Drug & supplement interaction

Puravive + Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol brand names: Ortho-Cept 28, Ortho-Cept 21, Marvelon 21, Marvelon 28, Desogen, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated February 2024
The bottom line Moderate

Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls into 3 drug categories that Puravive can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Puravive contains quercetin, which has been shown in studies to mildly inhibit the CYP2C9 metabolizing enzyme.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Puravive and Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Puravive interacts with whole categories of medication. Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Puravive in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

1 of 3

Why this applies to Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls under Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates — the group Puravive interacts with.

Puravive contains quercetin, which has been shown in studies to mildly inhibit the CYP2C9 metabolizing enzyme. This inhibition could potentially increase the risk of side effects from drugs. A small clinical trial with healthy volunteers found that taking 500 mg of quercetin twice daily for 10 days before using diclofenac, a drug metabolized by CYP2C9, increased diclofenac plasma levels by 75% and extended its half-life by 32.5% (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29168292/). Combining quercetin with drugs metabolized by CYP2C9 could increase the risk of side effects, so caution is advised.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence C

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. Puravive contains quercetin, which can gently slow down a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. Your birth control pill (desogestrel with ethinyl estradiol) is partly handled by enzymes like this one, so in theory the hormone levels in your blood could run a little higher than usual. The pill is the active medicine, not a prodrug, so slowing its breakdown would mean more hormone hanging around, not less.

In real life this is a mild, possible interaction backed by limited evidence (the strongest study used a different drug, diclofenac). If anything, you might notice more typical pill side effects like nausea, breast tenderness, headaches, or spotting. It shouldn't lower how well your pill prevents pregnancy. Still, check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing the two.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
Minor

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

2 of 3

Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol also falls under Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates.

Puravive contains Panax ginseng. Panax ginseng has the potential to affect the breakdown of drugs that are metabolized by an enzyme called CYP3A4. One example of such a drug is imatinib. There was a case where imatinib was thought to have caused liver damage, and it was believed that this might have been due to Panax ginseng inhibiting CYP3A4, which is involved in imatinib's metabolism (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20332334/). On the other hand, Panax ginseng has been found to increase the breakdown of another drug called midazolam, which is also metabolized by CYP3A4 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21646440/), suggesting Panax ginseng induces CYP3A4 in some cases (i.e., makes more potent). Given these contradictory findings, it is important to use Panax ginseng cautiously if you are taking medications that are metabolized by CYP3A4, as the interaction between Panax ginseng and these drugs is not fully understood.
Severity Minor 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

Your birth control pill combines desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and both hormones are partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Puravive contains Panax ginseng, which has shown mixed effects on this enzyme. In some studies it speeds the enzyme up (which could lower hormone levels and, in theory, make the pill slightly less reliable), while in others it slows the enzyme down (which could raise hormone levels and nudge up side effects like nausea, breast tenderness, or breakthrough bleeding).

Honestly, the evidence here is weak and contradictory, so this is rated a minor, mostly theoretical concern. Since unplanned pregnancy is a serious outcome, I'd still run Puravive past your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, and consider a backup method if you do.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
Minor

P-Glycoprotein Substrates

3 of 3

Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol also falls under P-Glycoprotein Substrates.

Puravive contains quercetin. Theoretically, concurrent use of quercetin and P-glycoprotein substrates might alter the effects and adverse effects of the drugs. There is preliminary evidence suggesting that quercetin inhibits the P-glycoprotein efflux pump in the gastrointestinal tract. This inhibition could potentially increase the bioavailability and serum levels of drugs transported by this pump. For example, a small study in healthy volunteers found that pretreatment with quercetin increased bioavailability and plasma levels following a single dose of cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15581264/). However, other small studies have shown that quercetin might decrease the absorption of talinolol, another substrate of the gastrointestinal P-glycoprotein efflux pump. Interestingly, several days of quercetin treatment did not significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of saquinavir (Invirase) in another small study (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16945047/). The reason for these discrepancies is not entirely clear. Until more is known, it is advisable to use quercetin cautiously in combination with P-glycoprotein substrates.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence C

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 short version on combining Puravive with your birth control pill (desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol). Puravive contains quercetin, which lab studies suggest may block a transport pump called P-glycoprotein in your gut. Your pill is handled in part by that pump, so in theory quercetin could nudge slightly more of the hormones into your bloodstream. That might mean a small bump in typical estrogen-related effects like nausea, breast tenderness, or bloating.

I want to be honest though: this is theoretical and based on weak, mixed evidence, so it's rated minor. It does not seem to weaken your pill or raise pregnancy risk. Still, before you start any Puravive, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor, especially since this product isn't well studied.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction

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

Puravive Also Interacts With Other Medications

Puravive has 356 moderate, 881 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 356 Minor 881 No known interaction 1,593 (incl. Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Puravive

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Puravive or Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Puravive or Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

This page covers Puravive only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol page lists 246 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 201 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol page

“St. John's Wort is the supplement I would flag first for anyone on desogestrel with ethinyl estradiol (Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Marvelon).”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Puravive and Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 Puravive
Steady interest

#1,298 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol
Top 25%

#400 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 Puravive

What is Puravive?

Puravive
  • Weight management
  • Metabolism support
  • Energy levels
  • General wellness
  • Stress and brain health

Puravive is a branded, multi-ingredient capsule marketed mainly for weight loss by claiming to boost brown fat activity, but there is no published, independent clinical research showing the product itself works for this purpose. Some individual ingredients have been studied in laboratory or small human studies, but those results do not prove the finished blend is safe or effective. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have health conditions or take medications.

Read the full Puravive monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Puravive

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

0Major
356Moderate
881Minor
1,592No known interaction
356 Moderate 881 Minor 1,592 No interaction
Moderate

356 interactions

Showing 60 of 356 moderate interactions — see all 356 on the Puravive page.

Minor

881 interactions

Showing 60 of 881 minor interactions — see all 881 on the Puravive page.

No interaction 1,592 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,592 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Puravive list.

See the full Puravive interactions page
See every supplement checked against Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol, 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
Puravive monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol, 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 Puravive and Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Puravive with Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
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 3 interactions listed for Puravive and Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol belongs to more than one drug category, and Puravive 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 Puravive and Desogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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.