Herb & supplement monograph

Abuta Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated June 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Abuta interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Abuta is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Abuta is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Abuta Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Abuta drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the only documented concern comes from animal research rather than studies in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The medications that deserve the most attention are diuretics, often called water pills. Animal research suggests abuta itself may act like a diuretic and increase how much potassium the body loses. In theory, combining it with a diuretic could add to that effect, which matters most for people whose potassium levels or blood pressure are being closely watched. This has not been confirmed in human studies, so we view it as a precaution rather than a proven problem.

What the rest of the list means

Although abuta is linked to a fairly long list of medications, nearly all of those entries trace back to this single theoretical concern about diuretic effects. That means most combinations have never been shown to cause real problems in people. A long list reflects caution, not confirmed harm.

Check your medications against Abuta

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Abuta interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Abuta

75 medications have a known interaction with Abuta, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Abuta using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Abuta interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Abuta combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Abuta affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Abuta is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Abuta interacts with

Diuretic Drugs

Theoretically, taking abuta with diuretic drugs might cause additive effects and increase the risk of adverse effects.
Animal research shows that taking abuta causes diuretic effects, including potassium excretion.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Abuta: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed June 2026 ·

The bottom line

Abuta (Cissampelos pareira) is a tropical climbing plant used in traditional medicine, especially for menstrual and urinary complaints. Good-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits and safety are not well established. Because of uncertain safety—and its traditional use to affect the uterus—it should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding and discussed with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Scientific name: Cissampelos pareira
Family: Menispermaceae
Part used: Root (most common), with bark, seeds, and above-ground parts also used
Common forms: Dried root, tea/decoction, tincture, capsules, powder

People commonly use it for

Menstrual cramps and women's health
Kidney and urinary tract complaints
Digestive upset
Fever
Traditional support during pregnancy and childbirth

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Human safety data are limited, so use cautiously and under professional guidance.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Abuta is a common name for Cissampelos pareira, a climbing or trailing vine in the moonseed family (Menispermaceae). It grows in tropical regions of Central and South America and is also found in parts of Africa and Asia. It is sometimes called "velvet leaf" or "false pareira."

People in traditional medicine systems have long used the plant—most often the root—to make teas, tinctures, and powders. It is especially associated with women's health, including menstrual cramps and use around childbirth, which is why some of its nicknames refer to midwives.

Today abuta is sold as a dietary supplement in forms such as dried root, capsules, and liquid extracts. It is important to know that traditional use does not prove that a remedy works or is safe.

How it works

Abuta contains a range of plant compounds, including alkaloids such as those in the bisbenzylisoquinoline group (for example, related to substances studied in similar Menispermaceae plants). It also contains other natural chemicals that may have antioxidant activity.

In laboratory and animal studies, extracts of Cissampelos pareira have shown possible anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, smooth-muscle-relaxing, and antimicrobial effects. Some of these actions are used to explain its traditional use for cramps and infections.

It is important to stress that these mechanisms come mostly from test-tube and animal research. How—or whether—these effects translate to people taking supplements is not well understood.

Effectiveness

Does Abuta work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 16 uses evaluated

16 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Abuta, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 16 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Abdominal pain