Drug & supplement interaction

Uva Ursi + Obeticholic Acid

Obeticholic Acid brand name: Ocaliva.

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 Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid 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.

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Interaction report

Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid

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 Obeticholic Acid and Uva Ursi 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.

Uva Ursi safety at a glance

Uva Ursi overall Use caution May be used short-term but can be toxic in high doses or with prolonged use.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Uva ursi can have oxytocic effects, increasing the speed of labor; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information, so avoid while breastfeeding.

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 Obeticholic Acid and Uva Ursi? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Obeticholic Acid

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Obeticholic Acid is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) inhibitors, oral drugs. Uva Ursi has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates (moderate), cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates (moderate) and glucuronidated drugs (moderate) — and none of Obeticholic Acid’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

Uva Ursi Does Interact With Other Medications

Uva Ursi has 740 moderate, 63 minor known drug interactions in our database — Obeticholic Acid isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 740 Minor 63 No known interaction 2,027 (incl. Obeticholic Acid)
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.

What to actually watch for

What Uva Ursi Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Obeticholic Acid. It is the side-effect record for Uva Ursi on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Uva Ursi, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Confusion / Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, around 20 grams of uva ursi is reported to supply up to one gram of hydroquinone, which can theoretically cause convulsions and delirium (4).”

    Uva Ursi · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in delirium.

    1 source cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Recorded for Uva Ursi in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Confusion / Seizures above.

  • Ringing in the ears Additional detail

    “Orally, uva ursi may potentially cause retinal toxicity due to its hydroquinone content, which reduces melanin synthesis. A 56-year-old female developed bilateral bull's-eye maculopathy, paracentral scotomas, and retinal thinning after 3 years of uva ursi tea ingestion.

    Taking around 20 grams of uva ursi orally is reported to supply up to one gram of hydroquinone, which can theoretically cause tinnitus (4).”

    Uva Ursi · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in tinnitus.

    2 sources cited
    1. 16900. Wang L, Del Priore LV. Bull's-eye maculopathy secondary to herbal toxicity from uva ursi. Am J Ophthalmol 2004;137:1135-7. PubMed
    2. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  • Stomach upset / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, uva ursi may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach upset. It can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract (19).”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 92148. de Arriba SG, Naser B, Nolte KU. Risk assessment of free hydroquinone derived from Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi folium herbal preparations. Int J Toxicol. 2013;32(6):442-453.
    2. 19. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Uva Ursi — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Obeticholic Acid to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Obeticholic Acid.

Special populations

Uva Ursi in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Uva ursi can have oxytocic effects, increasing the speed of labor; avoid using.

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 Obeticholic Acid

This page covers Uva Ursi only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Obeticholic Acid page lists 27 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Black Tea (moderate), Cocoa (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate) and Cola Nut (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 14 moderate · 12 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Obeticholic Acid page

“Obeticholic acid (Ocaliva) protects the liver in primary biliary cholangitis, and it only helps if enough of it stays in your system, which is why I would read this list with real care. Of the 27 supplements and herbs on file, the single major-rated one is activated charcoal, which can bind the drug in your gut and strip it out of circ…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Obeticholic Acid 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. Even though Uva Ursi itself has no known interaction with Obeticholic Acid, 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 Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Obeticholic Acid
Steady interest

#1,639 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 Uva Ursi reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 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.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · Ericaceae · Leaves · Tea, capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures

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

Uva Ursi: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose of uva ursi. Many products are standardized to a certain percentage of arbutin, and the right amount depends on the specific product.Because of toxicity concerns, uva ursi should only be used for a short time and not repeatedly throughout the year.

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

Read the full Uva Ursi monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Obeticholic Acid

What Is Obeticholic Acid Used For?

Brand name: Ocaliva

  • Obeticholic acid is used alone or in combination with ursodiol (Actigall, Urso) to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC; a type of liver disease that destroys bile ducts, which allows bile to stay in the liver and cause damage) in people who cannot take ursodiol or in people who were not treated successfully with ursodiol alone. Obeticholic acid is in a class of medications called farnesoid X receptor agonists. It works by decreasing the production of bile in the liver and increasing the removal of bile from the liver.

See full Obeticholic Acid drug information
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
740Moderate
63Minor
2,026No known interaction
740 Moderate 63 Minor 2,026 No interaction
Moderate

740 interactions

Showing 60 of 740 moderate interactions — see all 740 on the Uva Ursi page.

Minor

63 interactions

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

No interaction 2,026 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,026 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Uva Ursi list.

See the full Uva Ursi interactions page
See every supplement checked against Obeticholic Acid, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Uva Ursi References

The 8 references that drive our Uva Ursi 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physician's Guide to Herbal Medicine. Terry C. Telger, transl. 3rd ed. Berlin, GER: Springer, 1998.
  3. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  4. Wang L, Del Priore LV. Bull's-eye maculopathy secondary to herbal toxicity from uva ursi. Am J Ophthalmol 2004;137:1135-7. PubMed
  5. Beaux, D., Fleurentin, J., and Mortier, F. Effect of extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth, Hieracium pilosella L., Sambucus nigra L. and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. in rats. Phytother.Res 1999;13(3):222-225.
  6. de Arriba SG, Naser B, Nolte KU. Risk assessment of free hydroquinone derived from Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi folium herbal preparations. Int J Toxicol. 2013;32(6):442-453.
  7. Park JB, Kim D, Min JS, et al. Identification and characterization of in vitro inhibitors against UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 in uva-ursi extracts and evaluation of in vivo uva-ursi-drug interactions. Food Chem Toxicol. 2018;120:651-661. PubMed
  8. 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.

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 Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Uva Ursi with Obeticholic Acid?
We do not list a known interaction between Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid. 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.
How was the Uva Ursi and Obeticholic Acid combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Obeticholic Acid is filed under 2 classifications, and Uva Ursi has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Obeticholic Acid'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 Uva Ursi interact with any other medications?
Yes. Uva Ursi has 803 documented drug interactions in our database — Obeticholic Acid 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 Obeticholic Acid interact with any supplements?
Yes. Obeticholic Acid has documented interactions with 27 supplements in our database — Uva Ursi is not one of them. The Obeticholic Acid 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

Uva Ursi monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Obeticholic Acid drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Obeticholic Acid supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Obeticholic Acid, 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 8 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Obeticholic Acid and Uva Ursi?

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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.