Drug & supplement interaction

Siberian Cocklebur + Etoposide

Etoposide brand names: VePesid, VP16, Etopophos.

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 Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide 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 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

Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide

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 Etoposide and Siberian Cocklebur 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.

Siberian Cocklebur safety at a glance

Siberian Cocklebur overall Use caution The fruit contains toxic compounds and has caused serious poisoning, so it requires careful processing and professional oversight.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When the seeds and seedlings of Siberian cocklebur are used orally. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When the seeds and seedlings of Siberian cocklebur are used orally. 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 Etoposide and Siberian Cocklebur? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Etoposide

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Etoposide is filed under 7 classifications — including topoisomerase ii inhibitors, antineoplastics, organic anion-transporting polypeptide substrates (oatp). Siberian Cocklebur has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (major), hepatotoxic drugs (major) and nephrotoxic drugs (major) — and none of Etoposide’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

Siberian Cocklebur Does Interact With Other Medications

Siberian Cocklebur has 662 major, known drug interactions in our database — Etoposide isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 662 No known interaction 2,168 (incl. Etoposide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Siberian Cocklebur

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide 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. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    “Siberian cocklebur is generally regarded as unsafe for use. Any benefits of therapy might not outweigh the risk of toxicity. Orally, Siberian cocklebur seeds and seedlings can cause various adverse effects. Initial effects include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, elevated liver function tests, increased risk of bleeding, drowsiness, dizziness, dyspnea, sweating, fever, and palpitations.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    4 sources cited
    1. 27827. Gurley ES, Rahman M, Hossain MJ, et al. Fatal outbreak from consuming Xanthium strumarium seedlings during time of food scarcity in northeastern Bangladesh. PLoS One 2010 Mar 18;5(3):e9756. PubMed
    2. 27828. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
    3. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.
    4. 27815. Wu, M. L., Wang, C. P., and Deng, J. F. Fatal hepatic failure due to fructus xanthii in a child. Abstracts of the 2005 North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology Annual Meeting. Clin Toxicol 2005;43:639. DOI

    “Orally, Siberian cocklebur seedlings and seeds can cause hypoglycemia. This occurs soon after consumption. Later, metabolic acidosis, hyperglycemia, and/or worsening hypoglycemia might occur. In some individuals, these changes can cause seizures.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in epilepsy.

    2 sources cited
    1. 27828. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
    2. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.

    Etoposide

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

  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    Recorded for Siberian Cocklebur in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

    Etoposide

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

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    “Orally, Siberian cocklebur seedlings and seeds can cause liver damage, including increased bilirubin levels and increases in liver enzyme levels by as much as 6 times the normal value. These symptoms can progress to include jaundice, hepatomegaly, and edema, resulting in liver failure and death in some patients.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in liver transplant.

    4 sources cited
    1. 27827. Gurley ES, Rahman M, Hossain MJ, et al. Fatal outbreak from consuming Xanthium strumarium seedlings during time of food scarcity in northeastern Bangladesh. PLoS One 2010 Mar 18;5(3):e9756. PubMed
    2. 27828. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
    3. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.
    4. 27815. Wu, M. L., Wang, C. P., and Deng, J. F. Fatal hepatic failure due to fructus xanthii in a child. Abstracts of the 2005 North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology Annual Meeting. Clin Toxicol 2005;43:639. DOI

    Etoposide

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

  • Fever / Sweating reported in 15.1% of FDA reports for Etoposide Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    “Orally, Siberian cocklebur seedlings and seeds can cause altered mental status, malaise, dizziness, sweating, fever, seizures, convulsions, unconsciousness, and coma. Malaise, dizziness, and sweating onset are rapid. Fever onset is usually after the onset of vomiting. Unconsciousness can follow vomiting within minutes or hours, with coma occurring later in some individuals.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in epilepsy.

    3 sources cited
    1. 27827. Gurley ES, Rahman M, Hossain MJ, et al. Fatal outbreak from consuming Xanthium strumarium seedlings during time of food scarcity in northeastern Bangladesh. PLoS One 2010 Mar 18;5(3):e9756. PubMed
    2. 27828. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
    3. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.

    Etoposide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Etoposide, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A fast or pounding heartbeat Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    “Orally, Siberian cocklebur seed can cause both tachycardia and bradycardia. Palpitations can occur in as little as 3 hours after ingestion, with arrhythmia occurring a few hours later. Elevated heart enzymes can also occur soon after intake. White blood cell infiltration in the myocardium has been reported in autopsy findings from patients who died after consuming Siberian cocklebur.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 27828. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
    2. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.

    Etoposide

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

  • Drowsiness Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    Recorded for Siberian Cocklebur in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

    Etoposide

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

  • Swelling Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    Recorded for Siberian Cocklebur in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Liver problems above.

    Etoposide

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

  • Stomach pain Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    “Orally, Siberian cocklebur seedlings and seeds can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Gastrointestinal symptoms occur within a few hours after consumption. In one case, pancreatitis occurred approximately 2 days after intake of the seeds in a 15-year-old girl.”

    Siberian Cocklebur · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 99948. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.

