Drug & supplement interaction

Wild Cherry + Norethindrone

Norethindrone brand names: Aygestin, Norlutin, Nor-QD, Micronor, Norlutate, and others.

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

Wild Cherry has a moderate interaction with Norethindrone. In vitro research suggests that wild cherry can inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzymes.

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

Wild Cherry and Norethindrone

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Norethindrone

Norethindrone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Wild Cherry interacts with.

In vitro research suggests that wild cherry can inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzymes. Theoretically, wild cherry might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4. However, so far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and others.
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 for norethindrone: your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break it down and clear it out. Lab studies (done in test tubes, not people) hint that wild cherry might slow that same enzyme down. If that happened in real life, norethindrone could clear a little slower and build up, which in theory might mean more of its usual effects like breakthrough spotting, breast tenderness, bloating, mood changes, or headache.

I want to be honest though: this is only theoretical. It has never actually been reported in people, so the evidence is weak. An occasional cough lozenge is very different from large or concentrated wild cherry doses. Still, it's worth a quick check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them regularly.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82. 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

Wild Cherry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Wild Cherry has 642 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Norethindrone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 642 No known interaction 2,188 (incl. Norethindrone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wild Cherry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Wild Cherry or Norethindrone

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Wild Cherry or Norethindrone, 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 Norethindrone

This page covers Wild Cherry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Norethindrone page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 108 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Norethindrone page

“Norethindrone is a progestin used for birth control and for heavy or irregular periods, which means a supplement that quietly weakens it can end in an unplanned pregnancy, so I read this list with genuine caution. Three of the 152 ingredients on it rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Norethindrone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 439 real supplement products containing Wild Cherry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wild Cherry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Norethindrone too, on top of Wild Cherry — 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 Wild Cherry and Norethindrone 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 Wild Cherry
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Norethindrone
Top 25%

#330 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 Wild Cherry

What is Wild Cherry?

Wild Cherry
  • Cough
  • Bronchitis and respiratory irritation
  • Sore throat
  • Digestive upset and diarrhea
  • Flavoring agent

Wild cherry bark is a traditional cough remedy found in many old-fashioned cough syrups and lozenges, but there is little modern scientific evidence proving it works. The bark, leaves, and seeds naturally contain cyanide-producing compounds, so it should be used only in properly prepared products and avoided in large amounts. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially during pregnancy or for children.

Read the full Wild Cherry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Norethindrone

What Is Norethindrone Used For?

Brand names: Aygestin, Norlutin, Nor-QD, Micronor, Norlutate, Camila, Errin, Jolivette, Nora-BE

Norethindrone is a progestin-only oral contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy. It is taken every day, continuously, without hormone-free breaks — unlike combination birth control pills.

Gallifrey (norethindrone acetate tablets, 5 mg) is a different, higher-dose formulation approved for three additional conditions: secondary amenorrhea (periods that have stopped), endometriosis, and abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance when no structural cause such as fibroids or uterine cancer is present. Gallifrey is not approved or recommended for use alongside estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women for endometrial protection.

See full Norethindrone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wild Cherry

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

0Major
642Moderate
0Minor
2,187No known interaction
642 Moderate 2,187 No interaction
Moderate

642 interactions

Showing 60 of 642 moderate interactions — see all 642 on the Wild Cherry page.

No interaction 2,187 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,187 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wild Cherry list.

See the full Wild Cherry interactions page
See every supplement checked against Norethindrone, 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
Wild Cherry monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Norethindrone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Norethindrone, ranked by severity Norethindrone drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Wild Cherry and Norethindrone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wild Cherry with Norethindrone?
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 Wild Cherry and Norethindrone 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

Still Have a Question About Norethindrone and Wild Cherry?

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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.