Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Butcher's Broom 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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Butcher's Broom 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 Butcher's Broom drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and all of them rest on animal and lab research rather than documented effects in humans.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The entire profile comes down to one theme: butcher's broom may stimulate certain receptors, called alpha-adrenergic receptors, that some medications also target. In theory it could add to the effects and side effects of alpha-adrenergic agonists, and it could work against alpha-adrenergic antagonists, making them less effective. Neither concern has been confirmed in human studies, but they are the interactions most worth knowing about if you take a medicine in either group.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications reflects just these two drug classes, which include many individual products, rather than many separate concerns. Because the evidence is theoretical, drawn from lab and animal work, a listed interaction does not mean the combination has caused problems in people. That said, limited evidence is not proof of safety, so a measure of awareness is reasonable.

Check your medications against Butcher's Broom

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Butcher's Broom interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Butcher's Broom

158 medications have a known interaction with Butcher's Broom, 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 Butcher's Broom using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Butcher's Broom 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 Butcher's Broom 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 Butcher's Broom affects

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

All 2 drug categories Butcher's Broom interacts with

Alpha-adrenergic AgonistsAlpha-adrenergic Antagonists

Alpha-Adrenergic Agonists

Theoretically, butcher's broom might increase the effects and adverse effects of alpha-adrenergic agonists.
Animal and in vitro studies show that butcher's broom has alpha-adrenergic agonist effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Alpha-Adrenergic Antagonists

Theoretically, butcher's broom might reduce the effects of alpha-adrenergic antagonists.
Animal and in vitro studies show that butcher's broom has alpha-adrenergic agonist effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Butcher's Broom: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Butcher's broom is a plant extract most often used for circulation problems in the legs, such as chronic venous insufficiency, where some evidence suggests it may help reduce swelling and discomfort. Quality and dosing vary widely between products, and it should not replace proven treatments. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a health condition.

Scientific name: Ruscus aculeatus
Family: Asparagaceae
Part used: Rhizome (underground stem) and roots
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, extracts, teas, and topical creams or ointments

People commonly use it for

Chronic venous insufficiency
Varicose veins
Leg swelling and heaviness
Hemorrhoids
Circulation problems

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated short-term in most healthy adults, but evidence on long-term safety is limited.

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.

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Overview

Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a low-growing evergreen shrub native to Europe and parts of Asia and the Mediterranean. It has stiff, spiky leaf-like stems, small greenish flowers, and red berries. The name comes from its traditional use by butchers, who reportedly used bundles of the plant to clean their chopping blocks.

The parts used in supplements are mainly the rhizome (underground stem) and roots. These are made into capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, teas, and topical creams. People most often take butcher's broom for circulation problems in the legs and for related conditions like varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

How it works

Butcher's broom contains plant compounds called steroidal saponins, including ruscogenin and neoruscogenin, which are thought to be its main active ingredients. It also contains flavonoids and other plant chemicals.

Researchers believe these compounds may help tighten or tone veins (a vasoconstrictive effect) and reduce inflammation, which could help the legs move blood and fluid more effectively. This is the proposed reason it may ease swelling and heaviness in venous insufficiency.

Much of what we know about how it works comes from laboratory and animal studies, so the exact mechanisms in the human body are not fully proven. These findings should be viewed as preliminary.

Effectiveness

Does Butcher's Broom work?

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

Evidence overview · 6 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 5 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 Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)