Drug & supplement interaction

Scotch Broom + Quinine

Quinine brand name: Qualaquin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Scotch Broom and Quinine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Quinine states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Scotch Broom and Quinine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Quinine and Scotch Broom in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Scotch Broom safety at a glance

Scotch Broom overall Avoid It contains toxic alkaloids and may affect the heart, so most people should avoid it.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally; Scotch broom appears to be an abortifacient. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Quinine and Scotch Broom? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Quinine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Quinine is filed under 5 classifications — including cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inhibitors, photosensitizing drugs, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. Scotch Broom has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being haloperidol (haldol) (major), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (maois) (major) and quinidine (major) — and none of Quinine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Scotch Broom Does Interact With Other Medications

Scotch Broom has 11 major, 1 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Quinine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 11 Moderate 1 No known interaction 2,818 (incl. Quinine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Scotch Broom

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Scotch Broom and Quinine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Sweating / Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Scotch Broom

    “Scotch broom is generally regarded as unsafe for use. Any benefits of therapy may not outweigh the risk of toxicity (4,12). Orally, the sparteine constituent of Scotch broom can cause toxicity at doses greater than 300 mg of sparteine, which is roughly equivalent to 30 grams of Scotch broom.”

    Scotch Broom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    6 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    4. 74000. Freeman, R. K. and Mishell, D. R., Jr. Induction of labor with sparteine sulfate for premature rupture of the fetal membranes near term. A double-blind study. Pac.Med Surg. 1968;76(1):43-47.
    5. 74001. Alexander, J. A. and Franklin, R. R. Effects of sparteine sulfate on uterine activity. Tex.Med 1966;62(8):54-56.
    6. 74002. Van Voorhis, L. W., Dunn, L. J., and Heggen, D. Effect of sparteine sulfate on amniotomy induction. A double blind evaluation. Am.J Obstet.Gynecol. 1-15-1966;94(2):230-233. PubMed

    “Orally, Scotch broom may cause vertigo and stupor (4). Toxicity from the sparteine constituent of Scotch broom can occur with doses greater than 300 mg of sparteine, which is roughly equivalent to 30 grams of Scotch broom.”

    Scotch Broom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    3 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    3. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

    Quinine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Quinine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A fast or pounding heartbeat Additional detail

    Scotch Broom

    “Orally, toxicity from the sparteine constituent of Scotch broom can occur with doses greater than 300 mg of sparteine, which is roughly equivalent to 30 grams of Scotch broom. Predominant cardiovascular symptoms of toxicity include palpitations (18), tachycardia with circulatory collapse, and respiratory arrest (4).”

    Scotch Broom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

    Quinine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Quinine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Scotch Broom

    “Orally, toxicity from the sparteine constituent of Scotch broom can occur with doses greater than 300 mg of sparteine, which is roughly equivalent to 30 grams of Scotch broom. Predominant gastrointestinal symptoms of toxicity include nausea and diarrhea (4).”

    Scotch Broom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

    Quinine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Quinine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Scotch Broom but not commonly for Quinine: drowsiness.

Effects for Quinine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Scotch Broom come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Scotch Broom in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally; Scotch broom appears to be an abortifacient.

Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Quinine Products Have a Food Rule — Scotch Broom Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Quinine says to take it with food. If you take Scotch Broom on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Quinine with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Quinine products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Quinine sulfate capsules should be taken with food to minimize gastric upset [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Quinine — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Scotch Broom or Quinine

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

This page covers Scotch Broom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Quinine page lists 175 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Cinchona (major), Foxglove (major), Grapefruit (major) and Lily-of-the-valley (major).

By severity: 9 major · 125 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Quinine page

“Quinine (Qualaquin) earns a genuine pause before you add any supplement, because nine of its 175 interacting ingredients are rated major, and two are as everyday as grapefruit and St. John's wort.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Quinine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 6 real supplement products containing Scotch Broom, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Scotch Broom. Even though Scotch Broom itself has no known interaction with Quinine, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Scotch Broom and Quinine 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 Scotch Broom
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Quinine
Top half

#1,209 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Scotch Broom reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Scotch Broom and Quinine records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Scotch Broom

What is Scotch Broom?

  • Heart rhythm and circulation complaints
  • Diuretic (increasing urine)
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Mild swelling
  • Traditional folk remedy

Scotch Broom is a flowering shrub that has been used in folk medicine for heart and circulation complaints, but it contains potentially toxic alkaloids and there is no solid scientific evidence that it works for any condition. Because it can affect heart rate and blood pressure and may be dangerous in higher amounts, most people should avoid it, and it should never be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Always talk with a pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Cytisus scoparius · Fabaceae · Flowering tops and aerial parts · Tea, tincture, dried herb, occasionally capsules

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Scotch Broom is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Scotch Broom record says about it on its own.

Scotch Broom: dosing

There is no established safe or standardized dose for Scotch Broom. Because the strength of the active alkaloids varies and the plant can be toxic, it is not possible to recommend a safe amount.If a product contains Scotch Broom, follow the label exactly and do not exceed the directions.

From our Scotch Broom monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Scotch Broom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Quinine

What Is Quinine Used For?

Brand name: Qualaquin

Quinine sulfate capsules (brands Qualaquin and Quinine Sulfate) are approved to treat uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults. This includes strains of malaria that have become resistant to chloroquine.

Quinine sulfate capsules are not approved for severe or complicated malaria, for preventing malaria, or for treating or preventing nocturnal leg cramps. Using them for leg cramps carries serious risks that outweigh any potential benefit.

See full Quinine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Scotch Broom

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

11Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,817No known interaction
11 Major 1 Moderate 2,817 No interaction
Major

11 interactions

Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,817 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,817 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Scotch Broom list.

See the full Scotch Broom interactions page
See every supplement checked against Quinine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Scotch Broom References

The 11 references that drive our Scotch Broom monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  3. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. 3rd ed., Binghamton, NY: Haworth Herbal Press, 1993.
  4. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  5. Martindale W. Martindale the Extra Pharmacopoeia. Pharmaceutical Press, 1999.
  6. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  7. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
  8. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  9. Freeman, R. K. and Mishell, D. R., Jr. Induction of labor with sparteine sulfate for premature rupture of the fetal membranes near term. A double-blind study. Pac.Med Surg. 1968;76(1):43-47.
  10. Alexander, J. A. and Franklin, R. R. Effects of sparteine sulfate on uterine activity. Tex.Med 1966;62(8):54-56.
  11. Van Voorhis, L. W., Dunn, L. J., and Heggen, D. Effect of sparteine sulfate on amniotomy induction. A double blind evaluation. Am.J Obstet.Gynecol. 1-15-1966;94(2):230-233. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Scotch Broom and Quinine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Scotch Broom with Quinine?
We do not list a known interaction between Scotch Broom and Quinine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Scotch Broom and Quinine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Scotch Broom and Quinine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Quinine says to take it with food. If you take Scotch Broom on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Quinine with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Quinine products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Scotch Broom and Quinine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Quinine is filed under 5 classifications, and Scotch Broom has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Quinine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Scotch Broom interact with any other medications?
Yes. Scotch Broom has 12 documented drug interactions in our database — Quinine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Quinine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Quinine has documented interactions with 175 supplements in our database — Scotch Broom is not one of them. The Quinine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Scotch Broom monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Quinine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Quinine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Quinine, 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 References The 11 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Quinine and Scotch Broom?

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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.