Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Clove 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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Clove 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 Clove drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and nearly all rest on lab findings that have not been confirmed in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction with the best support involves diabetes medications, including insulin. Some clinical and laboratory research suggests clove extracts may lower blood sugar, so combining them could add to the effect of these medicines, and blood sugar is worth watching closely. Beyond that, clove's main constituent, eugenol, blocked several enzymes the body uses to clear many medications in lab studies, which is why so many drugs appear on the list, but none of these effects has been reported in humans.

What the rest of the list means

A long list of interactions does not mean every combination is harmful. Most entries here are theoretical, predicted from how clove might affect enzymes that process medications rather than from problems seen in real patients. Even the possible bleeding risk with blood thinners comes from lab research only and has not been shown to occur in people.

Check your medications against Clove

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Clove

979 medications have a known interaction with Clove, 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 Clove using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Clove 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 Clove 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 Clove affects

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

All 7 drug categories Clove interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c9 (cyp2c9) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) SubstratesAnticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsIbuprofen (advil, Others)

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove extracts with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Clinical and laboratory research suggest that polyphenol extracts from clove flower buds might lower blood glucose levels. Dosing adjustments for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents may be necessary when taken with clove. Monitor blood glucose levels closely.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
In vitro research shows that eugenol, the principal constituent of clove, can inhibit CYP1A2 in a dose-dependent manner,. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
In vitro research shows that eugenol, the principal constituent of clove, inhibits CYP2C9 in a dose-dependent manner. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
In vitro research shows that eugenol, the principal constituent of clove, can inhibit CYP2D6 in a dose-dependent manner. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, concomitant use of clove may increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that eugenol, the principal constituent of clove, can inhibit CYP3A4 in a dose-dependent manner. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, clove oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Laboratory research suggests that eugenol, a constituent of clove, has antiplatelet activity. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Ibuprofen (Advil, Others)

Theoretically, topical application of clove oil with ibuprofen might increase the absorption and side effects of topical ibuprofen.
Laboratory research shows that topical application of clove oil increases the absorption of topical ibuprofen. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Clove: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Clove is a common cooking spice that is also used in traditional medicine, especially as a topical numbing agent for tooth pain thanks to its main compound, eugenol. Food amounts are generally safe, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic if overused, and human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using clove medicinally, especially in children or during pregnancy.

Scientific name: Syzygium aromaticum
Family: Myrtaceae
Part used: Dried flower buds, leaves, and essential oil
Common forms: Whole or ground spice, capsules, essential oil, topical gels, mouth rinses, teas

People commonly use it for

Toothache and oral pain
Digestive upset
Antimicrobial and antifungal
Cough and respiratory complaints
Flavoring in food and drinks

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Safe as a food spice, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic in large amounts.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US....

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US....

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

Clove is a warm, sweet, and slightly bitter spice made from the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum). The tree is an evergreen native to Indonesia and is now grown in several tropical regions around the world.

People have used clove for centuries in cooking and in traditional systems like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. It has been used for digestive problems, respiratory complaints, and as a numbing agent for pain. Today you will most often see clove as a kitchen spice, an essential oil, or an ingredient in toothpaste, mouthwash, and over-the-counter toothache products.

How it works

The main active compound in clove is eugenol, which makes up a large part of clove oil. Eugenol can numb tissue and may block pain signals, which is why clove oil is used for toothaches.

Clove also contains antioxidant compounds and other oils that, in laboratory studies, appear to slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi and reduce certain markers of inflammation. It is important to know that most of these mechanisms come from test-tube and animal research, and the effects in the human body may be different or weaker.

Effectiveness

Does Clove work?

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

Evidence overview · 20 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 19 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 Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)