Drug & supplement interaction

Sea Buckthorn + Iloprost

Iloprost brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Iloprost falls into 2 drug categories that Sea Buckthorn can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking sea buckthorn with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Sea Buckthorn and Iloprost

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Sea Buckthorn interacts with whole categories of medication. Iloprost falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Sea Buckthorn in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Iloprost

Iloprost falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Sea Buckthorn interacts with.

Theoretically, taking sea buckthorn with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Taking sea buckthorn appears to reduce blood pressure in some patients.
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 for Ventavis (iloprost): it's a vasodilator, so it already lowers blood pressure as part of how it works. Sea buckthorn may nudge blood pressure down a little on its own, so stacking the two could, in theory, drop your numbers more than expected. That might show up as feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint, especially when you stand up quickly.

I want to be honest about the strength here: this is a theoretical concern based on how these things work, not something proven in studies. Food amounts of the berry are unlikely to matter much, but concentrated supplements are a different story. Since iloprost is used for a serious lung condition, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding sea buckthorn.

References
  1. Chang BB, Wang F Xu TY Zhang QQ He J Zhang XJ Li J. Total flavones of Hippophae rhamnoides L. for essential hypertension: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine. 2009;9(11):1207-1213. DOI
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Iloprost also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, sea buckthorn may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Clinical research suggests that sea buckthorn fruit extracts can inhibit platelet aggregation and adhesion to collagen and fibrinogen.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 thing to know about iloprost (Ventavis): besides relaxing the blood vessels in your lungs, it also makes your platelets a little less sticky, so it has a mild blood-thinning side to it. Sea buckthorn supplements appear to do something similar, gently slowing how platelets clump together. Stack the two and you may, in theory, raise your odds of bleeding or bruising more easily.

In real life this might look like nosebleeds, gums that bleed when you brush, bruises that show up without much bumping, or cuts that take longer to stop. The evidence here is on the weaker side and mostly theoretical, so don't panic. Food amounts of the berry are unlikely to matter, but concentrated capsules are worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Johansson AK, Korte H, Yang B, et al. Sea buckthorn berry oil inhibits platelet aggregation. J Nutr Biochem 2000;11:491-5.. PubMed
  2. Olas B, Kontek B, Szczesna M, et al. Inhibition of blood platelet adhesion by phenolics rich fraction of Hippophae rhamnoides L. fruits. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2017;68(2):223-9.

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

Sea Buckthorn Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sea Buckthorn has 288 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Iloprost one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sea Buckthorn

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Iloprost

This page covers Sea Buckthorn only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Iloprost page lists 287 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), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 6 major · 254 moderate · 27 minor.

Open the Iloprost interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 253 real supplement products containing Sea Buckthorn, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sea Buckthorn. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Iloprost too, on top of Sea Buckthorn — 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 Sea Buckthorn and Iloprost 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 Sea Buckthorn
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Iloprost
Top half

#1,038 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 Sea Buckthorn

What is Sea Buckthorn?

Sea Buckthorn
  • Skin health and dryness
  • Dry eye symptoms
  • Digestive complaints
  • Heart and cholesterol support
  • General antioxidant and immune support

Sea buckthorn is a berry-bearing shrub rich in vitamins, carotenoids, and fatty acids that people use for skin, eye, digestive, and heart health. Early research is promising for a few uses like dry skin and dry eye, but most claims are not yet proven. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to your pharmacist before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Sea Buckthorn monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Iloprost

What Is Iloprost Used For?

Brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn

Aurlumyn (iloprost injection, given intravenously) is approved to treat severe frostbite in adults, specifically to reduce the risk of losing fingers or toes (digit amputations). Its effectiveness was established in young, healthy adults who experienced frostbite at high altitudes.

See full Iloprost drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sea Buckthorn

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

0Major
288Moderate
0Minor
2,541No known interaction
Moderate

288 interactions

Showing 60 of 288 moderate interactions — see all 288 on the Sea Buckthorn page.

No interaction 2,541 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 Sea Buckthorn and Iloprost Together: Common Questions

Can you take Sea Buckthorn with Iloprost?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Sea Buckthorn and Iloprost?
Iloprost belongs to more than one drug category, and Sea Buckthorn interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Sea Buckthorn and Iloprost 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 Iloprost and Sea Buckthorn?

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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.