Drug & supplement interaction

Willow Bark + Lovastatin

Lovastatin brand names: Mevacor, Altocor.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Willow Bark and Lovastatin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Lovastatin states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Willow Bark and Lovastatin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Lovastatin and Willow Bark in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Willow Bark safety at a glance

Willow Bark overall Use caution Generally tolerated short-term by healthy adults, but it acts like aspirin and is not safe for everyone.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid during pregnancy because its aspirin-like action may pose risks, especially later in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Willow bark contains salicylates which are excreted in breast milk and have been linked to adverse effects in breast-fed infants. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Lovastatin and Willow Bark? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Lovastatin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Lovastatin is filed under 8 classifications — including hmg-coa reductase inhibitors ("statins"), organic anion-transporting polypeptide substrates (oatp), cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) inhibitors. Willow Bark has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being acetazolamide (moderate), anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and aspirin (moderate) — and none of Lovastatin’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Willow Bark Does Interact With Other Medications

Willow Bark has 127 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Lovastatin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 127 No known interaction 2,703 (incl. Lovastatin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Willow Bark

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Willow Bark and Lovastatin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A severe allergic reaction / An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Willow Bark

    “Orally, willow bark seems to be well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Diarrhea, dyspepsia, heartburn, and vomiting. May cause itching and rash in sensitive individuals.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Gastrointestinal bleeding and renal impairment. May cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are allergic to aspirin.”

    Willow Bark · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Willow Bark

    “Orally, willow bark extract can cause gastrointestinal adverse effects, but these appear to be less frequent than those caused by NSAIDs. Examples include diarrhea, heartburn, vomiting, and dyspepsia. In a case report of a child, severe gastrointestinal bleeding occurred following use of a specific syrup (FreddoBaby), which contained ribwort plantain, licorice, willow bark, black elder, meadowsweet, and propolis.”

    Willow Bark · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    5 sources cited
    1. 12474. Schmid B, Ludtke R, Selbmann HK, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a standardized willow bark extract in patients with osteoarthritis: randomized placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial. Phytother Res 2001;15:344-50. PubMed
    2. 12475. Biegert C, Wagner I, Ludtke R, et al. Efficacy and safety of willow bark extract in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: results of 2 randomized double-blind controlled trials. J Rheumatol 2004;31:2121-30.
    3. 12804. Chrubasik S, Kunzel O, Model A, et al. Treatment of low back pain with a herbal or synthetic anti-rheumatic: a randomized controlled study. Willow bark extract for low back pain. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2001;40:1388-93. PubMed
    4. 86459. Chrubasik, S., Kunzel, O., Black, A., Conradt, C., and Kerschbaumer, F. Potential economic impact of using a proprietary willow bark extract in outpatient treatment of low back pain: an open non-randomized study. Phytomedicine 2001;8(4):241-251. PubMed
    5. 86477. <p>Moro PA, Flacco V, Cassetti F, Clementi V, Colombo ML, Chiesa GM, Menniti-Ippolito F, Raschetti R, Santuccio C. Hypovolemic shock due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding in a child taking an herbal syrup. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2011;47(3):278-83.</p>

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset / Diarrhea / Vomiting reported in 5.0% of FDA reports for Lovastatin Additional detail

    Willow Bark

    Recorded for Willow Bark in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A severe allergic reaction / An allergic reaction above.

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Itching / A skin rash Additional detail

    Willow Bark

    “Orally, willow bark may cause itching and rash in some people due to allergy.”

