Herb & supplement monograph

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

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

Sweet Annie 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 Sweet Annie drug interaction appears low for most people, even though many medications appear on the list. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one rests on lab research rather than documented problems in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The concern that stands out most is with drugs that can stress the liver, since Sweet Annie itself may adversely affect the liver, and combining the two could in theory add to that strain. Beyond that, lab studies suggest Sweet Annie could change how the body clears medications processed by certain liver enzymes, which covers a very wide range of prescriptions. The findings conflict, though, with one Sweet Annie compound speeding these enzymes up while the whole extract appears to slow them down, so the real-world effect in people is unclear.

What the rest of the list means

The long list exists because those liver enzymes handle hundreds of common medications, so each one is counted. These interactions are theoretical, based on test-tube findings, and none has been confirmed to cause meaningful changes in people.

Check your medications against Sweet Annie

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Sweet Annie

892 medications have a known interaction with Sweet Annie, 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 Sweet Annie using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Sweet Annie 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 Sweet Annie 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 Sweet Annie affects

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

All 3 drug categories Sweet Annie interacts with

Cytochrome P450 2b6 (cyp2b6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) SubstratesHepatotoxic Drugs

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (Cyp2B6) Substrates

Sweet Annie may alter plasma levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP2B6.
In vitro research shows that the Sweet Annie constituent artemisinin induces CYP2B6, possibly increasing CYP2B6 activity by 1.6-fold. However, Sweet Annie extract seems to inhibit the activity of CYP2B6 in vitro, suggesting that other constituents of Sweet Annie play a role in its effects on the overall activity of this enzyme. More information is needed to determine whether taking Sweet Annie extract affects the metabolism of CYP2B6 substrates.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Sweet Annie may alter plasma levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that the Sweet Annie constituent artemisinin induces CYP3A4, possibly increasing CYP3A4 activity by 1.9-fold. However, Sweet Annie extract seems to inhibit the activity of CYP3A4 in vitro, suggesting that other constituents of Sweet Annie play a role in its effects on the overall activity of this enzyme. More information is needed to determine whether taking Sweet Annie extract affects the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Hepatotoxic Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use might have additive adverse hepatotoxic effects.
There is some concern that Sweet Annie can adversely affect the liver.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Sweet Annie: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua) is the source of artemisinin, a compound used in prescription antimalarial drugs. While the purified drug is well studied for malaria, the herb itself as a supplement is not proven for the wide range of conditions people use it for, and self-treating malaria with the raw herb is dangerous. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Scientific name: Artemisia annua
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Aerial parts (leaves and flowering tops)
Common forms: Tea, dried herb, capsules, tablets, tinctures, standardized extracts

People commonly use it for

Malaria (traditional)
Fever
Inflammation
Digestive complaints
Antimicrobial support
Insect repellent

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally used short-term, but quality and dose vary widely and it should not replace proven treatments.

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

Sweet Annie is a fast-growing annual plant in the daisy (Asteraceae) family. It is native to parts of Asia, especially China, and now grows in many temperate regions around the world. The plant has feathery leaves and a strong, sweet aroma, which is why it is sometimes called "sweet wormwood."

In traditional Chinese medicine it is known as qinghao and has a long history of use for fevers and other illnesses. Today it is best known as the natural source of artemisinin, a compound that scientists developed into modern antimalarial medicines.

As a dietary supplement, Sweet Annie is sold as a dried herb, tea, capsule, tincture, or standardized extract. People also use the plant in folk remedies and as a natural insect repellent.

How it works

The most studied compound in Sweet Annie is artemisinin and its related forms. Artemisinin contains a special chemical structure (a peroxide bridge) that is thought to react with iron inside malaria parasites, producing damaging molecules that kill the parasite.

The plant also contains flavonoids, essential oils, and other plant compounds that may have antioxidant or antimicrobial effects in laboratory tests. Researchers are studying whether these compounds could help fight inflammation, bacteria, or viruses, but most of this work is early and done in cells or animals rather than people.

Because the natural plant contains only small and variable amounts of artemisinin, the herb does not work the same way as a standardized prescription drug.

Effectiveness

Does Sweet Annie 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

1 Possibly effective 4 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 Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)