Herb & supplement monograph

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

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

Honey 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 Honey drug interaction appears low for most people. None of Honey's listed interactions are rated major, and nearly all of them are minor.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction that deserves the most attention involves phenytoin, a seizure medicine with a narrow margin for error. Animal research suggests honey could raise phenytoin levels, though this has not been reported in people, so it is a precaution rather than a proven problem. Honey may also affect an enzyme the body uses to clear many common medications, but human studies conflict, with some showing an effect and others showing none. A theoretical bleeding concern with blood thinners comes only from lab and animal work and has not been seen in humans.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of medications tied to honey reflects mostly theoretical concerns, largely because so many drugs are cleared by that same enzyme. In practice, predicted effects like increased bleeding have not translated into meaningful changes in people, so most of these combinations are unlikely to cause real trouble.

Check your medications against Honey

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Honey

738 medications have a known interaction with Honey, 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 Honey using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Honey 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 Honey 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 Honey affects

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

All 3 drug categories Honey interacts with

Phenytoin (dilantin)Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates

Phenytoin (Dilantin)

Theoretically, honey might increase levels of phenytoin.
In an animal model, the rate and extent of absorption of phenytoin was increased by honey. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, honey may increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro, honey inhibits platelet aggregation and increases the time to clotting. Furthermore, animal research suggests that feeding mice large doses of honey for 12 days increases bleeding time when compared with no intervention. However, these effects have not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, honey might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, but research is conflicting.
Some clinical research shows that honey induces CYP3A4. However, other clinical studies found no effect on CYP3A4 activity. Different honey preparations may have different effects on CYP3A4.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Monograph

Honey: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Honey is a natural food with some real, modest evidence for easing coughs and helping certain wounds, especially when special medical-grade or Manuka honey is used. It is generally safe for most adults and children over 1 year, but should never be given to infants under 12 months because of the risk of botulism.

Part used: Honey produced by honeybees from flower nectar
Common forms: Raw honey, processed honey, Manuka honey, medical-grade honey, lozenges, syrups, topical wound dressings

People commonly use it for

Cough and sore throat
Wound and burn care
Soothing minor skin irritation
Sweetener and home remedy
Digestive upset

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

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Generally safe as a food for adults and children over 1 year of age.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When consumed in food amounts. The concern about botulism pertains to children under 12 months of age and not to pregnant adults. There is insufficien...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When consumed in food amounts. The concern about botulism pertains to children under 12 months of age and not to pregnant adults. There is insufficien...

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

Honey is a sweet, thick liquid that honeybees make from the nectar of flowers. Bees collect nectar, break down its sugars with enzymes, and store it in the honeycomb where it thickens into honey. Because bees feed on many kinds of flowers, honey can vary a lot in color, taste, and chemical makeup.

People have used honey for thousands of years as both a food and a folk remedy. Today it is sold as raw honey, processed (filtered or pasteurized) honey, and specialty types such as Manuka honey from New Zealand and Australia. Some honey is also processed into sterile, medical-grade products used by doctors for wound care.

Honey is used in two main ways: by mouth, often for coughs and sore throats, and on the skin, for minor wounds and burns.

How it works

Honey has several properties that may explain its effects. It is very high in sugar and low in water, which makes it hard for bacteria to grow. It is also slightly acidic and can slowly release small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, both of which may help fight germs.

Manuka honey contains a compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), which lab studies suggest gives it extra antibacterial activity. On wounds, honey's thick, sugary nature may help draw fluid out, keep the area moist, and form a protective barrier.

For coughs, honey's thick texture may coat and soothe the throat. Much of this understanding comes from laboratory research, so the way honey behaves in a test tube may not always match what happens in the body.

Effectiveness

Does Honey work?

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

Evidence overview · 53 uses evaluated

8 Possibly effective 3 Leans ineffective 42 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 Burns