Drug & supplement interaction

Uva Ursi + Vismodegib

Vismodegib brand name: Erivedge.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Uva Ursi has a minor interaction with Vismodegib. Theoretically, uva ursi may alter the levels of drugs transported by P-glycoprotein.

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

Uva Ursi and Vismodegib

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

Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Vismodegib

Vismodegib falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Uva Ursi interacts with.

Theoretically, uva ursi may alter the levels of drugs transported by P-glycoprotein.
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit the multi-drug transporter protein, P-glycoprotein. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor 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 these two together. Your body uses a kind of cellular pump called P-glycoprotein to help move certain drugs around and clear them out. In lab dish studies, uva ursi seemed to block that pump. Vismodegib (Erivedge) is one of the drugs handled by P-glycoprotein, and it's an active drug, not a prodrug that needs switching on. So in theory, slowing that pump could let a little more vismodegib build up, which might mean stronger side effects like muscle cramps, hair thinning, taste changes, nausea, or fatigue.

That said, this has only been seen in the lab, never in real people, and the interaction is rated minor. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but since vismodegib is a serious cancer medicine, please run any uva ursi use past your oncologist or pharmacist 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.

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 740 moderate, 62 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Vismodegib one above is one of 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 Vismodegib

This page covers Uva Ursi only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Vismodegib page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), Bitter Melon (moderate), Black Pepper (moderate) and Bulbine Natalensis (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 38 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Vismodegib page

“St. John's wort can quietly undercut vismodegib (Erivedge), the pill for advanced basal cell carcinoma, by speeding up the gut pump that clears the drug from the body, and a cancer treatment that silently loses potency is the worst kind of interaction.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Vismodegib 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 Vismodegib 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 Vismodegib 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Vismodegib
Steady interest

#2,321 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
Medication

About Vismodegib

What Is Vismodegib Used For?

Brand name: Erivedge

Erivedge (vismodegib) is used to treat adults with basal cell carcinoma — the most common type of skin cancer — in two specific situations: when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic basal cell carcinoma), or when it is locally advanced and has returned after surgery, or when surgery and radiation are not options.

It is not approved for use in children.

See full Vismodegib 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
62Minor
2,027No known interaction
Moderate

740 interactions

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

Minor

62 interactions

Showing 60 of 62 minor interactions — see all 62 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 Vismodegib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Uva Ursi with Vismodegib?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Uva Ursi and Vismodegib interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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.