Drug & supplement interaction

Quillaia + Bempedoic Acid

Bempedoic Acid brand name: Nexletol.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid 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.

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Interaction report

Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid

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 Bempedoic Acid and Quillaia 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.

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.

Quillaia safety at a glance

Quillaia overall Use caution Generally recognized as safe in the small amounts used in foods, but larger or concentrated doses may be harmful.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used in medicinal amounts; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used in medicinal amounts; avoid using. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Bempedoic Acid and Quillaia? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Bempedoic Acid

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Bempedoic Acid is filed under 2 classifications — organic anion transporter 3 (oat3) substrates, oral drugs. Quillaia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Bempedoic Acid’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Quillaia Does Interact With Other Medications

Quillaia has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Bempedoic Acid isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 No known interaction 2,709 (incl. Bempedoic Acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Quillaia

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid 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.

  • Kidney problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Quillaia

    “Orally, quillaia seems to be well tolerated when consumed in foods; however, it is associated with significant adverse effects at higher doses due to its oxalate and tannin content. A thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Coma, convulsions, diarrhea, gastrointestinal tract mucosal damage, hemolysis, and kidney failure.”

    Quillaia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    “Orally, quillaia combines with calcium to form crystals of calcium oxalate which can precipitate in the renal tubules and cause acute kidney failure (12).”

    Quillaia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in kidney failure.

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

    Bempedoic Acid

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

  • Stomach pain Additional detail

    Quillaia

    “Orally, large amounts of quillaia are associated with diarrhea, stomach pain, and other gastrointestinal disturbances. Quillaia powder can be caustic to esophageal and gastrointestinal mucosae (12).”

    Quillaia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

    Bempedoic Acid

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

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Quillaia

    Recorded for Quillaia in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Kidney problems above.

    Bempedoic Acid

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

Reported for Quillaia but not commonly for Bempedoic Acid: stomach upset and seizures.

Effects for Bempedoic Acid come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Quillaia come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 3,204 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Bempedoic Acid that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Quillaia in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used in medicinal amounts; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Bempedoic Acid Is Prescribed For, and What Quillaia Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Bempedoic Acid is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Quillaia is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Bempedoic Acid is prescribed for: Nexletol (bempedoic acid) is used in adults to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events — including cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and procedures to open blocked arteries — in people at increased cardiovascular risk who are unable to take recommended statin therapy. Nexletol is also used alongside diet and exercise to lower LDL cholesterol in adults with high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), including a genetic form called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). It can be used with other cholesterol-lowering medicines or alone when combining with another therapy isn't possible.

Quillaia has been studied for:

  • Hypercholesterolemia studied, not established Quillaia has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Quillaia for hypercholesterolemia

    Oral quillaia has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Bempedoic Acid on your own; if you are taking Quillaia for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Quillaia or Bempedoic Acid

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

This page covers Quillaia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bempedoic Acid page lists 21 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Banderol (moderate), Caffeic Acid (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 11 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Bempedoic Acid page

“Activated charcoal is the ingredient I would rule out entirely on bempedoic acid (Nexletol), a daily tablet for lowering LDL cholesterol. It carries the only major rating of the 21 ingredients on file because it can trap the drug in the gut and shrink the dose your body absorbs.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Bempedoic Acid interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid 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 Quillaia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Bempedoic Acid
Top half

#749 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 Quillaia reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid 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 Quillaia

What is Quillaia?

  • Cough and chest congestion
  • Foaming agent in beverages
  • Vaccine adjuvant (in pharmaceutical manufacturing)
  • Washing and cleansing (traditional soap)
  • Skin conditions

Quillaia (soap bark tree) is a plant whose bark contains foaming compounds called saponins, and it is widely used as an emulsifier in foods and drinks. As a supplement or herbal remedy its benefits are not well proven, and large amounts can be irritating or toxic, so it should be used cautiously and only as directed.

Quillaja saponaria · Quillajaceae · Inner bark · Liquid extract, powder, food and beverage additive, tinctures

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

Quillaia: dosing

There is no well-established standardized supplement dose for quillaia. The amounts used as a food and beverage additive are tightly limited by safety regulations.If you choose to use a quillaia product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Quillaia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bempedoic Acid

What Is Bempedoic Acid Used For?

Brand name: Nexletol

Nexletol (bempedoic acid) is used in adults to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events — including cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and procedures to open blocked arteries — in people at increased cardiovascular risk who are unable to take recommended statin therapy.

Nexletol is also used alongside diet and exercise to lower LDL cholesterol in adults with high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), including a genetic form called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). It can be used with other cholesterol-lowering medicines or alone when combining with another therapy isn't possible.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Bempedoic Acid

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (3,204 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Myalgia 454 reports
Arthralgia 301 reports
Pain in extremity 203 reports
Muscle spasms 202 reports
Nausea 172 reports
See full Bempedoic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Quillaia

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
121 Moderate 2,708 No interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Quillaia page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,708 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Quillaia list.

See the full Quillaia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Bempedoic Acid, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Quillaia References

The 5 references that drive our Quillaia 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  3. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  4. Wu JY, Gardner BH, Murphy CI, et al. Saponin adjuvant enhancement of antigen-specific immune responses to an experimental HIV-1 vaccine. J Immunol 1992;148:1519-25. DOI
  5. Fleck JD, Betti AH, da Silva FP, et al. Saponins from Quillaja saponaria and Quillaja brasiliensis: particular chemical characteristics and biological activities. Molecules 2019;24(1). pii: E171. PubMed

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 Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Quillaia with Bempedoic Acid?
We do not list a known interaction between Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid. 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 Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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.
Are Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Quillaia in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Bempedoic Acid is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Quillaia and Bempedoic Acid combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Bempedoic Acid is filed under 2 classifications, and Quillaia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Bempedoic Acid's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Quillaia interact with any other medications?
Yes. Quillaia has 121 documented drug interactions in our database — Bempedoic Acid is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Bempedoic Acid interact with any supplements?
Yes. Bempedoic Acid has documented interactions with 21 supplements in our database — Quillaia is not one of them. The Bempedoic Acid interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Quillaia monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Bempedoic Acid drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Bempedoic Acid supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Bempedoic Acid, 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 References The 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Bempedoic Acid and Quillaia?

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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.