Drug & supplement interaction

Rehmannia + Trimethaphan

Trimethaphan brand name: Arfonad.

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

Rehmannia has a moderate interaction with Trimethaphan. Theoretically, rehmannia might increase the risk of hypotension when taken with antihypertensive drugs.

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

Rehmannia and Trimethaphan

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Trimethaphan

Trimethaphan falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Rehmannia interacts with.

Theoretically, rehmannia might increase the risk of hypotension when taken with antihypertensive drugs.
Animal research shows that rehmannia may have hypotensive effects. Laboratory research shows that formulations of dried and processed rehmannia root inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).
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

Trimethaphan is a powerful intravenous medicine that hospitals once used to bring down very high blood pressure quickly. Because its whole job is to lower blood pressure, adding anything else that also drops it can stack the effect. That's the concern here: lab and animal studies suggest Rehmannia may lower blood pressure too, possibly in part by blocking an enzyme (ACE) that helps control it.

If both pushed in the same direction, you could see blood pressure fall too far, with dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, or a fast heartbeat. I'll be honest though, this is only a theoretical concern from early research, not proven in people. Trimethaphan is given in carefully monitored hospital settings anyway, so mention any supplements to your care team and don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Chao CH, Hsu JL, Chen MF, et al. Anti-hypertensive effects of Radix Rehmanniae and its active ingredients. Nat Prod Res. 2020;34(11):1547-1552.

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

Rehmannia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rehmannia has 257 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Trimethaphan one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 257 No known interaction 2,573 (incl. Trimethaphan)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rehmannia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Trimethaphan

This page covers Rehmannia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Trimethaphan page lists 136 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), Tyramine (major) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 111 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Trimethaphan page

“Trimethaphan (Arfonad) is given by IV to drop blood pressure quickly, often during surgery or a hypertensive emergency, so I would read this list with real vigilance rather than a shrug. Of the 136 flagged ingredients, nearly all act on blood pressure itself, some adding to the drug's lowering effect and others, tyramine being the clea…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Trimethaphan interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 861 real supplement products containing Rehmannia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rehmannia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Trimethaphan too, on top of Rehmannia — 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 Rehmannia and Trimethaphan 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 Rehmannia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Trimethaphan
Top 10%

#171 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 Rehmannia

What is Rehmannia?

  • Kidney and adrenal support
  • Anemia and blood building (traditional)
  • Inflammatory conditions
  • Allergies
  • Fatigue and aging-related complaints

Rehmannia is a root used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine, often to 'tonify' the kidneys and support energy or blood health. Human evidence for most modern uses is limited, so it should be viewed as unproven rather than reliable. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Rehmannia monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rehmannia

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

0Major
257Moderate
0Minor
2,572No known interaction
257 Moderate 2,572 No interaction
Moderate

257 interactions

Showing 60 of 257 moderate interactions — see all 257 on the Rehmannia page.

No interaction 2,572 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,572 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rehmannia list.

See the full Rehmannia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Trimethaphan, 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
Rehmannia monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Trimethaphan supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Trimethaphan, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Rehmannia and Trimethaphan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rehmannia with Trimethaphan?
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 Rehmannia and Trimethaphan 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 Trimethaphan and Rehmannia?

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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.