Drug & supplement interaction

Wahoo + Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)

Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) brand name: Milk of Magnesia (MOM).

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Wahoo has a moderate interaction with Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug). Theoretically, use of stimulant laxatives with wahoo might have additive laxative effects, and can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion.

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

Wahoo and Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)

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

Moderate

STIMULANT LAXATIVES

Why this applies to Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)

Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) falls under STIMULANT LAXATIVES — the group Wahoo interacts with.

Theoretically, use of stimulant laxatives with wahoo might have additive laxative effects, and can increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity due to potassium depletion.
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

First things first: I really wouldn't reach for Wahoo at all. It's a poisonous plant with heart-active compounds (called cardenolides) and no proven benefit, so this isn't a 'use carefully' situation, it's a 'please skip it' one. But here's how it can collide with Milk of Magnesia.

Both can loosen your bowels, so taking them together could mean stronger laxative effects, more cramping, watery diarrhea, and dehydration. The bigger worry is that heavy diarrhea can flush out potassium, and low potassium makes Wahoo's heart-affecting compounds more dangerous (think irregular or fast heartbeat). This is based on how these substances work, not hard studies, but the risk is real enough that I'd avoid the combo and check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.

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

Wahoo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Wahoo has 1 major, 131 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 1 Moderate 131 No known interaction 2,698 (incl. Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wahoo

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)

This page covers Wahoo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) page lists 46 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Jalap (major), Oleander (major), Alder Buckthorn (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 34 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) page

“Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) is the medicine-cabinet fix for constipation, and most of the 46 supplements known to interact with it come from the same shelf. Twenty-nine are herbal stimulant laxatives, aloe latex and cascara sagrada among them, and doubling up on laxatives can drain fluid and potassium fast.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 9 real supplement products containing Wahoo, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wahoo. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) too, on top of Wahoo — 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 Wahoo and Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) 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 Wahoo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)
Steady interest

#1,724 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 Wahoo

What is Wahoo?

Wahoo
  • Constipation (traditional laxative)
  • Digestive complaints
  • Liver and gallbladder support (folk use)
  • Fluid retention (traditional diuretic)
  • Skin irritations (folk use)

Wahoo is a North American shrub historically used as a laxative and 'liver tonic,' but it is a poisonous plant with no proven benefit and a real risk of serious harm. Because it contains heart-affecting and other toxic compounds, we do not recommend using it, and there is no established safe dose.

Read the full Wahoo monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wahoo

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Wahoo — 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
1 Major 131 Moderate 2,697 No interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

131 interactions

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

No interaction 2,697 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,697 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wahoo list.

See the full Wahoo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug), ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Wahoo monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug), 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Wahoo and Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wahoo with Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug)?
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 Wahoo and Magnesium Hydroxide (OTC drug) 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.