    Willow Bark · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    5 sources cited
    1. 6456. Chrubasik S, Eisenberg E, Balan E, et al. Treatment of low back pain exacerbations with willow bark extract: a randomized double-blind study. Am J Med 2000;109:9-14. PubMed
    2. 12474. Schmid B, Ludtke R, Selbmann HK, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a standardized willow bark extract in patients with osteoarthritis: randomized placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial. Phytother Res 2001;15:344-50. PubMed
    3. 12475. Biegert C, Wagner I, Ludtke R, et al. Efficacy and safety of willow bark extract in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: results of 2 randomized double-blind controlled trials. J Rheumatol 2004;31:2121-30.
    4. 12804. Chrubasik S, Kunzel O, Model A, et al. Treatment of low back pain with a herbal or synthetic anti-rheumatic: a randomized controlled study. Willow bark extract for low back pain. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2001;40:1388-93. PubMed
    5. 86459. Chrubasik, S., Kunzel, O., Black, A., Conradt, C., and Kerschbaumer, F. Potential economic impact of using a proprietary willow bark extract in outpatient treatment of low back pain: an open non-randomized study. Phytomedicine 2001;8(4):241-251. PubMed

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Headache reported in 4.5% of FDA reports for Lovastatin Additional detail

    Willow Bark

    “Orally, willow bark may cause headache and dizziness. In a clinical trial evaluating a combination product containing willow bark, black cohosh, sarsaparilla, poplar bark, and guaiac wood (Reumalex), severe headaches occurred.”

    Willow Bark · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12804. Chrubasik S, Kunzel O, Model A, et al. Treatment of low back pain with a herbal or synthetic anti-rheumatic: a randomized controlled study. Willow bark extract for low back pain. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2001;40:1388-93. PubMed
    2. 35946. Mills SY, Jacoby RK, Chacksfield M, Willoughby M. Effect of a proprietary herbal medicine on the relief of chronic arthritic pain: a double-blind study. Br J Rheumatol 1996;35:874-8. PubMed

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Willow Bark but not commonly for Lovastatin: bleeding in the gut, kidney problems and heartburn.

Effects for Lovastatin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Willow Bark come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 25,528 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Lovastatin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Willow Bark in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Willow bark contains salicylates which are excreted in breast milk and have been linked to adverse effects in breast-fed infants.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Lovastatin Products Have a Food Rule — Willow Bark Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Willow Bark on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Lovastatin with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Lovastatin products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Lovastatin tablets USP should be given with meals.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Lovastatin — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Willow Bark or Lovastatin

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

This page covers Willow Bark only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lovastatin page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 140 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lovastatin page

“Lovastatin (Mevacor) lowers cholesterol, and the liver clears it through an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is where most of these 184 supplements collide with it. This list deserves careful attention.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lovastatin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 43 real supplement products containing Willow Bark, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Willow Bark. Even though Willow Bark itself has no known interaction with Lovastatin, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Willow Bark and Lovastatin 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 Willow Bark
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lovastatin
Steady interest

#2,178 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Willow Bark reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Willow Bark and Lovastatin records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Willow Bark

What is Willow Bark?

  • Low back pain
  • Osteoarthritis joint pain
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • General aches and inflammation

Willow bark is a traditional plant remedy that contains salicin, a compound related to aspirin, and is most often used for pain and inflammation. Some evidence suggests it may modestly help low back pain and joint pain, but the research is limited and the right dose is not well standardized. Because it acts like aspirin, people with aspirin allergies, bleeding problems, or who are pregnant should be cautious and talk to a pharmacist or doctor first.

Salix alba · Salicaceae · Bark · Capsules, tablets, dried bark for tea, liquid extracts, standardized extracts

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Willow Bark is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Willow Bark record says about it on its own.

Willow Bark: dosing

There is no single official dose for willow bark. Products vary widely, and many are standardized to a certain amount of salicin, which is the part researchers usually measure.Because strength differs from brand to brand, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. They can help you decide whether willow bark is appropriate and how much is reasonable for you.

From our Willow Bark monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Willow Bark monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lovastatin

What Is Lovastatin Used For?

Brand names: Mevacor, Altocor

Lovastatin is used to lower high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and total cholesterol in people whose levels have not improved enough with diet alone. It is also used to slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries (coronary atherosclerosis) in people who already have coronary heart disease.

