Herb & supplement monograph

Aconite Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

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

What is this page for?

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Aconite 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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Aconite 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 Aconite drug interaction appears low for most people, though none of its interactions have been confirmed in humans. Every interaction on record is rated moderate rather than major, and all of them rest on animal or lab research, not human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

Two groups of medications deserve the most care. With anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs such as blood thinners, a compound in aconite reduced clotting in an animal study, so combining them could in theory raise the chance of bruising or bleeding. With stimulant drugs, aconite may add to effects on heart rate and blood pressure, which could theoretically strain the heart. Neither concern has been shown to cause problems in people, but bleeding risk and heart effects are areas where even a modest change can matter.

What the rest of the list means

Although aconite is listed alongside hundreds of medications, nearly all of those fall into these two theoretical categories. A long list reflects how many drugs share those properties, not proof that each combination is harmful. So far, these predicted effects come from lab and animal work rather than documented harm in people.

Check your medications against Aconite

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Aconite

278 medications have a known interaction with Aconite, 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 Aconite using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Aconite 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 Aconite 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 Aconite affects

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

All 2 drug categories Aconite interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsStimulant Drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, combining aconite with other antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
Higenamine, a constituent of aconite, is thought to have antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects. In an animal model of thrombosis, higenamine inhibited platelet aggregation and reduced the size of thrombus formation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Stimulant Drugs

Theoretically, combining aconite with other stimulant drugs might alter the effects of the stimulant drug or increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity.
Aconite and its constituents have stimulant effects due to agonist activity at beta-2-adrenoreceptors. In cardiac muscle, aconite appears to have a positive inotropic effect and increases heart rate and blood pressure. However, some constituents of aconite can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Aconite: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Aconite is a highly poisonous plant, and even small amounts of the raw or improperly processed root can cause severe, life-threatening reactions. There is no good scientific evidence that it safely treats any condition, and the only forms generally considered acceptable are extremely diluted homeopathic preparations. We strongly recommend avoiding raw or unprocessed aconite entirely and talking to a pharmacist or doctor before using any product containing it.

Scientific name: Aconitum napellus
Family: Ranunculaceae
Part used: Root (and sometimes leaves), usually after processing
Common forms: Highly diluted homeopathic pellets and liquids; processed roots in some traditional Asian medicine systems

People commonly use it for

Pain and nerve pain
Fever and cold or flu symptoms
Anxiety and restlessness (homeopathic use)
Inflammation and joint pain
Heart-related complaints (traditional use)

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

Safety at a glance

OverallBest avoided

Aconite is extremely toxic and can be fatal even in small amounts.

PregnancyUnsafe

When used orally or topically.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingUnsafe

When used orally or topically.

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.

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Overview

Aconite comes from plants in the Aconitum genus, especially Aconitum napellus, also called monkshood or wolfsbane. These plants are part of the buttercup family and grow in parts of Asia and Europe. They are known for their tall stalks and blue or purple hood-shaped flowers.

People have used aconite in traditional medicine for hundreds of years, mainly in parts of Asia and in European herbal traditions. The root is the part most often used, but it must be carefully processed to reduce its toxic chemicals. Today, the most common safe-to-handle form is a highly diluted homeopathic preparation, in which almost none of the original plant remains.

It is very important to understand that the raw plant is extremely poisonous. Every part contains toxins, and even handling it or absorbing it through the skin can be dangerous.

How it works

Aconite contains powerful chemicals called diterpenoid alkaloids, including aconitine. These compounds act on sodium channels in nerve and muscle cells. By changing how these channels work, they affect how nerves send signals and how the heart and muscles function.

This effect on nerves is the proposed reason aconite was used for pain — it may numb or block nerve signals. But the very same action on the heart and nervous system is what makes it so dangerous. It can cause irregular heartbeats, breathing problems, and death.

Most of what we know about how aconite works comes from laboratory and animal research. These findings do not prove it is safe or helpful for treating health problems in people.

Effectiveness

Does Aconite work?

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

Evidence overview · 8 uses evaluated

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

Also studied for 8 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Alopecia areata