Drug & supplement interaction

Yohimbe + Dexmethylphenidate

Dexmethylphenidate brand name: Focalin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Yohimbe has a moderate interaction with Dexmethylphenidate. Theoretically, taking yohimbe with stimulant drugs can have additive effects.

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

Yohimbe and Dexmethylphenidate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

Why this applies to Dexmethylphenidate

Dexmethylphenidate falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group Yohimbe interacts with.

Theoretically, taking yohimbe with stimulant drugs can have additive effects.
Yohimbine, a constituent of yohimbe, has sympathomimetic effects and increases blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Theoretically, taking yohimbe with stimulant drugs can have additive stimulant and hypertensive effects.
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 thing to keep in mind with this pairing: both substances rev up your body in similar ways. Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin) is a stimulant, and yohimbe acts like a stimulant too by ramping up your fight-or-flight system. Stack them and those effects can add up.

What that could look like in real life is a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, jitteriness, anxiety, or trouble sleeping, the kind of effects you'd notice if you took too much of your ADHD medicine. I'll be honest, this concern is mostly theoretical and based on how each works rather than strong studies, so don't panic. But yohimbe supplements can be unpredictable in strength, so please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Bharucha AE, Skaar T, Andrews CN, et al Relationship of cytochrome P450 pharmacogenetics to the effects of yohimbine on gastrointestinal transit and catecholamines in healthy subjects. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2008;20(8):891-9. PubMed

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

Yohimbe Also Interacts With Other Medications

Yohimbe has 9 major, 679 moderate, 436 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dexmethylphenidate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Yohimbe

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Yohimbe or Dexmethylphenidate

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

This page covers Yohimbe only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dexmethylphenidate page lists 85 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Lithium (major), Peyote (major) and Rauvolfia Vomitoria (major).

By severity: 6 major · 64 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dexmethylphenidate page

“Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin) is itself a prescription stimulant for ADHD, which is exactly why this list deserves real care rather than a quick skim. More than half of the 85 ingredients on file stimulate the nervous system too, so combining them can compound the racing heart, raised blood pressure, and sleeplessness the drug can alrea…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dexmethylphenidate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,054 real supplement products containing Yohimbe, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yohimbe. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dexmethylphenidate too, on top of Yohimbe — 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 Yohimbe and Dexmethylphenidate 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 Yohimbe
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dexmethylphenidate
Top 25%

#454 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 Yohimbe

What is Yohimbe?

Yohimbe
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Low sex drive
  • Sexual performance
  • Weight loss
  • Athletic performance

Yohimbe is a West African tree bark that contains yohimbine, a compound mainly promoted for erectile dysfunction and as an aphrodisiac. A prescription form of yohimbine has some evidence for erectile dysfunction, but over-the-counter yohimbe supplements vary widely in content and can cause serious side effects like high blood pressure and fast heart rate. Because of these safety concerns, talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Yohimbe monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dexmethylphenidate

What Is Dexmethylphenidate Used For?

Brand name: Focalin

Dexmethylphenidate — available as tablets (Focalin, Dexmethylphenidate Hydrochloride) and extended-release capsules (Focalin XR, Dexmethylphenidate Hydrochloride Extended-Release) — is approved to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in both children and adults.

The extended-release capsule formulations are not recommended for children younger than 6 years old, because younger children tend to have higher drug exposure in their bodies and a greater chance of side effects such as weight loss compared to older children at the same dose.

See full Dexmethylphenidate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yohimbe

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

9Major
679Moderate
436Minor
1,705No known interaction
Major

9 interactions

Moderate

679 interactions

Showing 60 of 679 moderate interactions — see all 679 on the Yohimbe page.

Minor

436 interactions

Showing 60 of 436 minor interactions — see all 436 on the Yohimbe page.

No interaction 1,705 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Yohimbe and Dexmethylphenidate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Yohimbe with Dexmethylphenidate?
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.
How serious is the Yohimbe and Dexmethylphenidate 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 Dexmethylphenidate and Yohimbe?

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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.