Echinacea 450 mg Ingredients & Drug Interactions
by Solaray
What is this page for?
First and foremost: checking Echinacea 450 mg against your medications. The heart of this page is the interaction checker and the full interaction report — how this product’s ingredients may interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines you may be taking.
Around that, we add a pharmacist’s high-level view of the product as a whole — what’s inside, the evidence for its stated use, how transparent the label is, and what safety data exists — so you can see the full picture in one place. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases and the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist — not medical advice — and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy
Echinacea 450 mg is a dietary supplement by Solaray with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for common cold, flu and respiratory infections, immune support.Based on those ingredients, 816 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Echinacea angustifolia. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.
Check Your Meds Against Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray
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HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray
Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.
What’s inside
Full disclosure
This product contains one active ingredient: echinacea angustifolia at 450 mg per capsule. Echinacea is a plant extract used traditionally to support immune function.
The capsule also contains cellulose as an inactive ingredient.
Does it work?
Insufficient evidence
The evidence we hold doesn't establish reliable effectiveness for echinacea in the conditions listed—anxiety, athletic performance, ADHD, burns, chronic fatigue, and migraine headache all show insufficient reliable evidence to rate. If you're considering echinacea for a specific health concern, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what the research actually shows for your situation.
How safe is it?
Well-documented data
Echinacea is generally well tolerated when taken short-term. The most common side effects are digestive—abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach upset—along with rashes.
Allergic reactions, including severe ones like anaphylaxis, have been reported, especially in people sensitive to ragweed and related plants (chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies). Rare but serious reactions include hepatitis (liver inflammation) and cases of autoimmune hepatitis with elevated liver function tests.
The safety data is limited, so caution is advised unless your doctor approves. For pregnancy: the data rates echinacea as possibly safe, but there isn't enough information to be certain.
For breastfeeding, we don't hold safety data. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether it's right for you in either situation.
Meds to double-check
Moderate interaction found
Before taking this product, check with your doctor or pharmacist if you take drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 enzymes or CYP3A4 (a large group including many statins, some antiarrhythmics, and others), immunosuppressants, etoposide, caffeine supplements, warfarin, or HIV protease inhibitors like lopinavir/ritonavir. The effects on some of these drugs are unpredictable and may reduce their effectiveness or raise their levels dangerously.
The bottom line
Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with insufficient evidence for its stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.
Echinacea may appeal to you if you're interested in immune support, but it has moderate interactions with several common drug types, especially those processed by your liver's CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 pathways, plus immunosuppressants and some chemotherapy drugs. If you take any regular medications or have ragweed allergies, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting this product.
Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI
Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Aug 23, 2023.
This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed
General information
Key facts about Echinacea 450 mg, straight from the product label.
| Brand | Solaray |
|---|---|
| Barcode (UPC) | 076280192407 |
| Net contents | 100 VegCap(s) |
| Market status | On market |
| Date entered into DSLD | Aug 23, 2023 |
| DSLD ID | 296026 |
| Product type | Botanical |
| Supplement form | Capsule |
| Dietary claims / uses | All Other, Structure/Function |
| Intended target group(s) | Vegetarian, Adult (18 - 50 Years) |
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.
Supplement Facts
The label details for Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.
Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
FDA Statement of Identity
Dietary Supplement
Formula
Echinacea angustifolia 450 mg per capsule Whole root
Seals/Symbols
Lab Verified
Precautions
Warning: Do not use if safety seal is broken or missing.
Keep out of reach of children.
Keep your licensed health care practitioner informed when using this product.
California residents only Warning: Reproductive harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions
Directions: Use only as directed. Take two VegCaps three times daily with a meal or glass of water. For optimal results, take continually for 14 days. Not recommended to exceed 8 weeks of continual usage without rest periods.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place.
Formulation
Discussion: Solaray Echinacea Root is 100% vegetarian, excipient free and contain no fillers or additional ingredients.
Discussion: Solaray Echinacea Root is 100% vegetarian, excipient free and contain no fillers or additional ingredients.
