Drug & supplement interaction

Saffron + Carvedilol

Carvedilol brand names: Coreg, Coreg CR.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Saffron has a moderate interaction with Carvedilol. Theoretically, concomitant use of saffron with antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects.

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

Saffron and Carvedilol

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Carvedilol

Carvedilol falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Saffron interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of saffron with antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects.
Animal and human research suggests that saffron extract can decrease blood pressure.
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 simple version: saffron, on its own, may nudge your blood pressure down a little. Since carvedilol is already working to lower your blood pressure and slow your heart rate, taking the two together could add up, pushing your numbers a bit lower than expected. In real life that might show up as feeling dizzy or lightheaded, especially when standing up quickly, along with possible tiredness.

I want to be honest about the evidence here, though. This is mostly theoretical and based on animal and small human studies, so it's a possible effect, not a sure one. Food amounts of saffron in cooking are very unlikely to matter. Before starting a saffron supplement, just check in with your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on your blood pressure.

References
  1. Fatehi, M., Rashidabady, T., and Fatehi-Hassanabad, Z. Effects of Crocus sativus petals' extract on rat blood pressure and on responses induced by electrical field stimulation in the rat isolated vas deferens and guinea-pig ileum. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003; PubMed
  2. Modaghegh, M. H., Shahabian, M., Esmaeili, H. A., Rajbai, O., and Hosseinzadeh, H. Safety evaluation of saffron (Crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine. 2008;15(12):1032-1037. PubMed
  3. Imenshahidi, M., Hosseinzadeh, H., and Javadpour, Y. Hypotensive effect of aqueous saffron extract (Crocus sativus L.) and its constituents, safranal and crocin, in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Phytother.Res 12-9-2009;
  4. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. An open label, randomized, fixed-dose, crossover study comparing efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate and saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) for treating erectile dysfunction in men naïve to treatment. Int J Impo 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

Saffron Also Interacts With Other Medications

Saffron has 520 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Carvedilol 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 Saffron

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Saffron or Carvedilol

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

This page covers Saffron only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Carvedilol page lists 211 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), Grapefruit (major) and Indian Snakeroot (major).

By severity: 6 major · 171 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Carvedilol page

“People take carvedilol (Coreg) for heart failure and high blood pressure, conditions where a sudden swing in pressure or heart rate matters, and its supplement list runs to 211 ingredients, so this one calls for genuine care. More than half of those entries lower blood pressure on their own, fish oil and celery seed among them, and can…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Carvedilol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 418 real supplement products containing Saffron, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Saffron. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Carvedilol too, on top of Saffron — 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 Saffron and Carvedilol 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 Saffron
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Carvedilol
Top 10%

#260 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 Saffron

What is Saffron?

Saffron
  • Depression and low mood
  • Anxiety
  • PMS symptoms
  • Memory and cognition
  • Eye health (age-related macular degeneration)

Saffron is a costly spice that has shown promise in early studies for mild-to-moderate depression and some mood and PMS symptoms, but most research uses small trials, so results are not definitive. It is generally well tolerated in food and small supplement amounts, but high doses can be harmful and it should be avoided in pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using saffron supplements.

Read the full Saffron monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Carvedilol

What Is Carvedilol Used For?

Brand names: Coreg, Coreg CR

Carvedilol is used to treat three main conditions: mild-to-severe chronic heart failure, high blood pressure (hypertension), and reduced heart pumping function (left ventricular dysfunction) in people who have survived a heart attack. For heart failure, it is usually prescribed alongside other medications such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and digitalis to help people live longer and reduce the chance of hospital stays.

For people who have had a heart attack and whose heart is not pumping as well as it should, carvedilol is used to lower the risk of dying from heart-related causes. For high blood pressure, it can be used on its own or combined with other blood pressure medicines.

See full Carvedilol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Saffron

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

0Major
520Moderate
0Minor
2,309No known interaction
Moderate

520 interactions

Showing 60 of 520 moderate interactions — see all 520 on the Saffron page.

No interaction 2,309 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Saffron and Carvedilol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Saffron with Carvedilol?
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 Saffron and Carvedilol 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 Carvedilol and Saffron?

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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.