Drug & supplement interaction

Red Raspberry + Cilostazol

Cilostazol brand name: Pletal.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Red Raspberry has a moderate interaction with Cilostazol. Theoretically, taking red raspberry leaf with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Red Raspberry and Cilostazol

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Cilostazol

Cilostazol falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Red Raspberry interacts with.

Theoretically, taking red raspberry leaf with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding.
In vitro research suggests that red raspberry leaf extract has antiplatelet activity and enhances the in vitro effects of the antiplatelet medication cangrelor. 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: Cilostazol (Pletal) is an antiplatelet medicine, meaning it helps keep your platelets from clumping so blood flows more easily to your legs. Red raspberry leaf has shown some mild antiplatelet activity too, but only in lab (test tube) studies. The thought is that pairing the two might add up and make bleeding a little more likely.

I want to be honest about how thin this evidence is. This has never actually been reported in people, only seen in a dish in a lab. So I wouldn't lose sleep over an occasional cup of raspberry leaf tea. Still, if you take concentrated supplement doses, watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums, and check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Dudzinska D, Bednarska K, Boncler M, Luzak B, Watala C. The influence of Rubus idaeus and Rubus caesius leaf extracts on platelet aggregation in whole blood. Cross-talk of platelets and neutrophils. Platelets. 2016;27(5):433-9.

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

Red Raspberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Red Raspberry has 134 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cilostazol 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 Red Raspberry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Red Raspberry or Cilostazol

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

This page covers Red Raspberry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cilostazol page lists 286 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 41 minor.

Open the Cilostazol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,303 real supplement products containing Red Raspberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Red Raspberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cilostazol too, on top of Red Raspberry — 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 Red Raspberry and Cilostazol 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 Red Raspberry
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cilostazol
Steady interest

#1,779 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 Red Raspberry

What is Red Raspberry?

  • Pregnancy and labor support
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Digestive upset and diarrhea
  • Sore throat and mouth rinse
  • Antioxidant support

Red raspberry leaf is a traditional herbal remedy most often used as a tea in late pregnancy and for menstrual discomfort, but solid scientific evidence for these uses is limited. It is generally considered well tolerated by most adults, but pregnant people should talk with their doctor or midwife before using it.

Read the full Red Raspberry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cilostazol

What Is Cilostazol Used For?

Brand name: Pletal

Cilostazol tablets are approved to reduce the symptoms of intermittent claudication (cramping leg pain that comes on during walking due to reduced blood flow in the arteries). The goal is to help you walk farther before pain forces you to stop.

See full Cilostazol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Red Raspberry

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

0Major
134Moderate
0Minor
2,695No known interaction
Moderate

134 interactions

Showing 60 of 134 moderate interactions — see all 134 on the Red Raspberry page.

No interaction 2,695 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Red Raspberry and Cilostazol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Red Raspberry with Cilostazol?
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 Red Raspberry and Cilostazol 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 Cilostazol and Red Raspberry?

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.