Drug & supplement interaction

Raspberry Ketone + Phenylephrine

Phenylephrine brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen.

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

Raspberry Ketone has a moderate interaction with Phenylephrine. Theoretically, raspberry ketone might increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular effects with stimulant drugs.

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

Raspberry Ketone and Phenylephrine

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

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

Why this applies to Phenylephrine

Phenylephrine falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Raspberry Ketone interacts with.

Theoretically, raspberry ketone might increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular effects with stimulant drugs.
Structurally, raspberry ketone resembles synephrine, a known stimulant agent. Heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure, coronary vasospasm, pulseless electrical activity arrest, and resistant polymorphic ventricular tachycardia have been reported in patients taking raspberry ketone.
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 thing to know if you're pairing raspberry ketone with phenylephrine. Phenylephrine is already a mild stimulant that works by tightening up blood vessels to ease congestion, and that can nudge your blood pressure up a bit. Raspberry ketone has a chemical shape similar to synephrine, a stimulant compound, so the worry is that stacking the two could add to that stimulant effect. You might notice a racing or pounding heart, jitteriness, or a higher blood pressure reading.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is mostly theoretical, based on the structure and a handful of anecdotal reports, not solid studies. For most people it may not cause trouble, but if you have heart issues or high blood pressure, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Adverse Event Report. Raspberry Ketone. Natural MedWatch, April 27, 2012.
  2. Ansari SA, Patel F, Ashouri D, Dhaliwal JSS, Desai A. Resistant Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient Taking Raspberry Ketones Weight Loss Supplement. Cureus 2022;14(12):e33089. PubMed
  3. Khattar A, Beeton I. Coronary vasospasm and raspberry ketones weight-loss supplement: Is there a connection? Anatol J Cardiol. 2020;24(3):205-208.

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

Raspberry Ketone Also Interacts With Other Medications

Raspberry Ketone has 173 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Phenylephrine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 173 No known interaction 2,657 (incl. Phenylephrine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Raspberry Ketone

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Raspberry Ketone or Phenylephrine

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

This page covers Raspberry Ketone only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenylephrine page lists 81 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 · 60 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenylephrine page

“If you take phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, Biorphen) for congestion, treat this list as one that needs real attention, since six of its 81 entries carry a major rating. Phenylephrine tightens blood vessels to clear your nose, and more than half of the interactions here come from stimulant ingredients, ephedra above all, that can push blood…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenylephrine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 682 real supplement products containing Raspberry Ketone, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Raspberry Ketone. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Phenylephrine too, on top of Raspberry Ketone — 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 Raspberry Ketone and Phenylephrine 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 Raspberry Ketone
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenylephrine
Top 25%

#444 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 Raspberry Ketone

What is Raspberry Ketone?

Raspberry Ketone
  • Weight loss
  • Fat burning
  • Boosting metabolism
  • Appetite support
  • General 'fat-burner' supplement

Raspberry ketone is a natural aroma compound found in red raspberries that is heavily marketed for weight loss, but there is no good human evidence that it helps people lose weight. Most claims come from lab and animal studies using doses far higher than what you could get from food or typical supplements. If you choose to try it, talk to your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Raspberry Ketone monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Phenylephrine

What Is Phenylephrine Used For?

Brand names: Gilchew, AH Chew D, Gilchew IR, Sudafed PE, Biorphen

Phenylephrine is used in several different products, and each one has its own use.

Injection (IV): raises blood pressure in adults with clinically important hypotension (low blood pressure) caused mainly by widened blood vessels. Some injections are labeled for anesthesia only. Others are labeled for anesthesia and septic shock.

Eye drops: Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is used to dilate the pupil.

Nasal products: temporarily relieve nasal and sinus congestion from the common cold, hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies.

Rectal suppositories: relieve itching, burning and discomfort from hemorrhoids and temporarily shrink hemorrhoidal tissue.

See full Phenylephrine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Raspberry Ketone

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

0Major
173Moderate
0Minor
2,656No known interaction
173 Moderate 2,656 No interaction
Moderate

173 interactions

Showing 60 of 173 moderate interactions — see all 173 on the Raspberry Ketone page.

No interaction 2,656 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,656 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Raspberry Ketone list.

See the full Raspberry Ketone interactions page
See every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, 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
Raspberry Ketone monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Phenylephrine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Phenylephrine, ranked by severity Phenylephrine 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 Raspberry Ketone and Phenylephrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Raspberry Ketone with Phenylephrine?
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 Raspberry Ketone and Phenylephrine 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 Phenylephrine and Raspberry Ketone?

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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.