Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Plum 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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On this page

Plum 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 Plum drug interaction appears low for most people, with the main concern limited to medicines that affect blood clotting. No interactions are rated major, and the sizable medication list traces back to a single moderate concern about plum's possible effect on blood clotting.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction that deserves attention involves anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, often called blood thinners. In one small study, healthy volunteers who drank plum juice daily for about a month showed slower clotting and reduced platelet activity. Because bleeding risk is watched closely with these medicines, even a modest added effect could matter, though the evidence is still limited and the interaction is graded only as possible.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications may look alarming, but it reflects one shared concern applied across many blood-thinning drugs, not many separate problems. The clotting effect was seen in healthy volunteers, and it has not been shown to cause meaningful harm in people actually taking these medicines. Outside of blood thinners, plum has no documented interaction concerns in this profile.

Check your medications against Plum

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Plum

122 medications have a known interaction with Plum, 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 Plum using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Plum 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 Plum 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 Plum affects

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

All 1 drug category Plum interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet Drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, plum juice might have antiplatelet effects.
Consuming plum juice while taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding. In healthy volunteers, drinking plum juice 200 mL daily for 28 days prolonged clotting time and inhibited platelet aggregation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Monograph

Plum: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Plums and their dried form (prunes) are common, nutritious foods that are best known for helping relieve constipation thanks to their fiber and sorbitol content. They are generally safe as food, but eating large amounts can cause gas, bloating, or loose stools. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially if you have a medical condition.

Scientific name: Prunus domestica
Family: Rosaceae
Part used: Fruit (fresh and dried, also called prunes); juice
Common forms: Fresh fruit, dried plums (prunes), juice, powder, capsules

People commonly use it for

Constipation
Digestive health
Bone health support
Antioxidant source
General nutrition

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

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Plums and prunes are widely eaten as food and are generally safe in normal amounts.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using amounts greater than those found in food.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using amounts greater than those found in food.

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

Plum is the fruit of trees in the genus Prunus, most commonly Prunus domestica. Plum trees grow in many temperate parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and North America. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried, and dried plums are usually called prunes.

People enjoy plums as a regular food, but they are also used for their possible health benefits. Dried plums and plum juice are especially popular as a natural way to support regular bowel movements. Plums are also marketed in juice, powder, and capsule forms as a source of fiber and antioxidants.

How it works

Plums contain fiber, including soluble fiber, and a natural sugar alcohol called sorbitol. Both of these draw water into the gut and can have a gentle laxative effect, which helps explain why prunes are used for constipation.

Plums also contain polyphenols and other antioxidant compounds, plus vitamins and minerals such as potassium and vitamin K. In laboratory and animal studies, these compounds show antioxidant activity, and some researchers think they may play a role in possible bone benefits. It is important to know that much of this is early research, and effects seen in a lab or in animals do not always carry over to people.

Effectiveness

Does Plum work?

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

Evidence overview · 7 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 6 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 Constipation