Drug & supplement interaction

Yin Chen + Pentobarbital

Pentobarbital brand name: Nembutal.

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

Pentobarbital falls into 2 drug categories that Yin Chen can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, yin chen might enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of other CNS depressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Yin Chen and Pentobarbital

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Pentobarbital

Pentobarbital falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Yin Chen interacts with.

Theoretically, yin chen might enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of other CNS depressants.
Animal research shows that yin chen has sedative effects and can reduce motor activity and impair balance and coordination. When used in combination with pentobarbital, yin chen increases sleeping time when compared to pentobarbital alone.
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

Pentobarbital (Nembutal) is a barbiturate, a strong sedative that calms the brain and nervous system. Yin Chen appears to have its own mild sedating quality, so pairing the two could stack their calming effects. In other words, you might feel more drowsy, groggy, or unsteady than the pentobarbital alone would normally cause.

Here's the honest part: this comes from animal studies, where Yin Chen made the sleep from pentobarbital last longer. We don't have solid human proof of how big this effect really is. Still, with a powerful drug like pentobarbital, it's wise to be cautious. Please don't change anything on your own. Just check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them so they can weigh in for your situation.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. dela Peña IJ, Hong E, Kim HJ, et al. Artemisia capillaris thunberg produces sedative-hypnotic effects in mice, which are probably mediated through potentiation of the GABAA receptor. Am J Chin Med. 2015;43(4):667-79.
Moderate

PENTOBARBITAL (Nembutal)

2 of 2
Theoretically, yin chen might enhance the therapeutic and adverse effects of pentobarbital.
Animal research shows that yin chen, given orally in combination with pentobarbital, can increase sleeping time compared to pentobarbital alone.
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

Pentobarbital is a barbiturate sedative, so its job is to calm the brain and make you sleepy. The concern here is that Yin Chen may add to that effect rather than work against it. In animal studies, pairing Yin Chen with pentobarbital made the animals sleep longer than pentobarbital alone, which hints the herb could push the sedation a little deeper.

In real-world terms, that might mean more drowsiness, grogginess, slowed breathing, or feeling unsteady than you would expect from your dose. I'll be honest, though: this is theoretical and based only on lab and animal data, not people, so we don't know how strong it is in humans. Since pentobarbital is potent and dosed carefully, please don't combine the two without checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. dela Peña IJ, Hong E, Kim HJ, et al. Artemisia capillaris thunberg produces sedative-hypnotic effects in mice, which are probably mediated through potentiation of the GABAA receptor. Am J Chin Med. 2015;43(4):667-79.

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

Yin Chen Also Interacts With Other Medications

Yin Chen has 247 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Pentobarbital one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 247 No known interaction 2,583 (incl. Pentobarbital)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Yin Chen

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pentobarbital

This page covers Yin Chen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pentobarbital page lists 127 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 103 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pentobarbital page

“Pentobarbital (Nembutal) is a potent barbiturate sedative, and most of what interacts with it pushes in the direction the drug already goes, toward deeper sedation and slowed breathing. I would treat this list with real seriousness.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pentobarbital interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Yin Chen, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yin Chen. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pentobarbital too, on top of Yin Chen — 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 Yin Chen and Pentobarbital 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 Yin Chen
Steady interest

#1,440 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Pentobarbital
Steady interest

#2,490 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 Yin Chen

What is Yin Chen?

Yin Chen
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Jaundice (traditional use)
  • Digestive complaints
  • Skin conditions (topical)
  • Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial purposes

Yin Chen is a traditional Chinese medicine herb used mainly for liver and gallbladder complaints and jaundice. Most of the evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies, so its benefits in people are not well proven. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a liver condition, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Read the full Yin Chen monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yin Chen

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

0Major
247Moderate
0Minor
2,582No known interaction
247 Moderate 2,582 No interaction
Moderate

247 interactions

Showing 60 of 247 moderate interactions — see all 247 on the Yin Chen page.

No interaction 2,582 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,582 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Yin Chen list.

See the full Yin Chen interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pentobarbital, 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
Yin Chen monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Pentobarbital supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Pentobarbital, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Yin Chen and Pentobarbital Together: Common Questions

Can you take Yin Chen with Pentobarbital?
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 Yin Chen and Pentobarbital?
Pentobarbital belongs to more than one drug category, and Yin Chen 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 Yin Chen and Pentobarbital 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

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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.