FDA Disclaimer Statement
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Is this label outdated? Report a formula or label change and our pharmacy team will review it.
Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray label
The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.
Label images are published by the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database for the version of this product on file. Always read your actual product label.
View the full label (PDF)The Ingredients in Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray
This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.
Serving size2 VegCap(s) Dosage formCapsule Servings per container50 Amounts shown are per serving.
Echinacea angustifolia
Interacts with816 drugs
Echinacea is a popular herb taken to help prevent or shorten the common cold, but study results are mixed and the overall benefit appears small at bes...
Echinacea angustifolia monograph & interactionsOther (inactive) ingredients: Cellulose. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.
Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray Drug Interactions
HelloPharmacist Interaction Report
Solaray's Echinacea 450 mg contains echinacea angustifolia, which interacts with several medication types.
The most serious concerns are moderate-severity interactions with drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 enzymes (including caffeine), CYP3A4 substrates, immunosuppressants, and the chemotherapy drug etoposide. Echinacea can inhibit CYP1A2, raising levels of affected drugs by roughly 30% in the case of caffeine.
It also has unpredictable effects on CYP3A4—sometimes speeding metabolism and sometimes slowing it—which means drugs in this category may become less or more effective.
Read the full breakdown — every affected drug type, severity by severity
Echinacea's immunostimulant activity can interfere with immunosuppressant medications, working against their intended effect. Etoposide, a cancer drug metabolized through CYP3A4, showed more severe side effects (low platelet counts) when combined with echinacea in one report, suggesting echinacea slowed its clearance.
Minor interactions are documented with warfarin (a blood thinner) and HIV protease inhibitors like lopinavir/ritonavir, though clinical studies suggest these may not be significant in practice. Midazolam (a sedative) may also be affected.
Altogether, these interactions span 817 individual medications.
Before starting this product, check your exact medications with the tool on this page or discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.
Check your own medications below · Editorial policy · How we use AI
Want to check YOUR meds against Echinacea 450 mg?
Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.
Go to the checkerIngredients driving the most interactions
Individual Drug Interactions
The ingredients in Echinacea 450 mg interact with 816 drugs. Click any drug to see the details.
1 of the 1 ingredient in Echinacea 450 mg interact with drugs. Each result below shows which ingredient is responsible. Echinacea angustifolia
Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, PyrilamineMidol Max Strength PMS, Pamprin, Pamprin ES
How Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, Pyrilamine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, Pyrilamine interactionAcetaminophen, PentazocineTalacen
How Acetaminophen, Pentazocine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Pentazocine interactionAcetaminophen, Phenylephrine, ChlorpheniramineSuper Cold Tabs
How Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates, Cytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine interactionAcetaminophen, PhenylpropanolamineTetra Caps
How Acetaminophen, Phenylpropanolamine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Phenylpropanolamine interactionAcetaminophen, Phenylpropanolamine, PhenyltoloxamineSinubid
How Acetaminophen, Phenylpropanolamine, Phenyltoloxamine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Phenylpropanolamine, Phenyltoloxamine interactionAcetaminophen, PhenyltoloxaminePercogesic, Relagesic
How Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine interactionAcetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine, SalicylamideLobac
How Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine, Salicylamide interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine, Salicylamide interactionAcetaminophen, PropoxypheneDarvocet-N 100, Darvocet-N 50, E-Lor, Wygesic
How Acetaminophen, Propoxyphene interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Propoxyphene interactionAcetaminophen, PseudoephedrineChildren's Tylenol Sinus, Dristan N.D., Non-Aspirin Sinus, Ornex, Ornex-Max, Sinutab +5 more
How Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine interactionAcetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine, TriprolidineActifed Plus ES
How Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine, Triprolidine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine, Triprolidine interactionAdagrasibKrazati
How Adagrasib interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adagrasib interactionAdalimumabHumira
How Adalimumab interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab interactionAdalimumab-adazHyrimoz
How Adalimumab-adaz interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-adaz interactionAdalimumab-adbmCyltezo
