Herb & supplement monograph

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

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Water Avens

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

We don’t currently list any known drug interactions for Water Avens. 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 Water Avens combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Monograph

Water Avens: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Water avens is a traditional herb whose root has been used as an astringent for diarrhea, sore throats, and digestive complaints. There is very little modern scientific research to confirm that it works or to define a safe dose, so use it cautiously and talk with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Scientific name: Geum rivale
Family: Rosaceae
Part used: Root and rhizome (occasionally aerial parts)
Common forms: Dried root, tea/decoction, tincture

People commonly use it for

Diarrhea and digestive upset
Sore throat and mouth irritation
Mild fever
General tonic
Astringent for minor wounds

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

Safety at a glance

OverallLimited data

Little modern safety data exists, so caution is advised.

PregnancyBest avoided

Safety is not established, so avoid use during pregnancy.

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

Water avens (Geum rivale) is a perennial plant in the rose family (Rosaceae). It grows in damp meadows, marshes, ditches, and along streams across Europe, northern Asia, and North America. It has nodding, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, and dull orange.

The part most often used is the root, which has a faintly clove-like smell. In traditional herbal practice, the dried root was prepared as a tea or tincture and used as an astringent. It is closely related to wood avens (Geum urbanum), and the two herbs have sometimes been used in similar ways.

How it works

The root contains tannins, which are plant compounds that can bind to and tighten tissues. This astringent action is the traditional reason it was used for diarrhea, sore throats, and minor wounds.

The clove-like scent comes from compounds related to eugenol. Some plants in this group also contain bitter substances thought to support digestion. These ideas are based mainly on the plant's chemistry and traditional use, not on solid clinical research in people, so the real effects in the body are uncertain.

Effectiveness

Does Water Avens 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 Water Avens, 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 Diarrhea