    Etoposide

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

  • Tiredness Additional detail

    Siberian Cocklebur

    Recorded for Siberian Cocklebur in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Fever / Sweating above.

    Etoposide

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

Showing the 10 most notable of 12 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for Siberian Cocklebur but not commonly for Etoposide: kidney problems, confusion, yellowing of the skin or eyes and severe muscle breakdown.

Effects for Etoposide come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Siberian Cocklebur come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 74,570 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Etoposide that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Siberian Cocklebur in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When the seeds and seedlings of Siberian cocklebur are used orally.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Etoposide

This page covers Siberian Cocklebur only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Etoposide page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Sweet Orange (major).

By severity: 5 major · 107 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Etoposide page

“Chemotherapy is unforgiving of level swings, and swings are exactly what most of this list can cause for etoposide (VePesid, Etopophos). Of the 152 supplements and herbs on file, 121 can change how your liver clears etoposide through the CYP3A4 enzyme, meaning too little drug and an undertreated cancer, or too much and harsher toxicity.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Etoposide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 84 real supplement products containing Siberian Cocklebur, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Siberian Cocklebur. Even though Siberian Cocklebur itself has no known interaction with Etoposide, 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 Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide 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 Siberian Cocklebur
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Etoposide
Top half

#1,211 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 Siberian Cocklebur reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Siberian Cocklebur

What is Siberian Cocklebur?

  • Nasal congestion and sinus problems
  • Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
  • Headache
  • Skin conditions and itching
  • Joint and muscle discomfort

Siberian cocklebur is a fruit used in traditional Chinese and other Asian herbal medicine, mainly for nasal congestion, sinus issues, and allergies. Human evidence is very limited, and the plant contains naturally toxic compounds that can cause serious poisoning, so it should only be used under expert guidance, if at all.

Xanthium sibiricum · Asteraceae · Fruit (burr), sometimes leaves and aerial parts · Dried fruit, decoctions (teas), powders, capsules, traditional herbal formulas

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

Siberian Cocklebur: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for Siberian cocklebur, and dosing in traditional medicine depends on the specific preparation and formula used. Because of the toxicity risk, the difference between a traditional dose and a harmful one can be small.Do not self-dose with this herb. If you are considering it, only use products from a reputable source and follow the directions of a qualified practitioner.

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

Read the full Siberian Cocklebur monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Etoposide

What Is Etoposide Used For?

Brand names: VePesid, VP16, Etopophos

Etoposide injection (available as Avopef, Etopophos, Toposar, and Etoposide) is used to treat refractory testicular tumors — cancers that have already been treated with surgery, radiation, and other chemotherapy — always in combination with other cancer drugs. It is also used for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as a first-line treatment, given together with other chemotherapy and, in the case of Avopef, with immunotherapy as well.

Etoposide capsules (VePesid and Etoposide capsules) are approved for small cell lung cancer as first-line treatment in combination with other chemotherapy agents. Capsule forms are not approved for testicular cancer, as the label notes that adequate data on their use in that setting are not available.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Etoposide

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (74,570 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Febrile neutropenia 7,773 reports
Neutropenia 5,108 reports
Disease progression 4,642 reports
Thrombocytopenia 4,169 reports
Fever 3,494 reports
See full Etoposide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Siberian Cocklebur

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

662Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,167No known interaction
662 Major 2,167 No interaction
Major

662 interactions

Showing 60 of 662 major interactions — see all 662 on the Siberian Cocklebur page.

No interaction 2,167 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,167 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Siberian Cocklebur list.

See the full Siberian Cocklebur interactions page
See every supplement checked against Etoposide, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Siberian Cocklebur References

The 4 references that drive our Siberian Cocklebur 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. Wu, M. L., Wang, C. P., and Deng, J. F. Fatal hepatic failure due to fructus xanthii in a child. Abstracts of the 2005 North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology Annual Meeting. Clin Toxicol 2005;43:639. DOI
  2. Gurley ES, Rahman M, Hossain MJ, et al. Fatal outbreak from consuming Xanthium strumarium seedlings during time of food scarcity in northeastern Bangladesh. PLoS One 2010 Mar 18;5(3):e9756. PubMed
  3. Turgut M, Alhan CC, Gurgoze M, et al. Carboxyatractyloside poisoning in humans. Ann Trop Paediatr 2005;25(2):125-34. PubMed
  4. Karabiber H, Almis H, Selimoglu MA, Yakinci C, Yilmaz S. Xanthium strumarium poisoning requiring liver transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014;58(1):e6-9.

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 Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Siberian Cocklebur with Etoposide?
We do not list a known interaction between Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide. 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 Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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.
How was the Siberian Cocklebur and Etoposide combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Etoposide is filed under 7 classifications, and Siberian Cocklebur has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Etoposide'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 Siberian Cocklebur interact with any other medications?
Yes. Siberian Cocklebur has 662 documented drug interactions in our database — Etoposide 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 Etoposide interact with any supplements?
Yes. Etoposide has documented interactions with 152 supplements in our database — Siberian Cocklebur is not one of them. The Etoposide 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

Siberian Cocklebur monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Etoposide drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Etoposide supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Etoposide, 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 4 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Etoposide and Siberian Cocklebur?

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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.