Drug & supplement interaction

Pu-erh Tea + Etonogestrel

Etonogestrel brand name: Implanon.

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

Etonogestrel falls into 2 drug categories that Pu-erh Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the levels and adverse effects of caffeine.

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 Etonogestrel

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. Etonogestrel 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

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) INHIBITORS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Etonogestrel

Etonogestrel falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) INHIBITORS — the group Pu-erh Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the levels and adverse effects of caffeine.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is metabolized by CYP1A2. Theoretically, drugs that inhibit CYP1A2 may decrease the clearance rate of caffeine from pu-erh tea and increase caffeine levels.
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 key thing to understand: this interaction is really about the caffeine in pu-erh tea, not about your birth control implant itself. The concern on file is that drugs which slow down a liver enzyme called CYP1A2 could let caffeine linger longer in your body, possibly leaving you feeling jittery, restless, or with a racing heart or trouble sleeping.

For etonogestrel specifically, this is mostly theoretical and based on lab reasoning, not strong human studies. Etonogestrel isn't a major blocker of that enzyme, so any real effect on your caffeine levels is likely small. Your implant's effectiveness isn't reduced by drinking tea. If you notice caffeine bothering you more than usual, just cut back, and check with your pharmacist if you have questions.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Weisburger JH. Tea and health: the underlying mechanisms. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1999;220:271-5. PubMed
  2. Hagg S, Spigset O, Mjorndal T, Dahlqvist R. Effect of caffeine on clozapine pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2000;49:59-63. PubMed
  3. Carrillo JA, Benitez J. Clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions between dietary caffeine and medications. Clin Pharmacokinet 2000;39:127-53. PubMed
  4. Kot, M. and Daniel, W. A. Effect of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and ticlopidine on CYP1A2 activity and caffeine metabolism: an in vitro comparative study with human cDNA-expressed CYP1A2 and liver microsomes. Pharmacol Rep. 2009;61(6):1216-1220. PubMed
  5. Wojcikowski, J. and Daniel, W. A. Perazine at therapeutic drug concentrations inhibits human cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2 (CYP1A2) and caffeine metabolism--an in vitro study. Pharmacol Rep. 2009;61(5):851-858. PubMed
  6. Wang, X. and Yeung, J. H. Effects of the aqueous extract from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge on caffeine pharmacokinetics and liver microsomal CYP1A2 activity in humans and rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2010;62(8):1077-1083.
  7. Kot M, Daniel WA. Caffeine as a marker substrate for testing cytochrome P450 activity in human and rat. Pharmacol Rep 2008;60:789-97.
  8. Kjaerstad MB, Nielsen F, Nohr-Jensen L, et al. Systemic uptake of miconazole during vaginal suppository use and effect on CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 associated enzyme activities in women. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2010;66:1189-97. PubMed
  9. Goh BC, Reddy NJ, Dandamudi UB, et al. An evaluation of the drug interaction potential of pazopanib, an oral vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, using a modified Cooperstown 5+1 cocktail in patients with advanced solid t
  10. Chen Y, Kang Z, Yan J, et al. Liu wei di huang wan, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine induces CYP1A2 while suppressing CYP2A6 and N-acetyltransferase 2 acivities in man. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;132:213-8.
  11. Suzuki S, Murayama Y, Sugiyama E, et al. Estimating pediatric doses of drugs metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, based on physiological liver development and serum protein levels. Yakugaku Zasshi 2010;130:613-20. PubMed
  12. Chien CF, Wu YT, Lee WC, et al. Herb-drug interaction of Andrographis paniculata extract and andrographolide on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline in rats. Chem Biol Interact 2010;184:458-65. PubMed
  13. Mills BM, Zaya MJ, Walters RR, et al. Current cytochrome P450 phenotyping methods applied to metabolic drug -drug interaction prediction in dogs. Drug Metab Dispos 2010;38:396-404. PubMed
  14. Turpault S, Brian W, Van Horn R, et al. Pharmacokinetic assessment of a five-probe cocktail for CYPs 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2009;68:928-35. PubMed
  15. Filimonova AA, Ziganshina LE, Ziganshin AU, Chichirov AA. On the possibility of patient phenotyping on the basis of cytochrome p-450 1A2 isoenzyme activity using caffeine as the test substrate. Eksp Klin Farmakol 2009;72:61-5.
  16. Jenkins J, Williams D, Deng Y, et al. Eltrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist, has no impact on the pharmacokinetic profile of probe drugs for cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in healthy men: a cocktail analysis.
  17. Perera, V., Gross, A. S., and McLachlan, A. J. Caffeine and paraxanthine HPLC assay for CYP1A2 phenotype assessment using saliva and plasma. Biomed.Chromatogr. 2010;24(10):1136-1144. PubMed
  18. Izzo, A. A. and Ernst, E. Interactions between herbal medicines and prescribed drugs: an updated systematic review. Drugs 2009;69(13):1777-1798. PubMed
Minor

CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS

2 of 2

Etonogestrel also falls under CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the effects and adverse effects of caffeine found in pu-erh tea.
Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. Oral contraceptive drugs can decrease caffeine clearance by 40% to 65%.
Severity Minor 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 about this pairing: it actually works the other way around from what you might expect. Your etonogestrel implant (Implanon) doesn't get changed by the tea. Instead, the hormone can slow down how fast your body clears caffeine. So the caffeine in your pu-erh tea may stick around longer and hit a little harder.

In real life, that might mean you feel jittery, have trouble sleeping, notice a racing heart, or feel more wired than usual from the same cup. This is rated minor and is mostly theoretical, so it's not dangerous. If you're caffeine-sensitive, just go easy on strong or multiple cups, and chat with your pharmacist if you have questions.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Pollock BG, Wylie M, Stack JA, et al. Inhibition of caffeine metabolism by estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. J Clin Pharmacol 1999;39:936-40. PubMed
  2. Abernethy DR, Todd EL. Impairment of caffeine clearance by chronic use of low-dose oestrogen-containing oral contraceptives. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1985;28:425-8. 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 9 major, 447 moderate, 210 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Etonogestrel 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. Etonogestrel)
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 Etonogestrel

This page covers Pu-erh Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Etonogestrel page lists 175 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 135 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Etonogestrel page

“St. John's wort is the supplement to understand first if you use etonogestrel (Implanon), because it revs up the liver enzyme that clears the hormone and can leave you with less pregnancy protection than you think you have.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Etonogestrel interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pu-erh Tea and Etonogestrel 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Etonogestrel
Steady interest

#1,628 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.

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 Etonogestrel, 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 Etonogestrel supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Etonogestrel, 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 Etonogestrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pu-erh Tea with Etonogestrel?
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 Etonogestrel?
Etonogestrel 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 Etonogestrel 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.