Drug & supplement interaction

Vitex Agnus-castus + Entacapone

Entacapone brand name: Comtan.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Vitex Agnus-castus has a moderate interaction with Entacapone. Theoretically, vitex agnus-castus could interfere with dopamine agonists.

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

Vitex Agnus-castus and Entacapone

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

Moderate

DOPAMINE AGONISTS

Why this applies to Entacapone

Entacapone falls under DOPAMINE AGONISTS — the group Vitex Agnus-castus interacts with.

Theoretically, vitex agnus-castus could interfere with dopamine agonists.
Vitex agnus-castus might potentiate the actions of dopaminergic agonists due to possible dopaminergic effects.
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 chasteberry (Vitex) and your Parkinson's regimen. Entacapone isn't a prodrug; it works by blocking an enzyme (COMT) so more levodopa reaches your brain. Vitex is thought to nudge up dopamine activity on its own. So in theory, layering Vitex on top of your levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone could add a little extra dopamine push.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is theoretical, based only on lab and animal studies, not real patient reports. If anything did happen, it might look like more dopamine-type effects (nausea, dizziness, low blood pressure when standing, or extra involuntary movements). I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but please run it by your pharmacist or neurologist before starting Vitex.

References
  1. Meier B, Berger D, Hoberg E, et al. Pharmacological activities of Vitex agnus-castus extracts in vitro. Phytomedicine 2000;7:373-81. PubMed

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

Vitex Agnus-castus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Vitex Agnus-castus has 120 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Entacapone 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 Vitex Agnus-castus

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Vitex Agnus-castus. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Vitex Agnus-castus or Entacapone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Vitex Agnus-castus or Entacapone, 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 Entacapone

This page covers Vitex Agnus-castus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Entacapone page lists 33 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ayahuasca (moderate), Black Horehound (moderate), Breadfruit (moderate) and Brussels Sprout (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 22 moderate · 10 minor.

Open the Entacapone interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Vitex Agnus-castus as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 45 real supplement products containing Vitex Agnus-castus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Vitex Agnus-castus. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Entacapone too, on top of Vitex Agnus-castus — 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 Vitex Agnus-castus and Entacapone 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 Vitex Agnus-castus
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Entacapone
Top half

#744 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 Vitex Agnus-castus

What is Vitex Agnus-castus?

Vitex Agnus-castus
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Irregular or absent menstrual periods
  • Cyclical breast pain (mastalgia)
  • Menopause symptoms
  • Fertility support

Vitex (chasteberry) is an herbal remedy most often used for PMS and menstrual cycle problems, and the strongest evidence is for easing some PMS symptoms. It is generally well tolerated by many adults, but it can affect hormone-related processes, so anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or has a hormone-sensitive condition should talk with a healthcare professional first.

Read the full Vitex Agnus-castus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Entacapone

What Is Entacapone Used For?

Brand name: Comtan

Entacapone tablets are used as an add-on therapy — always taken together with levodopa and carbidopa — to treat end-of-dose 'wearing-off' in people with Parkinson's disease. 'Wearing-off' is when the benefit of a levodopa dose fades before the next dose is due, causing symptoms like stiffness or slowness to return.

Entacapone has no effect on Parkinson's disease on its own; it only works when combined with levodopa and carbidopa. Its effectiveness has not been thoroughly studied in people with Parkinson's disease who do not experience wearing-off.

See full Entacapone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Vitex Agnus-castus

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

0Major
120Moderate
0Minor
2,709No known interaction
Moderate

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 moderate interactions — see all 120 on the Vitex Agnus-castus page.

No interaction 2,709 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 Vitex Agnus-castus and Entacapone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Vitex Agnus-castus with Entacapone?
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 Vitex Agnus-castus and Entacapone 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.