Drug & supplement interaction

Uva Ursi + Amitriptyline, Perphenazine

Amitriptyline, Perphenazine brand names: Triavil, Etrafon, Etrafon-A, Etrafon-Forte.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Amitriptyline, Perphenazine falls into 2 drug categories that Uva Ursi can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, uva ursi may decrease the metabolism of CYP2C19 substrates.

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

Uva Ursi and Amitriptyline, Perphenazine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Amitriptyline, Perphenazine

Amitriptyline, Perphenazine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) SUBSTRATES — the group Uva Ursi interacts with.

Theoretically, uva ursi may decrease the metabolism of CYP2C19 substrates.
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit cytochrome CYP2C19. This effect has not been reported in humans.
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

If you take this combination pill (the amitriptyline plus perphenazine combo, like Triavil), here's the gist. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C19 to help clear amitriptyline. In lab dish studies, uva ursi appears to block that enzyme a little, which in theory could let amitriptyline build up. Neither of these are prodrugs, so more drug hanging around would mean stronger effects, not weaker ones.

What might that feel like? More of amitriptyline's usual side effects, such as drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, blurry vision, or dizziness when you stand. Keep in mind this is only a test-tube finding and has never been seen in real people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Still, since uva ursi is meant for short-term use anyway, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Chauhan B, Yu C, Krantis A, et al. In vitro activity of uva-ursi against cytochrome P450 isoenzymes and P-glycoprotein. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007;85(11):1099-107.
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Amitriptyline, Perphenazine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, uva ursi may decrease the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit CYP3A4. This effect has not been reported in humans.
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

This combo pill pairs amitriptyline (an older antidepressant) with perphenazine (an antipsychotic). Both are partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. In a lab dish, uva ursi seemed to slow that enzyme down. If that happened in your body, more of the medicine could linger, which might mean stronger side effects like drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, blurry vision, dizziness on standing, or a faster heartbeat.

Here's the honest part: this is only test-tube data and has never actually been seen in people, so the real-world risk is likely small, especially with short-term uva ursi use. Still, since these are powerful medicines, I'd give your pharmacist or doctor a quick heads-up before starting uva ursi rather than guessing.

References
  1. Chauhan B, Yu C, Krantis A, et al. In vitro activity of uva-ursi against cytochrome P450 isoenzymes and P-glycoprotein. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007;85(11):1099-107.

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

Uva Ursi Also Interacts With Other Medications

Uva Ursi has 739 moderate, 63 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Amitriptyline, Perphenazine 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 Uva Ursi

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Amitriptyline, Perphenazine

This page covers Uva Ursi only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Amitriptyline, Perphenazine page lists 311 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major) and Beer (major).

By severity: 19 major · 235 moderate · 57 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Amitriptyline, Perphenazine page

“Alcohol is the risk I'd flag first for anyone taking amitriptyline with perphenazine (Triavil, Etrafon). Beer and wine both carry major ratings here, and 78 of the 311 ingredients on file deepen the drowsiness this antidepressant and antipsychotic combination already causes, sometimes to the point of slowed breathing.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Amitriptyline, Perphenazine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,423 real supplement products containing Uva Ursi, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Uva Ursi. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Amitriptyline, Perphenazine too, on top of Uva Ursi — 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 Uva Ursi and Amitriptyline, Perphenazine 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 Uva Ursi
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Amitriptyline, Perphenazine
Top half

#1,131 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 Uva Ursi

What is Uva Ursi?

Uva Ursi
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Urinary discomfort
  • Mild diuretic
  • Kidney stones
  • Skin conditions

Uva ursi is a traditional herb used mainly for urinary tract infections, and its leaves contain a compound called arbutin that may have antimicrobial effects in the urine. Evidence in people is limited, and because high doses or long-term use may be harmful to the liver and could be toxic, it should only be used short-term and with guidance from a healthcare professional. Avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Uva Ursi monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Uva Ursi

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

0Major
739Moderate
63Minor
2,027No known interaction
Moderate

739 interactions

Showing 60 of 739 moderate interactions — see all 739 on the Uva Ursi page.

Minor

63 interactions

Showing 60 of 63 minor interactions — see all 63 on the Uva Ursi page.

No interaction 2,027 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 Uva Ursi and Amitriptyline, Perphenazine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Uva Ursi with Amitriptyline, Perphenazine?
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 Uva Ursi and Amitriptyline, Perphenazine?
Amitriptyline, Perphenazine belongs to more than one drug category, and Uva Ursi 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 Uva Ursi and Amitriptyline, Perphenazine 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

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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.