Drug & supplement interaction

Yerba Mate + Dipyridamole

Dipyridamole brand names: Persantine, Dipyridamole, Persantin, Persantin Injection, Persantin Retard.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Dipyridamole falls into 2 drug categories that Yerba Mate can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, the caffeine in yerba mate may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Yerba Mate and Dipyridamole

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Yerba Mate interacts with whole categories of medication. Dipyridamole falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Yerba Mate in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Dipyridamole

Dipyridamole falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Yerba Mate interacts with.

Theoretically, the caffeine in yerba mate may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Yerba mate contains caffeine. Caffeine is reported to have antiplatelet activity. Theoretically, it might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with these agents; however, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 short version: dipyridamole already works to keep your platelets from sticking together so clots don't form too easily. The caffeine in yerba mate has shown some mild platelet-slowing activity too, at least in lab studies. So in theory, pairing the two could nudge your bleeding risk up a little, meaning things like easier bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums.

I want to be honest with you though: this is based only on test-tube and animal research, and it has never actually been reported in people. A cup or two of mate is very unlikely to cause trouble. If you drink it heavily every day, it's worth mentioning to your pharmacist or doctor, especially since you're on dipyridamole after a valve replacement. Don't change anything on your own.

References
  1. Ali M, Afzal M. A potent inhibitor of thrombin stimulated platelet thromboxane formation from unprocessed tea. Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1987;27:9-13. PubMed
  2. Ardlie NG, Glew G, Schultz BG, Schwartz CJ. Inhibition and reversal of platelet aggregation by methyl xanthines. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1967;18:670-3. DOI
Moderate

DIPYRIDAMOLE (Persantine)

2 of 2
Theoretically, the caffeine in yerba mate might decrease the vasodilatory effects of dipyridamole and interfere with its use prior to stress testing.
Yerba mate contains caffeine. Caffeine inhibits dipyridamole-induced vasodilation. Still, some researchers recommend that methylxanthines, such as caffeine, as well as methylxanthine-containing products, should be stopped 24 hours prior to pharmacological stress. Methylxanthines appear more likely to interfere with dipyridamole (Persantine) than adenosine-induced stress testing.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the key thing about dipyridamole: part of how it works is by widening (relaxing) your blood vessels. The caffeine in yerba mate works against that, because caffeine blocks the same pathway dipyridamole uses to open vessels up. So the worry isn't that the drug builds up or becomes dangerous, it's that yerba mate can blunt dipyridamole's effect.

This matters most when dipyridamole is given as part of a pharmacologic cardiac stress test. If caffeine is in your system, the test may not work properly and could give a misleading result. That's why many clinics ask you to avoid caffeine, including yerba mate, for about 24 hours beforehand. For everyday use, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

References
  1. Underwood DA. Which medications should be held before a pharmacologic or exercise stress test? Cleve Clin J Med 2002;69:449-50. PubMed
  2. Aqel RA, Zoghbi GJ, Trimm JR, et al. Effect of caffeine administered intravenously on intracoronary-administered adenosine-induced coronary hemodynamics in patients with coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 2004;93:343-6. PubMed
  3. Zheng XM, Williams RC. Serum caffeine levels after 24-hour abstention: clinical implications on dipyridamole (201)Tl myocardial perfusion imaging. J Nucl Med Technol 2002;30:123-7.

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

Yerba Mate Also Interacts With Other Medications

Yerba Mate has 8 major, 504 moderate, 573 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dipyridamole one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Yerba Mate

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Dipyridamole

This page covers Yerba Mate only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dipyridamole page lists 219 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adenosine (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major) and Aconite (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 190 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dipyridamole page

“Dipyridamole (Persantine) keeps platelets from clumping so clots don't form, often after a stroke or heart valve surgery, and that job is exactly why the 219 supplements on this page warrant real vigilance. The bulk of the list, including most of the 190 moderate entries, adds its own blood-thinning or antiplatelet effect on top of the…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dipyridamole interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 68 real supplement products containing Yerba Mate, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yerba Mate. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dipyridamole too, on top of Yerba Mate — 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 Yerba Mate and Dipyridamole 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 Yerba Mate
Steady interest

#1,100 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Dipyridamole
Top 25%

#607 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 Yerba Mate

What is Yerba Mate?

Yerba Mate
  • Energy and alertness
  • Weight loss
  • Mental focus
  • Digestive support
  • Antioxidant support

Yerba mate is a caffeine-containing herbal beverage from South America that is widely enjoyed for its stimulating, coffee-like effects. While it is rich in antioxidants and is being studied for weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol, strong human evidence for most health claims is limited. Drinking very hot mate over many years has been linked to higher risk of certain cancers, so enjoy it warm and in moderation.

Read the full Yerba Mate monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dipyridamole

What Is Dipyridamole Used For?

Brand names: Persantine, Dipyridamole, Persantin, Persantin Injection, Persantin Retard

Dipyridamole tablets are used alongside warfarin (a blood thinner) to help prevent dangerous blood clots from forming after cardiac valve replacement surgery. It is not used alone for this purpose — it works as an add-on to anticoagulant therapy.

Dipyridamole Injection is used as an alternative to exercise during thallium myocardial perfusion imaging — a type of heart scan that checks blood flow through the coronary arteries. It is given to patients who are unable to exercise adequately for the test.

See full Dipyridamole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yerba Mate

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

8Major
504Moderate
573Minor
1,744No known interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

504 interactions

Showing 60 of 504 moderate interactions — see all 504 on the Yerba Mate page.

Minor

573 interactions

Showing 60 of 573 minor interactions — see all 573 on the Yerba Mate page.

No interaction 1,744 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Yerba Mate and Dipyridamole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Yerba Mate with Dipyridamole?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Yerba Mate and Dipyridamole?
Dipyridamole belongs to more than one drug category, and Yerba Mate interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Yerba Mate and Dipyridamole 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 Dipyridamole and Yerba Mate?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.