Herb & supplement monograph

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

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

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Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Reed Herb

0 medications have a known interaction with Reed Herb, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

We don’t currently list any known drug interactions for Reed Herb. This doesn’t guarantee none exist — always confirm with your pharmacist before combining supplements with your medications.

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 Reed Herb combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Monograph

Reed Herb: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Reed herb (Phragmites australis) is a tall grass whose stems and roots have long been used in traditional medicine, especially for digestive complaints, fever, and as a mild diuretic. Modern scientific evidence in people is very limited, so its benefits are not well proven. If you want to try it, talk with a pharmacist or doctor first, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding due to a lack of safety data.

Scientific name: Phragmites australis
Family: Poaceae
Part used: Stem and rhizome (root)
Common forms: Tea, decoction, dried herb, powder

People commonly use it for

Digestive upset
Nausea and vomiting
Diuretic (increasing urine)
Promoting sweating during fevers
Clearing heat (traditional use)

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Traditionally used and generally well tolerated, but human safety data are limited.

PregnancyBest avoided

Not enough safety information; best to avoid during pregnancy.

BreastfeedingBest avoided

No reliable safety data, so avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Reed herb comes from Phragmites australis, also called common reed. It is a tall grass that grows along the edges of rivers, lakes, marshes, and ditches in many parts of the world. The plant can grow several feet high and spreads through underground stems called rhizomes.

The parts most often used in herbal medicine are the stem and rhizome (root). In traditional medicine systems, including traditional Chinese medicine, reed rhizome (sometimes called "lu gen") has been used to treat digestive problems, ease nausea, cool fevers, and help the body make more urine. It is usually prepared as a tea or decoction made by simmering the dried plant in water.

How it works

The stem and rhizome of reed herb contain a mix of natural compounds. These include flavonoids (such as luteolin, rutin, and tricin), triterpenes (such as beta-amyrin and taraxerol), and small amounts of vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, and several B-group vitamins.

Flavonoids and triterpenes are studied for possible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory settings. Some researchers think these compounds may explain the plant's traditional uses for soothing the stomach and supporting urine flow.

It is important to know that these proposed mechanisms come mostly from test-tube and animal research. They have not been clearly confirmed in well-designed human studies, so we cannot say for certain how reed herb works in the body.

Effectiveness

Does Reed Herb work?

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

Evidence overview · 5 uses evaluated

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.

For Reed Herb, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 5 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Breast Cancer