How Adalimumab-adbm interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-adbm interactionAdalimumab-afzbAbrilada
How Adalimumab-afzb interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-afzb interactionAdalimumab-attoAmjevita
How Adalimumab-atto interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-atto interactionAdalimumab-bwwdHadlima
How Adalimumab-bwwd interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-bwwd interactionAdalimumab-fkjpHulio
How Adalimumab-fkjp interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Adalimumab-fkjp interactionAgomelatineValdoxan
How Agomelatine interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Agomelatine interactionAlefaceptAmevive
How Alefacept interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alefacept interactionAlemtuzumabCampath
How Alemtuzumab interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaImmunosuppressants Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alemtuzumab interactionAlfentanilAlfenta
How Alfentanil interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alfentanil interactionAlfuzosinUroxatral
How Alfuzosin interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alfuzosin interactionAliskirenTekturna
How Aliskiren interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Aliskiren interactionAlmotriptanAlmogran, Axert
How Almotriptan interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Almotriptan interactionAlogliptinNesina
How Alogliptin interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alogliptin interactionAlogliptin, PioglitazoneOseni
How Alogliptin, Pioglitazone interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alogliptin, Pioglitazone interactionAlpelisibPiqray
How Alpelisib interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alpelisib interactionAlprazolamNiravam, Xanax
How Alprazolam interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Alprazolam interactionAmbrisentanLetairis, Volibris
How Ambrisentan interacts with Echinacea 450 mg — through 1 ingredient. Tap an ingredient for the detail:
Echinacea AngustifoliaCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates Moderate
Interaction Summary
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4.
Read the full Echinacea Angustifolia + Ambrisentan interactionEach ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects
For each ingredient in Echinacea 450 mg with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.
Echinacea angustifolia
Caffeine
Echinacea can increase plasma levels of caffeine by inhibiting its metabolism.
Echinacea seems to increase plasma concentrations of caffeine by around 30%. This is likely due to inhibition of cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) by echinacea.
Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates
Echinacea might inhibit the metabolism of CYP1A2 and increase plasma levels of some drugs.
Echinacea appears to inhibit CYP1A2 enzymes in humans. Additionally, echinacea seems to increase plasma concentrations of caffeine, a CYP1A2 substrate, by around 30%. Theoretically, echinacea might increase levels of other drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates
Echinacea may induce hepatic CYP3A4 and inhibit intestinal CYP3A4. This may increase or decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Several clinical trials have shown that taking echinacea for up to one month does not significantly affect the metabolism of various CYP3A4 substrates, including midazolam, docetaxel, etravirine, lopinavir-ritonavir, and darunavir-ritonavir. However, other clinical research shows that echinacea may increase the clearance of midazolam, suggesting that echinacea might induce CYP3A4. The discrepancy is thought to be due to differing effects of echinacea on intestinal versus hepatic CYP3A4 enzymes. Echinacea appears to induce hepatic CYP3A4 but inhibit intestinal CYP3A4. In some cases, these effects might cancel each other out, but in others, drug levels may be increased or decreased depending on the level of effect at hepatic and intestinal sites. The effect of echinacea on CYP3A4 activity may differ depending on the CYP3A4 substrate.
Etoposide (Vepesid)
Echinacea may increase levels of etoposide.
In one report, concomitant use of etoposide and echinacea was associated with more severe thrombocytopenia than the use of etoposide alone, suggesting inhibition of etoposide metabolism. Etoposide is a cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrate. Echinacea has variable effects on CYP3A4, but some studies have reported inhibition of the enzyme.
Immunosuppressants
Echinacea has immunostimulant activity which may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy.
Theoretically, echinacea may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy because of its immunostimulant activity.
Darunavir (Prezista)
Theoretically, echinacea may interfere with the metabolism of darunavir; however, a small clinical study found no effect.
Darunavir is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and is administered with the CYP3A4 inhibitor ritonavir to increase its plasma concentrations. Echinacea has variable effects on CYP3A4, but administration of an E. purpurea root extract (Arkocapsulas Echinacea, Arkopharma) 500 mg four times daily for 14 days did not affect darunavir/ritonavir pharmacokinetics in 15 HIV-infected patients.
