Drug & supplement interaction

Yellow Dock + Methylnaltrexone

Methylnaltrexone brand name: Relistor.

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 Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone 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 Methylnaltrexone 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

Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone

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 Methylnaltrexone and Yellow Dock 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.

Yellow Dock safety at a glance

Yellow Dock overall Use caution May act as a laxative and contains oxalates; use short-term and with care.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. Yellow dock contains anthraquinone glycosides; unstandardized laxatives are not desirable during pregnancy. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. Anthraquinones are secreted into breast milk. 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 Methylnaltrexone and Yellow Dock? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Methylnaltrexone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Methylnaltrexone is filed under a single classification — cytochrome p450 2d6 (cyp2d6) inhibitors. Yellow Dock has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being digoxin (lanoxin) (major), diuretic drugs (major) and warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Methylnaltrexone’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

Yellow Dock Does Interact With Other Medications

Yellow Dock has 76 major, 2 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Methylnaltrexone isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 76 Moderate 2 No known interaction 2,752 (incl. Methylnaltrexone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Yellow Dock

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone 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.

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Yellow Dock

    “Orally, vomiting may occur after ingestion of fresh rhizome (18). Consuming excessive amounts can cause diarrhea and nausea (6). Excessive use can also cause abdominal cramps and intestinal atrophy (4). There is one report of a death, preceded by vomiting and diarrhea, after ingestion of 500 grams of yellow dock (17). Older or uncooked leaves should be avoided (6).”

    Yellow Dock · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
    3. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    4. 17. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.

    Methylnaltrexone

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

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Yellow Dock

    “Orally, yellow dock seems to be well tolerated when properly prepared and consumed in food amounts. Consuming raw yellow dock leaves or rhizomes may be unsafe.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Raw leaves or rhizomes can cause hypocalcemia, kidney stones, and vomiting.”

    Yellow Dock · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hypocalcemia.

    Methylnaltrexone

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

Reported for Yellow Dock but not commonly for Methylnaltrexone: a low platelet count, kidney problems, kidney stones and low potassium.

Effects for Methylnaltrexone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Yellow Dock come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Yellow Dock in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using. Yellow dock contains anthraquinone glycosides; unstandardized laxatives are not desirable during pregnancy.

Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using. Anthraquinones are secreted into breast milk.

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 Methylnaltrexone Products Have a Food Rule — Yellow Dock Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Methylnaltrexone says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Yellow Dock included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Methylnaltrexone on its own and move Yellow Dock to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Methylnaltrexone 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.

o In patients with chronic non-cancer pain and OIC, take RELISTOR tablets with water on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before the first meal of the day.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Methylnaltrexone — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Methylnaltrexone

This page covers Yellow Dock only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methylnaltrexone page lists 3 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Fever Bark (moderate), Iboga (moderate) and Yohimbe (moderate).

By severity: 3 moderate.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Methylnaltrexone page

“If you take methylnaltrexone (Relistor) for opioid-induced constipation, the supplement list to know is short: three ingredients, all rated moderate, none major. Yohimbe, fever bark, and iboga are all cleared by the same liver enzyme, CYP2D6, and methylnaltrexone can slow that enzyme, letting their active compounds build up in your blood.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Methylnaltrexone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 753 real supplement products containing Yellow Dock, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yellow Dock. Even though Yellow Dock itself has no known interaction with Methylnaltrexone, 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 Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone 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 Yellow Dock
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Methylnaltrexone
Steady interest

#2,793 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 Yellow Dock reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone 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 Yellow Dock

What is Yellow Dock?

  • Constipation
  • Digestive support
  • Skin conditions
  • Iron-deficiency or 'blood-building' tonic
  • Liver and detox support

Yellow dock is a traditional herb used mostly as a mild laxative and a digestive and skin tonic. Good-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits are largely unproven, and its naturally occurring oxalates and anthraquinones mean it should be used cautiously and not long-term.

Rumex crispus · Polygonaceae · Root (rhizome); leaves are sometimes used · Capsules, tinctures, liquid extracts, dried root for tea, and sometimes topical ointments

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

Yellow Dock: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for yellow dock, and product strengths vary widely between teas, tinctures, and capsules. Because of this, the safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.Use it for the shortest time needed rather than as a long-term daily supplement.

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

Read the full Yellow Dock monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Methylnaltrexone

What Is Methylnaltrexone Used For?

Brand name: Relistor

Methylnaltrexone, sold as Relistor, treats opioid-induced constipation (OIC) — constipation caused by opioid pain medications. Both Relistor tablets and Relistor injection are approved for adults with chronic non-cancer pain, including those with pain related to a prior cancer or its treatment who do not need frequent opioid dose increases.

Relistor injection is also approved for adults with advanced illness or active cancer pain who require increasing opioid doses as part of palliative care.

See full Methylnaltrexone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yellow Dock

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

76Major
2Moderate
0Minor
2,751No known interaction
76 Major 2 Moderate 2,751 No interaction
Major

76 interactions

Showing 60 of 76 major interactions — see all 76 on the Yellow Dock page.

Moderate

2 interactions

No interaction 2,751 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,751 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Yellow Dock list.

See the full Yellow Dock interactions page
See every supplement checked against Methylnaltrexone, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Yellow Dock References

The 8 references that drive our Yellow Dock 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. 3rd ed., Binghamton, NY: Haworth Herbal Press, 1993.
  3. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  4. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  5. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
  6. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  7. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  8. Latif A, Fichadiya H, Abid F, Capo G. Herbal Teas and Thrombocytopenia: A Curious Case of Yellow Dock and Burdock-Induced Thrombocytopenia. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2022;9(3):003247. PubMed

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 Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Yellow Dock with Methylnaltrexone?
We do not list a known interaction between Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone. 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 Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 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 Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Methylnaltrexone says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Methylnaltrexone on its own and move Yellow Dock to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Yellow Dock and Methylnaltrexone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Methylnaltrexone is filed under 1 classification, and Yellow Dock has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Methylnaltrexone'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 Yellow Dock interact with any other medications?
Yes. Yellow Dock has 78 documented drug interactions in our database — Methylnaltrexone 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 Methylnaltrexone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Methylnaltrexone has documented interactions with 3 supplements in our database — Yellow Dock is not one of them. The Methylnaltrexone 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

Yellow Dock monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Methylnaltrexone drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Methylnaltrexone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Methylnaltrexone, 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 8 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Methylnaltrexone and Yellow Dock?

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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.