplement interaction

Pu-erh Tea + Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline

Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline brand name: Tedral.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Major

Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline falls into 4 drug categories that Pu-erh Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk for simulant adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions4
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Pu-erh Tea and Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline

These two interact in 4 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 4 Interactions?

Pu-erh Tea interacts with whole categories of medication. Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline falls into 4 of those categories, so it can interact with Pu-erh Tea in 4 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Major).

Major

EPHEDRINE

1 of 4
Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk for simulant adverse effects.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. There is evidence that using ephedrine with caffeine might increase the risk of serious life-threatening or debilitating adverse effects such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, seizures, and death.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

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 thing about pu-erh tea: it naturally contains caffeine, just like coffee or any other tea. Your Tedral combination already has two stimulant-like ingredients, ephedrine and theophylline. When you stack caffeine on top of those, you're essentially piling stimulants on stimulants. That can push your heart and nervous system harder than intended.

In real life, that may mean a racing or pounding heartbeat, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, anxiety, higher blood pressure, or, in more serious cases, irregular rhythms or seizures. To be fair, this concern comes mostly from anecdotal reports, and an occasional cup is different from heavy daily drinking. Still, since these effects can be serious, please run your tea habit by your pharmacist or doctor before mixing the two.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haller CA, Benowitz NL. Adverse cardiovascular and central nervous system events associated with dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1833-8. PubMed
  2. Shekelle PG, Hardy ML, Morton SC, et al. Efficacy and safety of ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2003;289:1537-45.. PubMed
  3. Kockler DR, McCarthy MW, Lawson CL. Seizure activity and unresponsiveness after hydroxycut ingestion. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:647-51.. PubMed
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 4

Why this applies to Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline

Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Pu-erh Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase stimulant adverse effects.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Due to the central nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects of caffeine, concomitant use with stimulant drugs can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

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: pu-erh tea has caffeine in it, and caffeine is a stimulant. Tedral combines two ingredients that already rev your system up, ephedrine (a stimulant decongestant) and theophylline (a relative of caffeine that opens the airways). Stacking caffeine on top can pile on the stimulant effects, so you may notice a racing or pounding heartbeat, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, headache, or feeling shaky or anxious.

This is mostly expert opinion rather than hard proof, so I wouldn't panic over an occasional cup. But because theophylline can be touchy in the body, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor about how much tea is okay. Please don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Institute of Medicine. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309082587/html/index.html. DOI
Moderate

THEOPHYLLINE

3 of 4

Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline also falls under THEOPHYLLINE.

Theoretically, pu-erh tea might increase the levels and adverse effects of theophylline.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine, which can increase theophylline levels.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

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

Tedral is a combination product, and the part that matters most here is the theophylline. Pu-erh tea, like other teas, naturally contains caffeine. Caffeine and theophylline are chemically close cousins, and your body uses some of the same pathways to clear them. When you add the caffeine from pu-erh, it can compete for that clearance and let theophylline levels drift a little higher.

Theophylline already has a narrow safe range, so even small bumps can bring on jitteriness, a racing or pounding heart, nausea, trouble sleeping, or feeling wired. Keep in mind this concern is theoretical, based on how the compounds behave rather than strong human studies, and an occasional cup is different from heavy daily drinking. It is worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor about your tea habit.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Carrillo JA, Benitez J. Clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions between dietary caffeine and medications. Clin Pharmacokinet 2000;39:127-53. PubMed
  2. Sato J, Nakata H, Owada E, et al. Influence of usual intake of dietary caffeine on single-dose kinetics of theophylline in healthy human subjects. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1993;44:295-8. PubMed
  3. Jonkman JH, Sollie FA, Sauter R, Steinijans VW. The influence of caffeine on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of theophylline. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1991;49:248-55. PubMed
Moderate

PHENOBARBITAL (Luminal)

4 of 4
Theoretically, pu-erh tea might reduce the effects of phenobarbital and increase the risk for convulsions.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Animal research suggests that caffeine can decrease the anticonvulsant activity of phenobarbital. The exact mechanism of this interaction is unclear.
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 thing to know about this combo. Your Tedral product contains phenobarbital, which is used in part for its anti-seizure (anticonvulsant) effect. Pu-erh tea naturally has caffeine in it, and animal studies hint that caffeine might blunt how well phenobarbital holds seizures in check. In plain terms, a lot of caffeine could theoretically make the phenobarbital work a little less effectively against convulsions. I want to stress this is theoretical, based on pharmacology and animal data, not strong human studies.

An occasional cup of pu-erh likely won't be a problem for most people, but heavy daily tea drinking or concentrated supplement doses are worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before you change anything.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gasior, M., Borowicz, K., Buszewicz, G., Kleinrok, Z., and Czuczwar, S. J. Anticonvulsant activity of phenobarbital and valproate against maximal electroshock in mice during chronic treatment with caffeine and caffeine discontinuation. Epilepsia 1996;37(3 PubMed
  2. Jankiewicz, K., Chroscinska-Krawczyk, M., Blaszczyk, B., and Czuczwar, S. J. [Caffeine and antiepileptic drugs: experimental and clinical data]. Przegl.Lek. 2007;64(11):965-967.
  3. Chroscinska-Krawczyk, M., Jargiello-Baszak, M., Walek, M., Tylus, B., and Czuczwar, S. J. Caffeine and the anticonvulsant potency of antiepileptic drugs: experimental and clinical data. Pharmacol.Rep. 2011;63(1):12-18. 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

Pu-erh Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pu-erh Tea has 8 major, 448 moderate, 210 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 8 Moderate 448 Minor 210 No known interaction 2,164 (incl. Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline)
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 Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline

This page covers Pu-erh Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Black Tea (major) and Caffeine (major).

By severity: 22 major · 140 moderate · 22 minor.

Open the Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pu-erh Tea and Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline
Top 5%

#121 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
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.

8Major
448Moderate
210Minor
2,163No known interaction
8 Major 448 Moderate 210 Minor 2,163 No interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

448 interactions

Showing 60 of 448 moderate interactions — see all 448 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 Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline, 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 Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline, ranked by severity 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 Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pu-erh Tea with Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 4 interactions listed for Pu-erh Tea and Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline?
Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline 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 Ephedrine, Phenobarbital, Theophylline interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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.