Drug & supplement interaction

Storax + Lovastatin

Lovastatin brand names: Mevacor, Altocor.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Storax and Lovastatin 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 Lovastatin 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

Storax and Lovastatin

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 Lovastatin and Storax 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Storax at all — not against Lovastatin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Storax safety at a glance

Storax overall Use caution Generally used topically or as a flavoring in small amounts, but it can irritate skin and trigger allergic reactions.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoidance is the cautious choice.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Lovastatin and Storax? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Storax and Lovastatin 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Storax

    “There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of sortax. A thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Diarrhea.

    Topically: Allergic reactions, skin sensitization.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Topically: Nephrotoxicity.”

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

    Lovastatin

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

  • Diarrhea reported in 5.0% of FDA reports for Lovastatin Additional detail

    Storax

    “Orally, storax can cause diarrhea (18).”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Lovastatin

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

Reported for Storax but not commonly for Lovastatin: kidney problems.

Effects for Lovastatin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Storax come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 25,528 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Lovastatin 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.

How to take them

Some Lovastatin Products Have a Food Rule — Storax Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Storax on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Lovastatin 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 Lovastatin 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.

Lovastatin tablets USP should be given with meals.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Lovastatin — 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 Storax or Lovastatin

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

This page covers Storax only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lovastatin page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 140 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lovastatin page

“Lovastatin (Mevacor) lowers cholesterol, and the liver clears it through an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is where most of these 184 supplements collide with it. This list deserves careful attention.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lovastatin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 24 real supplement products containing Storax, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Storax. Even though Storax itself has no known interaction with Lovastatin, 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 Storax and Lovastatin 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 Storax
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lovastatin
Steady interest

#1,952 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 Storax reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Storax and Lovastatin 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 Storax

What is Storax?

  • Skin wounds and scabies
  • Cough and respiratory complaints
  • As a topical antiseptic
  • Fragrance and incense
  • Flavoring agent

Storax is an aromatic balsam (resin) tapped from Liquidambar trees, used traditionally as a topical antiseptic, a remedy for skin parasites, and a respiratory aid. Modern human evidence for its health benefits is very limited, and it can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, so use it cautiously and check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Liquidambar orientalis · Altingiaceae · Balsam (resin) from the trunk bark · Balsam (resin), tincture, topical ointments and creams, incense, and an ingredient in compound preparations like Friar's Balsam

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

Storax: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for storax, and it has not been studied in the kind of rigorous trials needed to recommend specific amounts. It is most often used topically or as a small flavoring ingredient rather than as an oral supplement.If you use a product that contains storax, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Storax monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lovastatin

What Is Lovastatin Used For?

Brand names: Mevacor, Altocor

Lovastatin is used to lower high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and total cholesterol in people whose levels have not improved enough with diet alone. It is also used to slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries (coronary atherosclerosis) in people who already have coronary heart disease.

In adults without existing heart disease but with high cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol, lovastatin tablets are approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. Lovastatin tablets are also approved for adolescents aged 10–17 with a specific inherited condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH), when diet changes alone haven't been enough.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Lovastatin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (25,528 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 1,535 reports
Nausea 1,401 reports
Diarrhea 1,275 reports
Dyspnea 1,226 reports
Dizziness 1,159 reports
See full Lovastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Storax

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Storax References

The 2 references that drive our Storax 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. Martindale W. Martindale the Extra Pharmacopoeia. Pharmaceutical Press, 1999.
  2. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

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 Storax and Lovastatin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Storax with Lovastatin?
We do not list a known interaction between Storax and Lovastatin. 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 Storax and Lovastatin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Storax and Lovastatin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Storax on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Lovastatin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Lovastatin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Lovastatin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Lovastatin has documented interactions with 184 supplements in our database — Storax is not one of them. The Lovastatin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Lovastatin and Storax?

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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.