Drug & supplement interaction

Quassia + Cyclothiazide

Cyclothiazide brand names: Fluidil, Anhydron.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Quassia has a moderate interaction with Cyclothiazide. Overuse of quassia might compound diuretic-induced potassium loss.

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

Quassia and Cyclothiazide

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Cyclothiazide

Cyclothiazide falls under DIURETIC DRUGS — the group Quassia interacts with.

Overuse of quassia might compound diuretic-induced potassium loss. There is some concern that people taking quassia along with potassium depleting diuretics might have an increased risk for hypokalemia. Initiation of potassium supplementation or an increase in potassium supplement dose may be necessary for some patients.
Some diuretics that can deplete potassium include chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, Microzide), and others.
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 for Cyclothiazide: it's a thiazide-type water pill, and one of its built-in effects is flushing extra potassium out of your body through your urine. The thinking here is that quassia, especially in large or concentrated amounts, might add to that potassium loss. So stacking the two could push your potassium a little lower than the diuretic would on its own.

If potassium drops too far, you might feel muscle weakness or cramps, fatigue, or notice an irregular heartbeat. I want to be honest, though: this concern is theoretical, based on how these things work rather than solid human studies, and an occasional bitter tonic isn't the same as steady high doses. Still, since this matters most for folks on a potassium-depleting diuretic, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, and don't change anything on your own.

References
  1. Robbers JE, Speedie MK, Tyler VE. Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.

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

Quassia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Quassia has 161 moderate, 36 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Cyclothiazide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Quassia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cyclothiazide

This page covers Quassia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cyclothiazide page lists 210 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 10 major · 175 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cyclothiazide page

“Cyclothiazide (Fluidil, Anhydron) is a thiazide diuretic for high blood pressure and fluid retention, and its 210 supplement interactions warrant real vigilance, especially the ten rated major. Most entries pull in one of two directions.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cyclothiazide interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Quassia as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 172 real supplement products containing Quassia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Quassia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cyclothiazide too, on top of Quassia — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Quassia and Cyclothiazide 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 Quassia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cyclothiazide
Top half

#1,252 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 Quassia

What is Quassia?

  • Loss of appetite
  • Digestive upset
  • Head lice (topical)
  • Intestinal worms/parasites
  • Bitter tonic

Quassia is a tropical wood known for its very bitter taste, traditionally used as a digestive bitter and as a folk remedy for parasites and head lice. Human evidence for these uses is limited, and high doses may irritate the stomach, so it should be used cautiously and avoided in pregnancy.

Read the full Quassia monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Quassia

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

0Major
161Moderate
36Minor
2,632No known interaction
Moderate

161 interactions

Showing 60 of 161 moderate interactions — see all 161 on the Quassia page.

Minor

36 interactions

No interaction 2,632 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Quassia and Cyclothiazide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Quassia with Cyclothiazide?
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.
How serious is the Quassia and Cyclothiazide 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.