Drug & supplement interaction

Yew + Buspirone

Buspirone brand name: BuSpar.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Yew and Buspirone 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 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Yew and Buspirone

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 Buspirone and Yew 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Yew at all — not against Buspirone, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Yew safety at a glance

Yew overall Avoid Yew is highly toxic and can cause sudden death; it should never be used as a supplement or home remedy.
Pregnancy Unsafe When the needles are used orally. Yew needles have been used as an abortifacient. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Unsafe When the needles are used orally. Yew needles have been used as an abortifacient. 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 Buspirone and Yew? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Yew and Buspirone 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 slow heartbeat Worth acting on Additional detail

    Yew

    “Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include queasiness, dry mouth, (18) vomiting, vertigo, severe abdominal pain, weakness, nervousness, trembling, dyspnea, incoordination, tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation, hypotension, unconsciousness, coma, dizziness, seizures, respiratory depression, mydriasis, reddening of the lips, pale and cyanotic skin (6,18,5605), and death secondary to cardiac ar…”

    Yew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 5604. Van IG, Visser R, Peltenburg H, et al. Sudden unexpected death due to Taxus poisoning. A report of five cases, with review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 1992;56:81-7. PubMed
    3. 5605. Krenzelok EP, Jacobsen TD, Aronis J. Is the yew really poisonous to you? J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36:219-23. PubMed
    4. 100036. Persico A, Bacis G, Uberti F, et al. Identification of taxine derivatives in biological fluids from a patient after attempted suicide by ingestion of yew (Taxus baccata) leaves. J Anal Toxicol. 2011;35(4):238-41. PubMed
    5. 100037. Pilija V, Djurendic-Brenesel M, Miletic S. Fatal poisoning by ingestion of Taxus Baccata leaves. Forensic Sci Int. 2018;290:e1-e4. PubMed
    6. 100038. Farag M, Badowski D, Koschny R, Skopp G, Brcic A, Szabo GB. Extracorporeal life support and digoxin-specific Fab fragments for successful management of Taxus baccata intoxication with low output and ventricular arrhythmia. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(12):1987 PubMed

    “Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmias, hypotension, ventricular fibrillation, and death due to cardiac arrest. Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours.

    Treatment is usually related to supportive care, however, arrhythmias are often resistant to standard pharmacologic t…”

    Yew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 5604. Van IG, Visser R, Peltenburg H, et al. Sudden unexpected death due to Taxus poisoning. A report of five cases, with review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 1992;56:81-7. PubMed
    2. 86746. Willaert, W., Claessens, P., Vankelecom, B., and Vanderheyden, M. Intoxication with taxus baccata: cardiac arrhythmias following yew leaves ingestion. Pacing Clin.Electrophysiol. 2002;25(4 Pt 1):511-512.
    3. 86756. Yersin, B., Frey, J. G., Schaller, M. D., Nicod, P., and Perret, C. Fatal cardiac arrhythmias and shock following yew leaves ingestion. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1987;16(12):1396-1397. PubMed
    4. 100036. Persico A, Bacis G, Uberti F, et al. Identification of taxine derivatives in biological fluids from a patient after attempted suicide by ingestion of yew (Taxus baccata) leaves. J Anal Toxicol. 2011;35(4):238-41. PubMed
    5. 100038. Farag M, Badowski D, Koschny R, Skopp G, Brcic A, Szabo GB. Extracorporeal life support and digoxin-specific Fab fragments for successful management of Taxus baccata intoxication with low output and ventricular arrhythmia. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(12):1987 PubMed
    6. 100039. Vardon Bounes F, Tardif E, Ruiz S, Gallart JC, Conil JM, Delmas C. Suicide attempt with self-made Taxus baccata leaf capsules: survival following the application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for ventricular arrythmia and refractory cardiogenic s

    Buspirone

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

  • Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    Yew

    “Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include vertigo, weakness, nervousness, trembling, loss of coordination, unconsciousness, coma, dizziness, seizures, respiratory depression, and mydriasis (6,18). Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours.”

