Drug & supplement interaction

Rosemary + Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, and others.

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

Rosemary has a moderate interaction with Diclofenac Sodium. Theoretically, rosemary may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Rosemary and Diclofenac Sodium

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac Sodium falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Rosemary interacts with.

Theoretically, rosemary may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro and animal research suggests that rosemary inhibits platelet aggregation.
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 with rosemary and diclofenac. Diclofenac is an NSAID pain reliever, and on its own it can make your blood a little slower to clot. That's why NSAIDs sometimes cause easy bruising, stomach irritation, or bleeding. Rosemary, in lab and animal studies, seems to slow down platelets (the cells that help form clots) too. Stack the two and, in theory, you could nudge your bleeding risk up a bit.

The important word here is theoretical. This is based on test-tube and animal work, not real people, and normal cooking amounts of rosemary almost certainly won't matter. Concentrated rosemary capsules or extracts are where I'd be more careful. If you use those regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lee JJ, Jin YR, Lee JH, et al. Antiplatelet activity of carnosic acid, a phenolic diterpene from Rosmarinus officinalis. Planta Med 2007;73(2):121-7.
  2. Yamamoto J, Yamada K, Naemura A, et al. Testing various herbs for antithrombotic effect. Nutrition 2005;21(5):580-7. PubMed
  3. Naemura A, Ura M, Yamashita T, et al. Long-term intake of rosemary and common thyme herbs inhibits experimental thrombosis without prolongation of bleeding time. Thromb Res 2008;122(4):517-22. PubMed
  4. Lee JJ, Jin YR, Lim Y, et al. Antiplatelet activity of carnosol is mediated by the inhibition of TXA2 receptor and cytosolic calcium mobilization. Vascul Pharmacol 2006;45:148-53. PubMed

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

Rosemary Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rosemary has 211 moderate, 160 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Diclofenac Sodium one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 211 Minor 160 No known interaction 2,459 (incl. Diclofenac Sodium)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rosemary

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Rosemary or Diclofenac Sodium

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

This page covers Rosemary only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diclofenac Sodium page lists 308 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 266 moderate · 35 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Diclofenac Sodium page

“Diclofenac (Voltaren), a daily mainstay for arthritis and joint pain, comes with a supplement list that calls for real vigilance. Of the 308 ingredients on file, 7 rate major, and roughly two hundred entries share a single theme: anything with blood-thinning activity adds to diclofenac's own bleeding risk, especially in the stomach.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Diclofenac Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,786 real supplement products containing Rosemary, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rosemary. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Diclofenac Sodium too, on top of Rosemary — 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 Rosemary and Diclofenac Sodium 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 Rosemary
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diclofenac Sodium
Top 25%

#348 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 Rosemary

What is Rosemary?

Rosemary
  • Memory and concentration
  • Digestive upset
  • Hair growth
  • Anxiety and stress (aromatherapy)
  • Muscle and joint discomfort
  • Antioxidant support

Rosemary is a fragrant Mediterranean herb that is safe and flavorful in normal food amounts. Some early research suggests possible benefits for memory, mood, and hair growth, but the evidence is limited and far from conclusive. Concentrated supplements and the essential oil should be used carefully, and the essential oil should never be swallowed.

Read the full Rosemary monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diclofenac

What Is Diclofenac Used For?

Brand names: Voltaren XR, Voltaren, Voltaren SR, Diclo, Difenac, Diclo SR, Voltarol, Acoflam, Defenac, Dicloflex, Diclovol, Diclozip, Fenactol, Flamrase, Volraman, Diclomax SR, Diclomax Retard, Motifene 75 mg, Voltarol 75 mg SR, Acoflam 75 SR, Defenac SR, Dexomon 75 SR, Dicloflex 75 SR, Diclovol SR, Fenactol 75 mg SR, Flamatak 75 MR, Flamrase SR, Flexotard MR 75, Rheumatac Retard 75, Rhumalgan CR, Slofenac SR, Volsaid Retard 75, Voltarol Retard, Acoflam Retard, Defenac Retard, Dexomon Retard 100, Dicloflex Retard, Diclovol Retard, Fenactol Retard 100 mg, Flamatak 100 MR, Volsaid Retard 100, Voltarol Ophtha Multidose, Voltarol Ophtha, Pennsaid, Voltaren Emulgel, Dyloject

Diclofenac sodium topical gel is used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) — rough, scaly skin patches that form after years of sun exposure. These patches are considered precancerous, meaning they can develop into skin cancer if left untreated.

This is a topical gel, meaning it is applied directly to the skin over the affected area rather than taken by mouth. It belongs to the NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) family.

See full Diclofenac drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rosemary

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

0Major
211Moderate
160Minor
2,458No known interaction
211 Moderate 160 Minor 2,458 No interaction
Moderate

211 interactions

Showing 60 of 211 moderate interactions — see all 211 on the Rosemary page.

Minor

160 interactions

Showing 60 of 160 minor interactions — see all 160 on the Rosemary page.

No interaction 2,458 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,458 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rosemary list.

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

Can you take Rosemary with Diclofenac Sodium?
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 Rosemary and Diclofenac Sodium 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 Diclofenac Sodium and Rosemary?

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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.