Herb & supplement monograph

Java Tea Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

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

What is this page for?

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Java Tea 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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Java Tea 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 Java Tea drug interaction appears low for most people, though it deserves respect if you take medicines for blood pressure or mood. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the concerns that do exist rest largely on early human studies and animal research rather than well-documented harm.

Interactions deserving the most attention

Two areas stand out. Java Tea may lower blood pressure on its own, so combining it with blood pressure medications could add to their effect and cause blood pressure to fall too low in some people. Java Tea may also act as a diuretic, which in theory could cause the body to hold on to lithium and raise its levels. Because lithium has a narrow safety margin, even a modest change in its level can matter.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications largely reflects these two concerns spread across many individual drugs, mostly blood pressure medicines. Most of the predicted effects are theoretical, drawn from preliminary human findings and animal research on the herb's diuretic action, and have not been shown to cause meaningful problems in people.

Check your medications against Java Tea

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Java Tea

173 medications have a known interaction with Java Tea, 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 Java Tea using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Java Tea 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 Java Tea 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 Java Tea affects

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

All 2 drug categories Java Tea interacts with

Antihypertensive DrugsLithium

Antihypertensive Drugs

Some preliminary clinical evidence suggests that Java tea has antihypertensive effects. Further, animal research suggests that Java tea has diuretic properties. Theoretically, taking Java tea with other antihypertensive drugs might increase the effects and risk for hypotension with these drugs.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Lithium

Animal research suggests that Java tea has diuretic properties. Theoretically, due to these effects, Java tea might reduce excretion and increase levels of lithium. The dose of lithium might need to be decreased.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Monograph

Java Tea: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Java Tea is a Southeast Asian herb traditionally used as a gentle diuretic and for urinary tract and kidney support. Some early lab, animal, and small human studies are encouraging, but high-quality evidence in people is limited, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have kidney problems or take other medicines.

Scientific name: Orthosiphon stamineus
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Leaves and stems (aerial parts)
Common forms: Tea, dried herb, capsules, liquid extracts, tinctures

People commonly use it for

Urinary tract health
Mild fluid retention
Kidney and bladder support
Mild diuretic ('water pill') effect
Digestive complaints

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally considered well tolerated short-term, but human safety data are 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

Java Tea comes from Orthosiphon stamineus, a flowering plant in the mint family that grows in tropical parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and parts of southern China. The plant is also sometimes called 'cat's whiskers' because of its long, whisker-like flower stamens.

The leaves and stems are dried and used to make teas, capsules, and liquid extracts. In traditional medicine in Southeast Asia and parts of Europe, it has long been used as a 'kidney tea' and a mild diuretic to help the body pass more urine.

How it works

Java Tea contains several plant compounds that researchers believe may be responsible for its effects, including flavonoids (such as sinensetin), polyphenols, potassium salts, and rosmarinic acid.

The proposed main action is a mild diuretic effect, meaning it may make the kidneys produce more urine. Lab and animal studies also suggest possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. It is important to know that these mechanisms are mostly based on test-tube and animal research, and it is not certain how strongly they apply in people.

Effectiveness

Does Java Tea 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 Java Tea, 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 Alzheimer disease