Drug & supplement interaction

Strophanthus + Budesonide

Budesonide brand names: Entocort EC, Pulmicort, Uceris, Tarpeyo, Eohilia.

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

Strophanthus has a moderate interaction with Budesonide. Use of corticosteroids may cause electrolyte depletion and increase the risk of strophanthus toxicity.

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

Strophanthus and Budesonide

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

Moderate

CORTICOSTEROIDS

Why this applies to Budesonide

Budesonide falls under CORTICOSTEROIDS — the group Strophanthus interacts with.

Use of corticosteroids may cause electrolyte depletion and increase the risk of strophanthus toxicity.
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 thing to know about pairing these two. Budesonide is a corticosteroid, and steroids can sometimes lower your potassium over time. Strophanthus contains cardiac glycosides (similar in action to digoxin), and those compounds become more dangerous when potassium runs low. So the worry isn't that budesonide changes how Strophanthus is broken down. It's that a drop in potassium could make Strophanthus more toxic to your heart rhythm.

I'll be honest, this is a theoretical concern based on how these drugs work, not something proven in studies. Budesonide acts mostly locally in the gut or kidney, so big potassium shifts are less likely than with stronger steroids. Still, Strophanthus is potent and unforgiving, so please talk with your doctor or pharmacist before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Strophanthus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Strophanthus has 3 major, 119 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Budesonide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 3 Moderate 119 No known interaction 2,708 (incl. Budesonide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Strophanthus

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Strophanthus or Budesonide

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

This page covers Strophanthus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Budesonide page lists 154 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 110 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Budesonide page

“Budesonide (Entocort EC, Pulmicort, Uceris) is a steroid designed to act locally in the gut or airways while the liver enzyme CYP3A4 clears most of what reaches the bloodstream. That design is exactly why this page warrants real care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Budesonide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Strophanthus and Budesonide 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 Strophanthus
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Budesonide
Top 25%

#552 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 Strophanthus

What is Strophanthus?

  • Heart failure
  • Angina (chest pain)
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Circulation support
  • Traditional African arrow poison (historical)

Strophanthus is a plant that contains powerful heart-affecting compounds called cardiac glycosides (the best known is ouabain/g-strophanthin). Because these substances can strongly affect heart rhythm and are toxic in the wrong amount, Strophanthus is not a casual supplement and should never be used without close medical supervision. Reliable modern evidence for its supplement use is limited.

Read the full Strophanthus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Budesonide

What Is Budesonide Used For?

Brand names: Entocort EC, Pulmicort, Uceris, Tarpeyo, Eohilia

Budesonide inhalation suspension is used as a maintenance (long-term control) treatment for asthma in children 12 months to 8 years old. It also works as a preventive (prophylactic) therapy to reduce the frequency of asthma symptoms.

Important: This medication is not a rescue inhaler. It will not stop a sudden asthma attack. A separate fast-acting bronchodilator is needed for sudden symptoms.

See full Budesonide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Strophanthus

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

3Major
119Moderate
0Minor
2,707No known interaction
3 Major 119 Moderate 2,707 No interaction
Major

3 interactions

Moderate

119 interactions

Showing 60 of 119 moderate interactions — see all 119 on the Strophanthus page.

No interaction 2,707 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,707 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Strophanthus list.

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

Can you take Strophanthus with Budesonide?
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 Strophanthus and Budesonide 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 Budesonide and Strophanthus?

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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.