Drug & supplement interaction

Quercetin + Cefepime

Cefepime brand name: Maxipime.

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

Cefepime falls into 2 drug categories that Quercetin can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the effects and adverse effects of OAT3 substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Quercetin and Cefepime

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Quercetin interacts with whole categories of medication. Cefepime falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Quercetin in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Cefepime

Cefepime falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 3 (OAT3) SUBSTRATES — the group Quercetin interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the effects and adverse effects of OAT3 substrates.

In vitro research shows that quercetin is a strong non-competitive inhibitor of OAT3, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values as low as 0.75 mcM. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 cefepime (Maxipime): your kidneys help clear this antibiotic out of your body, partly using a little transporter called OAT3. In lab dish studies, quercetin blocks that transporter. The theory is that if it slows the exit door, cefepime could hang around at higher levels than expected.

What might that look like? More of cefepime's typical side effects, and at very high levels this drug can occasionally cause confusion or even seizures, especially in people with reduced kidney function. That said, this is only seen in test tubes so far, never reported in real patients, and food amounts of quercetin are very unlikely to matter. If you're on a concentrated supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Li C, Wang X, Bi Y, et al. Potent Inhibitors of Organic Anion Transporters 1 and 3 From Natural Compounds and Their Protective Effect on Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy. Toxicol Sci. 2020;175(2):279-291. PubMed
  2. Ni Y, Duan Z, Zhou D, et al. Identification of Structural Features for the Inhibition of OAT3-Mediated Uptake of Enalaprilat by Selected Drugs and Flavonoids. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:802. PubMed
Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Cefepime also falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the effects and adverse effects of OAT1 substrates.

In vitro research shows that quercetin is a strong non-competitive inhibitor of OAT1, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values less than 10 mcM. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 basic idea with cefepime and quercetin. Your kidneys clear cefepime out of your body partly through a little transporter called OAT1, almost like a pump that moves the drug into your urine. In lab dish studies, quercetin can block that pump. If that happened in a real person, cefepime could clear more slowly and build up a bit, which in theory could raise the odds of side effects. With cefepime specifically, higher levels are linked to nervous system effects like confusion, twitching, or in rare cases seizures, especially if your kidneys are already weak.

I want to be honest about how soft this is. This comes only from test-tube research and has not been seen in actual patients. Food amounts of quercetin almost certainly don't matter. If you're on cefepime and thinking about a high-dose supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ni Y, Duan Z, Zhou D, et al. Identification of Structural Features for the Inhibition of OAT3-Mediated Uptake of Enalaprilat by Selected Drugs and Flavonoids. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:802. 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

Quercetin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Quercetin has 1,168 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cefepime one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,168 No known interaction 1,662 (incl. Cefepime)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Quercetin

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cefepime

This page covers Quercetin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cefepime page lists 43 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Aristolochia (moderate) and Bacillus Coagulans (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 39 moderate · 2 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cefepime page

“Cefepime (Maxipime) is a strong hospital antibiotic reserved for serious infections, and its interaction list warrants genuine caution, led by two major-rated herbs that can harm the kidneys: Siberian cocklebur and asarabacca, which is often contaminated with aristolochic acid, a kidney toxin the FDA considers unsafe. That matters more…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cefepime interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,589 real supplement products containing Quercetin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Quercetin. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cefepime too, on top of Quercetin — 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 Quercetin and Cefepime 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 Quercetin
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cefepime
Top half

#873 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 Quercetin

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin
  • Seasonal allergies
  • Antioxidant support
  • Heart and blood pressure health
  • Anti-inflammatory support
  • Immune support
  • Exercise recovery

Quercetin is a plant flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties found in many common foods and sold as a supplement. While early research is interesting for allergies, blood pressure, and inflammation, strong human evidence is limited for most uses. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking high-dose supplements.

Read the full Quercetin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cefepime Injection

What Is Cefepime Injection Used For?

Brand name: Maxipime

Cefepime injection is used to treat a range of serious bacterial infections in adults and children. These include moderate-to-severe pneumonia, uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infections (including pyelonephritis, a kidney infection), uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections, and empiric therapy (treatment started before a specific germ is confirmed) for fever in patients with very low white blood cell counts (febrile neutropenia).

In adults, cefepime injection is also used to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections — but only when given together with another antibiotic called metronidazole. The intramuscular (IM) route is indicated only for mild-to-moderate uncomplicated or complicated urinary tract infections caused by E. coli.

See full Cefepime Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Quercetin

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

0Major
1,168Moderate
0Minor
1,661No known interaction
1,168 Moderate 1,661 No interaction
Moderate

1,168 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,168 moderate interactions — see all 1,168 on the Quercetin page.

No interaction 1,661 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,661 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Quercetin list.

See the full Quercetin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cefepime, 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
Quercetin monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Cefepime supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Cefepime, ranked by severity Cefepime Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Quercetin and Cefepime Together: Common Questions

Can you take Quercetin with Cefepime?
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 Quercetin and Cefepime?
Cefepime belongs to more than one drug category, and Quercetin 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 Quercetin and Cefepime 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

Still Have a Question About Cefepime and Quercetin?

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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.