Dayquil Severe
Echinacea is reported to have varying effects on a number of Cytochrome P450 metabolizing enzymes in the liver, including CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, which play a role in acetaminophen and dextromethorphan metabolism (both contained in DayQuil Severe), respectively. Studies have reported both enzyme inhibition and induction, making it difficult to predict clinically significant drug interactions with reliability. Specific drug interaction studies reporting definitive results are rare, and potential drug interactions involving echinacea should likely be taken on a case-by-case basis. Based on what we know about how acetaminophen and dextromethorphan are metabolized, the risk of a clinically significant interaction between echinacea and DayQuil Severe is low.
Docetaxel (Taxotere)
Theoretically, echinacea may interfere with the metabolism of docetaxel; however, a small clinical study found no effect.
Docetaxel is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Echinacea has variable effects on CYP3A4, but taking E. purpurea whole plant extract (Echinaforce, A. Vogel Biopharma AG) 20 drops three times daily for 2 weeks did not alter the pharmacokinetics of docetaxel in one clinical study.
Etravirine (Intelence)
Theoretically, echinacea may interfere with the metabolism of etravirine; however, a small clinical study found no effect.
Etravirine is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Echinacea has variable effects on CYP3A4, but taking E. purpurea root extract (Arkocapsulas Echinacea, Arkopharma) 500 mg three times daily for 14 days did not alter the pharmacokinetics of etravirine in HIV-infected patients.
Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra)
Theoretically, echinacea may interfere with the metabolism of lopinavir; however, a small clinical study found no effect.
Lopinavir is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and is administered with the CYP3A4 inhibitor ritonavir to increase its plasma concentrations. Echinacea has variable effects on CYP3A4, but taking E. purpurea (Echinamide, Natural Factors Nutritional Products, Inc.) 500 mg three times daily for 14 days did not alter the pharmacokinetics of lopinavir/ritonavir in healthy volunteers.
Midazolam (Versed)
Theoretically, echinacea may increase the metabolism of intravenous midazolam.
Echinacea induces hepatic CYP3A4 and might decrease plasma levels of midazolam by about 20%, reducing the effectiveness of intravenous midazolam. Echinacea also appears to inhibit intestinal CYP3A4, which could theoretically increase the bioavailability of oral midazolam. This may cancel out the decrease in availability caused by induction of hepatic CYP3A4, such that overall plasma levels after oral administration of midazolam are not affected by echinacea.
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Echinacea seems to increase the clearance of warfarin, although the effect may not be clinically significant.
Preliminary clinical research in healthy male volunteers suggests that taking echinacea increases the clearance of the active S-isomer of warfarin after a single dose of warfarin, but there was not a clinically significant effect on the INR.
Brand information
Manufacturer and brand details for Echinacea 450 mg, from the product label.
Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray: Common Questions
Does Echinacea 450 mg by Solaray interact with any medications?
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Where does this information come from?
Can I take echinacea if I'm allergic to ragweed?
What are the most common side effects?
Is echinacea safe during pregnancy?
Can I take echinacea if I'm on immunosuppressant medication?
Does echinacea actually help with colds or the flu?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
Not sure if Echinacea 450 mg is safe with your meds?
Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.
Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.
The Full Monographs Behind Echinacea 450 mg’s Ingredients
Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.
Sources & How We Checked
Echinacea 450 mg's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) — The official product label on file for this supplement.
- Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — Evidence-graded clinical reference behind the ingredient interaction data.
Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.
The 51 references behind this product’s interaction data
Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.
Echinacea 51 references
- Mullins RJ. Echinacea-associated anaphylaxis. Med J Aust 1998;168:170-1. PubMed
- Mullins RJ. Allergic reactions to Echinacea. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;104:S340-341 (Abstract 1003).
- Chavez ML, Chavez PI. Echinacea. Hosp Pharm 1998;33:180-8.
- Grimm W, Muller HH. A randomized controlled trial of the effect of fluid extract of Echinacea purpurea on the incidence and severity of colds and respiratory infections. Am J Med 1999;106:138-43. PubMed
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DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.
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