In adults without existing heart disease but with high cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol, lovastatin tablets are approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. Lovastatin tablets are also approved for adolescents aged 10–17 with a specific inherited condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH), when diet changes alone haven't been enough.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Lovastatin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (25,528 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 1,535 reports
Nausea 1,401 reports
Diarrhea 1,275 reports
Dyspnea 1,226 reports
Dizziness 1,159 reports
See full Lovastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Willow Bark

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

0Major
127Moderate
0Minor
2,702No known interaction
127 Moderate 2,702 No interaction
Moderate

127 interactions

Showing 60 of 127 moderate interactions — see all 127 on the Willow Bark page.

No interaction 2,702 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,702 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Willow Bark list.

See the full Willow Bark interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lovastatin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Willow Bark References

The 12 references that drive our Willow Bark monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Chrubasik S, Eisenberg E, Balan E, et al. Treatment of low back pain exacerbations with willow bark extract: a randomized double-blind study. Am J Med 2000;109:9-14. PubMed
  2. Schmid B, Ludtke R, Selbmann HK, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a standardized willow bark extract in patients with osteoarthritis: randomized placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial. Phytother Res 2001;15:344-50. PubMed
  3. Biegert C, Wagner I, Ludtke R, et al. Efficacy and safety of willow bark extract in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: results of 2 randomized double-blind controlled trials. J Rheumatol 2004;31:2121-30.
  4. Unsworth J, d'Assis-Fonseca A, Beswick DT, Blake DR. Serum salicylate levels in a breast fed infant. Ann Rheum Dis 1987;46:638-9. PubMed
  5. Clark JH, Wilson WG. A 16-day-old breast-fed infant with metabolic acidosis caused by salicylate. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1981;20:53-4. PubMed
  6. Chrubasik S, Kunzel O, Model A, et al. Treatment of low back pain with a herbal or synthetic anti-rheumatic: a randomized controlled study. Willow bark extract for low back pain. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2001;40:1388-93. PubMed
  7. Schmid B, Kotter I, Heide L. Pharmacokinetics of salicin after oral administration of a standardised willow bark extract. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2001;57:387-91. PubMed
  8. Krivoy N, Pavlotzky E, Chrubasik S, et al. Effect of salicis cortex extract on human platelet aggregation. Planta Med 2001;67:209-12. PubMed
  9. Mills SY, Jacoby RK, Chacksfield M, Willoughby M. Effect of a proprietary herbal medicine on the relief of chronic arthritic pain: a double-blind study. Br J Rheumatol 1996;35:874-8. PubMed
  10. Chrubasik, S., Kunzel, O., Black, A., Conradt, C., and Kerschbaumer, F. Potential economic impact of using a proprietary willow bark extract in outpatient treatment of low back pain: an open non-randomized study. Phytomedicine 2001;8(4):241-251. PubMed
  11. <p>Moro PA, Flacco V, Cassetti F, Clementi V, Colombo ML, Chiesa GM, Menniti-Ippolito F, Raschetti R, Santuccio C. Hypovolemic shock due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding in a child taking an herbal syrup. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2011;47(3):278-83.</p>
  12. Sweeney, K. R., Chapron, D. J., Brandt, J. L., Gomolin, I. H., Feig, P. U., and Kramer, P. A. Toxic interaction between acetazolamide and salicylate: case reports and a pharmacokinetic explanation. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1986;40(5):518-524.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Willow Bark and Lovastatin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Willow Bark with Lovastatin?
We do not list a known interaction between Willow Bark and Lovastatin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Willow Bark and Lovastatin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Willow Bark and Lovastatin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Willow Bark on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Lovastatin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Lovastatin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Willow Bark and Lovastatin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Lovastatin is filed under 8 classifications, and Willow Bark has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Lovastatin's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Willow Bark interact with any other medications?
Yes. Willow Bark has 127 documented drug interactions in our database — Lovastatin is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Lovastatin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Lovastatin has documented interactions with 184 supplements in our database — Willow Bark is not one of them. The Lovastatin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Willow Bark monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Lovastatin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Lovastatin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Lovastatin, 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 References The 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Lovastatin and Willow Bark?

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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.