    Yew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    6 sources cited
    1. 5604. Van IG, Visser R, Peltenburg H, et al. Sudden unexpected death due to Taxus poisoning. A report of five cases, with review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 1992;56:81-7. PubMed
    2. 5603. Sinn LE, Porterfield JF. Fatal taxine poisoning from yew leaf ingestion. J Forensic Sci 1991;36:599-601. DOI
    3. 100036. Persico A, Bacis G, Uberti F, et al. Identification of taxine derivatives in biological fluids from a patient after attempted suicide by ingestion of yew (Taxus baccata) leaves. J Anal Toxicol. 2011;35(4):238-41. PubMed
    4. 105515. G N, Chan M, Gue YX, Gorog DA. Fatal heart block from intentional yew tree (Taxus baccata) ingestion: a case report. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2019 Dec 23;4(1):1-4. PubMed
    5. 100038. Farag M, Badowski D, Koschny R, Skopp G, Brcic A, Szabo GB. Extracorporeal life support and digoxin-specific Fab fragments for successful management of Taxus baccata intoxication with low output and ventricular arrhythmia. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(12):1987 PubMed
    6. 105514. Hermes-Laufer J, Meyer M, Rudiger A, et al. Extracorporeal life support as bridge to recovery in yew poisoning: case reports and literature review. ESC Heart Fail. 2021 Feb;8(1):705-709. PubMed

    Buspirone

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

  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Yew

    “Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include dyspnea.”

    Yew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in poisoning.

    1 source cited
    1. 5603. Sinn LE, Porterfield JF. Fatal taxine poisoning from yew leaf ingestion. J Forensic Sci 1991;36:599-601. DOI

    Buspirone

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

  • Tremor or shakiness / Anxiety or restlessness / Dizziness Additional detail

    Yew

    Recorded for Yew in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A slow heartbeat above.

    Buspirone

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

  • Dry mouth / Vomiting Additional detail

    Yew

    “Orally, initial symptoms of yew poisoning include queasiness, dry mouth, (18) nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours.”

    Yew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dry mouth.

    6 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 5604. Van IG, Visser R, Peltenburg H, et al. Sudden unexpected death due to Taxus poisoning. A report of five cases, with review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 1992;56:81-7. PubMed
    3. 5605. Krenzelok EP, Jacobsen TD, Aronis J. Is the yew really poisonous to you? J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36:219-23. PubMed
    4. 100036. Persico A, Bacis G, Uberti F, et al. Identification of taxine derivatives in biological fluids from a patient after attempted suicide by ingestion of yew (Taxus baccata) leaves. J Anal Toxicol. 2011;35(4):238-41. PubMed
    5. 100037. Pilija V, Djurendic-Brenesel M, Miletic S. Fatal poisoning by ingestion of Taxus Baccata leaves. Forensic Sci Int. 2018;290:e1-e4. PubMed
    6. 100038. Farag M, Badowski D, Koschny R, Skopp G, Brcic A, Szabo GB. Extracorporeal life support and digoxin-specific Fab fragments for successful management of Taxus baccata intoxication with low output and ventricular arrhythmia. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(12):1987 PubMed

    Buspirone

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

  • A fast or pounding heartbeat / Low blood pressure Additional detail

    Yew

    Recorded for Yew in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A slow heartbeat above.

    Buspirone

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

Showing the 10 most notable of 11 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for Yew but not commonly for Buspirone: unsteadiness and stomach pain.

Effects for Buspirone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Yew 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

Yew in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Unsafe

When the needles are used orally. Yew needles have been used as an abortifacient.

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Yew or Buspirone

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

This page covers Yew only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Buspirone page lists 155 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lithium (major), St. John's Wort (major) and 5-htp (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 108 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Buspirone page

“I counsel genuine caution when supplements meet buspirone (BuSpar), the anxiety medication, because four of its 155 documented interactions are rated major. The bulk of the list, 121 ingredients, changes how your liver clears buspirone through the CYP3A4 enzyme, pushing its level up toward dizziness and drowsiness or down until the anx…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Buspirone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 7 real supplement products containing Yew, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yew. Even though Yew itself has no known interaction with Buspirone, 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 Yew and Buspirone 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 Yew
Steady interest

#1,341 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Buspirone
Top 5%

#54 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 Yew reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Yew and Buspirone records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Yew

What is Yew?

  • Source of cancer chemotherapy drugs
  • Historical folk and ornamental use
  • Traditional remedies (now considered unsafe)

Yew is a highly poisonous plant, and nearly all parts can be deadly even in small amounts. It is famous mainly because pharmaceutical drugs like paclitaxel (Taxol) are made from yew compounds in a controlled lab setting — but yew itself should never be taken as a supplement, tea, or home remedy.

