Drug & supplement interaction

Pyrethrum + Methylphenidate

Methylphenidate brand names: Ritalin, Ritalin-SR, Concerta, Methylin, Metadate, and others.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Methylphenidate and Pyrethrum in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Pyrethrum at all — not against Methylphenidate, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Pyrethrum safety at a glance

Pyrethrum overall Use caution Pyrethrum is an insecticide, not a dietary supplement, and should not be taken internally.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid internal use and limit exposure to insecticide products during pregnancy due to lack of safety data.
Breastfeeding Avoid Avoid internal use while breastfeeding because safety has not been established.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Methylphenidate and Pyrethrum? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Pyrethrum

    “Pyrethrum has limited toxicity. The symptoms of overdose include headache, tinnitus, nausea, tingling of fingers and toes, respiratory disturbances, and other symptoms of neurotoxicity (18). The pyrethrum flower or derivatives of it might cause an allergic reaction in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family.”

    Pyrethrum · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Methylphenidate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Methylphenidate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Numbness or tingling / Headache / Nausea Additional detail

    Pyrethrum

    Recorded for Pyrethrum in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

    Methylphenidate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Methylphenidate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Pyrethrum but not commonly for Methylphenidate: ringing in the ears.

Effects for Methylphenidate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Pyrethrum come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

From our Q&A

Questions About Pyrethrum or Methylphenidate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Pyrethrum or Methylphenidate, 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 Methylphenidate

This page covers Pyrethrum only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methylphenidate page lists 85 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 64 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Methylphenidate page

“Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate) is itself a stimulant, and that one fact shapes most of this list. The largest cluster of interacting supplements adds a second stimulant on top of it, from ephedra and its relatives to everyday caffeine sources like coffee and green tea, which can push heart rate and blood pressure higher…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Methylphenidate interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate 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 Pyrethrum
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Methylphenidate
Top 10

#5 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Pyrethrum reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Pyrethrum

What is Pyrethrum?

  • Natural insect repellent
  • Killing fleas, lice, and other pests
  • Garden and household insecticide
  • Traditional use against parasites

Pyrethrum is a daisy-like flower whose extracts (called pyrethrins) are widely used as a natural insecticide for plants, pets, and lice. It is not a supplement meant to be taken by mouth, and there is no good evidence supporting any internal health use. If you use pyrethrum products, treat them as pesticides and follow label directions carefully.

Tanacetum cinerariifolium · Asteraceae · Dried flower heads · Insecticide powders, sprays, and extracts (pyrethrins); rarely used internally

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Pyrethrum is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Pyrethrum record says about it on its own.

Pyrethrum: dosing

There is no established or recommended internal dose for pyrethrum, and it should not be taken as a supplement. For insecticide, lice, or flea products, the correct amount depends entirely on the specific product.Always follow the directions on the product label exactly, and do not use more or more often than directed.

From our Pyrethrum monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Pyrethrum monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Methylphenidate

What Is Methylphenidate Used For?

Brand names: Ritalin, Ritalin-SR, Concerta, Methylin, Metadate, Metadate CD, Methylin ER, Ritalin LA, Aptensio XR, Quillivant Xr, Cotempla XR-ODT, Jornay PM, Relexxii

Methylphenidate treats ADHD across many oral and patch products. Age ranges differ by product. Some are approved for children 6 and older, some for children and teens, and some also for adults up to age 65.

Some immediate-release and certain extended-release methylphenidate tablets are also used for narcolepsy (a sleep disorder with sudden, overwhelming sleepiness). Methylphenidate oral solution and chewable tablets are described for attention deficit disorders in children, as part of a total treatment program that includes psychological, educational and social support. Not every product is approved for every use or age group.

See full Methylphenidate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pyrethrum

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Pyrethrum References

The 3 references that drive our Pyrethrum monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
  3. Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 4th ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1994.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Pyrethrum with Methylphenidate?
We do not list a known interaction between Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Pyrethrum and Methylphenidate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Does Methylphenidate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Methylphenidate has documented interactions with 85 supplements in our database — Pyrethrum is not one of them. The Methylphenidate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Methylphenidate and Pyrethrum?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.