Drug & supplement interaction

Rooibos + Dexchlorpheniramine

Dexchlorpheniramine brand names: Polaramine, Polaramine Repetabs.

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

Rooibos has a moderate interaction with Dexchlorpheniramine. Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP3A4 substrates may increase the effects of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

Rooibos and Dexchlorpheniramine

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Dexchlorpheniramine

Dexchlorpheniramine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Rooibos interacts with.

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP3A4 substrates may increase the effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems strongly inhibits CYP3A4 enzyme activity.
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 short version: your body uses a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear dexchlorpheniramine. In test-tube studies, rooibos extract seemed to slow that enzyme down. If that happened in real life, your allergy medicine could hang around longer and feel a bit stronger. With an antihistamine like this, that mostly means more drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, or feeling foggy and dizzy.

Now the reassuring part. This is only a theoretical concern based on lab work, not real people, and a regular cup of rooibos tea is very unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated rooibos extracts are the bigger question mark. If you take those, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fantoukh OI, Dale OR, Parveen A, et al. Safety Assessment of Phytochemicals Derived from the Globalized South African Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis) through Interaction with CYP, PXR, and P-gp. J Agric Food Chem. 2019;67(17):4967-4975.

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

Rooibos Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rooibos has 880 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Dexchlorpheniramine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 880 No known interaction 1,950 (incl. Dexchlorpheniramine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rooibos

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Rooibos or Dexchlorpheniramine

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

This page covers Rooibos only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dexchlorpheniramine page lists 198 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Henbane (major), Lithium (major) and Scopolia (major).

By severity: 6 major · 149 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dexchlorpheniramine page

“An allergy antihistamine like dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine) sounds mild, but its interaction list warrants genuine care, and six of the 198 entries carry a major rating. The biggest cluster, 121 ingredients, can raise or lower the drug's blood levels through the liver enzyme that breaks it down.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dexchlorpheniramine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 142 real supplement products containing Rooibos, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rooibos. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dexchlorpheniramine too, on top of Rooibos — 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 Rooibos and Dexchlorpheniramine 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 Rooibos
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dexchlorpheniramine
Steady interest

#2,167 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 Rooibos

What is Rooibos?

Rooibos
  • Caffeine-free beverage
  • Antioxidant support
  • Heart health
  • Blood sugar support
  • Digestive upset
  • General wellness

Rooibos is a caffeine-free herbal tea from South Africa that is rich in antioxidants and generally considered safe as a beverage. While lab and early studies suggest possible benefits for heart health, blood sugar, and inflammation, strong human evidence is lacking for most medical uses. Enjoy it as a tea, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts for health reasons.

Read the full Rooibos monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Chlorpheniramine

What Is Chlorpheniramine Used For?

Brand names: Polaramine, Polaramine Repetabs

Chlorpheniramine temporarily relieves symptoms of hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and other upper respiratory allergies. These symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and itching of the nose or throat.

It treats symptoms only. The products listed here share this same use, including the tablets, the extended-release tablets (Allergy Relief, Chlorphen-12), Ed Chlorped Jr liquid, and the ClorRelief oral sprays.

See full Chlorpheniramine drug information Chlorpheniramine Maleate NDC codes and packages
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rooibos

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

0Major
880Moderate
0Minor
1,949No known interaction
880 Moderate 1,949 No interaction
Moderate

880 interactions

Showing 60 of 880 moderate interactions — see all 880 on the Rooibos page.

No interaction 1,949 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,949 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rooibos list.

See the full Rooibos interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dexchlorpheniramine, 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
Rooibos monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Dexchlorpheniramine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Dexchlorpheniramine, ranked by severity Chlorpheniramine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Chlorpheniramine Maleate NDC codes and packages › Every package, labeler and price in the FDA directory 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 Rooibos and Dexchlorpheniramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rooibos with Dexchlorpheniramine?
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 Rooibos and Dexchlorpheniramine 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 Dexchlorpheniramine and Rooibos?

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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.