Taxus baccata · Taxaceae · Needles (leaves), bark, and seeds (all highly toxic); semi-synthetic drugs are derived from yew compounds · Not used as a home remedy; yew-derived compounds are used only as prescription chemotherapy drugs (paclitaxel, docetaxel)

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

Yew: dosing

There is no safe dose of yew as a supplement or herbal product. It should never be taken by mouth in any form.The cancer drugs derived from yew (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are completely different products.

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

Read the full Yew monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Buspirone

What Is Buspirone Used For?

Brand name: BuSpar

Buspirone tablets and capsules are used to manage anxiety disorders or to relieve anxiety symptoms in the short term. Its effectiveness has been shown in clinical trials focused on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) — a condition marked by persistent, hard-to-control worry along with physical symptoms like muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems.

Buspirone has also been shown to relieve anxiety in people who have mild depressive symptoms alongside their anxiety. Everyday stress and tension, on their own, generally do not require treatment with a medicine like buspirone.

See full Buspirone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yew

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Yew list.

See the full Yew interactions page
See every supplement checked against Buspirone, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Yew References

The 17 references that drive our Yew 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Gennaro A. Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy. 19th ed. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  4. Sinn LE, Porterfield JF. Fatal taxine poisoning from yew leaf ingestion. J Forensic Sci 1991;36:599-601. DOI
  5. Van IG, Visser R, Peltenburg H, et al. Sudden unexpected death due to Taxus poisoning. A report of five cases, with review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 1992;56:81-7. PubMed
  6. Krenzelok EP, Jacobsen TD, Aronis J. Is the yew really poisonous to you? J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36:219-23. PubMed
  7. Maguchi, S. and Fukuda, S. Taxus cuspidata (Japanese yew) pollen nasal allergy. Auris Nasus Larynx 2001;28 Suppl:S43-S47. PubMed
  8. Willaert, W., Claessens, P., Vankelecom, B., and Vanderheyden, M. Intoxication with taxus baccata: cardiac arrhythmias following yew leaves ingestion. Pacing Clin.Electrophysiol. 2002;25(4 Pt 1):511-512.
  9. Yersin, B., Frey, J. G., Schaller, M. D., Nicod, P., and Perret, C. Fatal cardiac arrhythmias and shock following yew leaves ingestion. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1987;16(12):1396-1397. PubMed
  10. de Vos FYFL, van Laarhoven HMW. Taxus baccata allergy in a breast cancer patient. Neth J Med. 2012;70(5):249-0.
  11. Persico A, Bacis G, Uberti F, et al. Identification of taxine derivatives in biological fluids from a patient after attempted suicide by ingestion of yew (Taxus baccata) leaves. J Anal Toxicol. 2011;35(4):238-41. PubMed
  12. Pilija V, Djurendic-Brenesel M, Miletic S. Fatal poisoning by ingestion of Taxus Baccata leaves. Forensic Sci Int. 2018;290:e1-e4. PubMed
  13. Farag M, Badowski D, Koschny R, Skopp G, Brcic A, Szabo GB. Extracorporeal life support and digoxin-specific Fab fragments for successful management of Taxus baccata intoxication with low output and ventricular arrhythmia. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(12):1987 PubMed
  14. Vardon Bounes F, Tardif E, Ruiz S, Gallart JC, Conil JM, Delmas C. Suicide attempt with self-made Taxus baccata leaf capsules: survival following the application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for ventricular arrythmia and refractory cardiogenic s
  15. Baum C, Bohnen S, Sill B, et al. Prolonged resuscitation and cardiogenic shock after intoxication with European yew (Taxus baccata): Complete recovery after intermittent mechanical circulatory support. Int J Cardiol. 2015;181:176-8. 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 Yew and Buspirone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Yew with Buspirone?
We do not list a known interaction between Yew and Buspirone. 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 Yew and Buspirone 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.
Does Buspirone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Buspirone has documented interactions with 155 supplements in our database — Yew is not one of them. The Buspirone 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

Yew monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Buspirone drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Buspirone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Buspirone, 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 17 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Buspirone and Yew?

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.