Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Biofeedback 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

On this page

Biofeedback 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 Biofeedback drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and all of them trace back to a single theoretical concern rather than documented harm in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one concern worth knowing about involves seizure threshold lowering drugs, a broad group that includes certain anesthetics, antibiotics, and heart rhythm medications. The worry is specific to EEG biofeedback, which some think might make seizures slightly easier to trigger, so combining it with these medications could in theory raise seizure risk. This has not been confirmed in well-controlled human studies, but it matters most for anyone whose seizure control is already a concern.

What the rest of the list means

Biofeedback is a therapy technique, not a pill, so it does not get absorbed or processed by the body the way a supplement would. The long list of medications reflects how many drugs fall into that one seizure-related group, not hundreds of separate problems, and the concern behind all of them remains theoretical.

Check your medications against Biofeedback

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Biofeedback

418 medications have a known interaction with Biofeedback, 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 Biofeedback using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Biofeedback 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 Biofeedback 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 Biofeedback affects

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

All 1 drug category Biofeedback interacts with

Seizure Threshold Lowering Drugs

There is some concern that electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback might lower the seizure threshold in some patients. Theoretically, combining EEG biofeedback with seizure threshold-lowering drugs might increase the risk of seizure.
Some drugs that lower the seizure threshold include anesthetics (propofol, others), antiarrhythmics (mexiletine), antibiotics (amphotericin, penicillin, cephalosporins, imipenem), antidepressants (bupropion, others), antihistamines (cyproheptadine, others), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine), narcotics (fentanyl, others), stimulants (methylphenidate), theophylline, and others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Monograph

Biofeedback: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Biofeedback is a mind-body technique, not an herb or supplement. It uses sensors to show you real-time information about body functions like heart rate, muscle tension, or skin temperature so you can learn to control them. It is generally very safe and has reasonable evidence for headaches, certain pain conditions, and pelvic floor problems, but it works best alongside standard medical care.

Part used: Not applicable (mind-body therapy, not a plant or supplement)
Common forms: In-office sessions with sensors and a monitor, wearable devices, and home apps

People commonly use it for

Chronic pain
Headaches and migraines
Anxiety and stress
High blood pressure
Urinary incontinence
Tension and muscle relaxation

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

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Biofeedback is non-invasive and considered very safe for most people.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; however, there is no known reason to suspect adverse effects.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; however, there is no known reason to suspect adverse effects.

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

Biofeedback is not a plant, herb, or supplement. It is a mind-body therapy that helps you learn to control body processes that usually happen automatically, such as your heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, and skin temperature.

During biofeedback, a trained therapist attaches small sensors to your skin. These sensors send information to a monitor that shows you what is happening inside your body in real time, often as sounds, lines on a screen, or images. By watching this feedback, you can practice relaxation and other skills and see right away how they change your body.

Over time, the goal is to learn these skills so well that you can use them on your own without the machine. Biofeedback is offered in clinics, hospitals, and physical therapy offices, and there are also home devices and apps that try to do something similar.

How it works

Biofeedback works on a simple idea: it is easier to change something when you can see or hear what it is doing. The sensors measure body signals you normally cannot feel clearly, such as small changes in muscle tension or heart rate.

When that information is shown back to you, you can experiment with relaxation, breathing, or focusing techniques and watch how your body responds. This trial-and-error practice helps you learn what makes your body calmer or more relaxed.

Common types include EMG (muscle activity), thermal (skin temperature), heart rate variability, and EEG (brain wave activity, sometimes called neurofeedback). Over time, the nervous system is thought to learn these new patterns, and many people can eventually use the skills without the equipment.

Effectiveness

Does Biofeedback work?

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

Evidence overview · 31 uses evaluated

2 Possibly effective 29 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.

Possibly Effective Back pain