Drug & supplement interaction

Sorrel + Etoposide

Etoposide brand names: VePesid, VP16, Etopophos.

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

Sorrel has a moderate interaction with Etoposide. Sorrel might reduce the effectiveness of OATP substrates by reducing their absorption from the gut.

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

Sorrel and Etoposide

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

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Etoposide

Etoposide falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Sorrel interacts with.

Sorrel might reduce the effectiveness of OATP substrates by reducing their absorption from the gut.
In vitro research shows that sorrel inhibits OATP1A2. Theoretically it may inhibit other OATPs. The OATPs are expressed in the small intestine and liver and transport drugs into cells. Inhibition of OATP may reduce the bioavailability of oral drugs that are substrates of OATP.
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 basic idea with sorrel and your etoposide. Sorrel seems to block a kind of "doorway" protein in your gut called OATP that helps pull certain drugs into your body. If that doorway is partly blocked, less etoposide may get absorbed, which could make it weaker at doing its job of slowing cancer cell growth. With a chemotherapy drug, you really don't want anything quietly chipping away at how well it works.

Now, the honest part: this is based only on lab dish research, not real people, so we don't truly know if it matters in everyday life. Still, with cancer treatment I'd rather play it safe. Please check with your oncology team or pharmacist before using sorrel as a supplement. Small amounts in cooking are far less of a concern than concentrated capsules.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ahn JH, Kim J, Rehman NU, Kim HJ, Ahn MJ, Chung HJ. Effect of Rumex Acetosa Extract, a Herbal Drug, on the Absorption of Fexofenadine. Pharmaceutics. 2020;12(6):E547. 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

Sorrel Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sorrel has 168 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Etoposide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sorrel

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Sorrel or Etoposide

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

This page covers Sorrel 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 Sorrel as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 224 real supplement products containing Sorrel, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sorrel. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Etoposide too, on top of Sorrel — 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 Sorrel 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 Sorrel
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Etoposide
Steady interest

#1,777 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 Sorrel

What is Sorrel?

Sorrel
  • Sinus and respiratory congestion
  • Digestive upset
  • Fever
  • Skin conditions and inflammation
  • Antioxidant support

Sorrel is a tangy, leafy herb used in cooking and traditional medicine, often for congestion, digestion, and inflammation. Solid human evidence for any health benefit is limited, and its high oxalate content means it should be used in moderation, especially by people prone to kidney stones.

Read the full Sorrel 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.

See full Etoposide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sorrel

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

0Major
168Moderate
0Minor
2,661No known interaction
168 Moderate 2,661 No interaction
Moderate

168 interactions

Showing 60 of 168 moderate interactions — see all 168 on the Sorrel page.

No interaction 2,661 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,661 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Sorrel list.

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

Can you take Sorrel with Etoposide?
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 Sorrel and Etoposide 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 Etoposide and Sorrel?

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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.