Drug & supplement interaction

Uzara + Tigecycline

Tigecycline brand name: Tygacil.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Tigecycline falls into 2 drug categories that Uzara can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use may increase risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity.

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

Uzara and Tigecycline

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTICS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Tigecycline

Tigecycline falls under MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTICS — the group Uzara interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use may increase risk of cardiac glycoside 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 keep in mind with this pairing. Uzara root naturally contains cardiac glycosides, the same general family of compounds found in heart drugs like digoxin. The concern on file is that combining Uzara with certain antibiotics could theoretically raise the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity, meaning effects on the heart such as a slow or irregular heartbeat, plus nausea or feeling lightheaded.

I want to be honest with you: this flag is theoretical, based on how these compounds behave rather than real-world reports, and it was written for the broader antibiotic group. Tigecycline (Tygacil) is given in the hospital by IV for serious infections, so this is something your care team would already be watching. Still, it's worth mentioning Uzara to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

References
  1. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
Moderate

TETRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS

2 of 2

Tigecycline also falls under TETRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS.

Theoretically, concomitant use may increase risk of cardiac glycoside 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 gist with Uzara and Tigecycline (Tygacil). Uzara naturally contains cardiac glycosides, the same family of heart-active compounds found in certain heart drugs. The concern on file is mostly about that heart effect, not about how Tigecycline itself is broken down. Tigecycline isn't a prodrug, and it isn't a heart medication, so the two don't clash in a direct, well-proven way.

That said, this caution is theoretical, based on pharmacology rather than real cases. Since Tigecycline is given by IV for serious infections, you'd be under medical supervision anyway. If you've been using Uzara at home, mention it to your care team. Watch for an unusually slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat, and let them know right away.

References
  1. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.

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

Uzara Also Interacts With Other Medications

Uzara has 1 major, 131 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Tigecycline 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 Uzara

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tigecycline

This page covers Uzara only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tigecycline page lists 98 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Oleander (major), Para-aminobenzoic Acid (paba) (major), Acerola (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 88 moderate · 8 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tigecycline page

“Tigecycline (Tygacil) is an intravenous antibiotic usually reserved for serious or resistant infections, and its supplement list deserves real attention. The two major-rated entries come first: oleander, a heart-toxic plant whose compounds may build to dangerous levels with certain antibiotics on board, and PABA, which can blunt the an…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tigecycline interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Uzara and Tigecycline 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 Uzara
Steady interest

#1,090 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tigecycline
Steady interest

#2,543 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 Uzara

What is Uzara?

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
  • Headaches
  • Digestive upset

Uzara is a traditional African root remedy used mainly for diarrhea and stomach cramps. Because it contains cardiac glycosides that can affect the heart, it should be used cautiously and for short periods only. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have heart problems, are pregnant, or take heart medications.

Read the full Uzara monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tigecycline Injection

What Is Tigecycline Injection Used For?

Brand name: Tygacil

Tygacil (tigecycline for injection) is approved for adults 18 and older to treat three types of serious bacterial infections: complicated skin and skin structure infections, complicated intra-abdominal (stomach and intestinal) infections, and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (pneumonia caught outside a hospital).

It is not approved for diabetic foot infections or for pneumonia caught in a hospital setting, including ventilator-associated pneumonia — clinical trials showed it did not work well enough for those uses and was associated with higher mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.

See full Tigecycline Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Uzara

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

1Major
131Moderate
0Minor
2,697No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

131 interactions

Showing 60 of 131 moderate interactions — see all 131 on the Uzara page.

No interaction 2,697 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 Uzara and Tigecycline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Uzara with Tigecycline?
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 Uzara and Tigecycline?
Tigecycline belongs to more than one drug category, and Uzara 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 Uzara and Tigecycline 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.