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Dietary supplement

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by TerraVita

Liquid Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor is a dietary supplement by TerraVita with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for eczema and skin health, pms symptoms, breast pain (mastalgia).Based on those ingredients, 233 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita

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.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract. Evening primrose is a plant extract rich in gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that's being studied for various health uses.

The formulation also includes glycerin and chocolate flavor as inactive ingredients to make it palatable.

Does it work?

Couldn't assess
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not assessable

This is a single-ingredient Evening Primrose product and its label doesn't state a use — see Evening Primrose's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • We looked at the product name, claims, and label statements and couldn't find a stated purpose to grade.

The evidence for evening primrose is limited and mixed depending on the condition. It is rated as possibly ineffective for asthma and likely ineffective for breast pain (mastalgia).

For acne, ADHD, abortion, and hysteroscopy, there isn't enough reliable evidence to rate whether it works. If you're considering evening primrose for a specific reason, talk with your pharmacist or doctor about whether the evidence supports its use for your situation.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Evening Primrose

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Evening primrose oil is generally well tolerated when taken by mouth over the short term, though long-term safety data are sparse. The most common side effects reported are gastrointestinal—abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, gas, nausea, and vomiting.

Less common are skin rash, acne, dizziness, and headache. There is a single case report of seizures in a patient taking evening primrose during anesthesia, though other medications were also involved, so it's unclear whether evening primrose was responsible.

Regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding, the data suggest evening primrose is possibly safe in both, but the evidence is not conclusive. Because some concerns have been raised about safety in pregnancy, it's best avoided during pregnancy unless your doctor specifically directs you to use it.

If you're pregnant or nursing, talk with your healthcare provider before starting.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Evening Primrose

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Evening Primrose.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs; lithium.
  • For scale: 233 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Before taking this product, check whether you're on any blood thinners or antiplatelet drugs (such as warfarin, clopidogrel, or aspirin at higher doses)—evening primrose may increase bleeding risk. Also double-check if you take lithium, phenothiazines (older antipsychotics), or HIV protease inhibitors like lopinavir/ritonavir, as evening primrose moderately interacts with these.

Finally, if you take any medication metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP2C9, verify it with the tool below.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Evening primrose may be worth considering if you've discussed it with your doctor and want to explore its use for a specific condition—but only if you're not taking blood thinners, lithium, antipsychotics, HIV medications, or certain other drugs. Because this product interacts with a large number of medications across different classes, check your exact prescriptions with the tool on this page before you start.

If you have any questions about whether it's right for you, your pharmacist is here to help.

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 Dec 13, 2022.

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

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor, straight from the product label.

Brand TerraVita
Barcode (UPC) 064435131937
Net contents 1 Fluid Ounce(s); 30 mL
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Dec 13, 2022
DSLD ID 281741
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Liquid
Dietary claims / uses All Other
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years)
From the label
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 Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
25 Drop(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
40 Drop(s)
Servings per container
227
UPC/BARCODE
064435131937
IngredientAmount% DV
Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract0.13 mL--

Other ingredients: Glycerin, Chocolate flavor

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
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.
Brand IP Statement(s)

Copyright 2005 TerraVita - Distributed by ZooScape LLC, All Rights Reserved.

Formula

Glycerite liquid extract (1:5) Chocolate flavored

Formulation

Alcohol free

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested Use: Take 25-40 drops of extract in a small amount of warm water 3-4 times daily. Shake well before using.

Precautions

Keep away from children.

Do not use if safety seal around cap is broken or missing.

See for yourself

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size25 Drop(s) Dosage formLiquid Servings per container227 Amounts shown are per serving.

0.13 mL per serving

Evening primrose oil is a seed oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid, that is popularly used for skin conditions, PMS, and bre...

Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Glycerin, Chocolate flavor. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor?

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233Drugs
148 Moderate 85 Minor

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor 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.

Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract5 drug types · 233 drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, evening primrose oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Evening primrose oil contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA). There is preliminary clinical evidence that GLA can reduce platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding time.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Lithium

Theoretically, concomitant use of lithium with evening primrose oil might decrease lithium levels and effects.
In a case report, a patient on a stable dose of lithium for 10 years experienced a reduction in lithium levels after taking evening primrose oil 500 mg daily. Baseline levels were 0.69 mmol/L, which decreased to 0.37 mmol/L after 2 months and 0.23 mmol/L after 3 months of use. Lithium levels increased within 6 weeks of discontinuing evening primrose oil, to 0.73 mmol/L; no clinical effects were noted.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra)

Theoretically, evening primrose oil might increase the levels and effects of lopinavir.
In a case report, an HIV patient who took evening primrose oil (Efamol) along with lopinavir/ritonavir experienced an increase in serum levels of lopinavir to 15.2 mg/L. Six weeks after discontinuing evening primrose oil, levels of lopinavir returned to the normal range of 5-10 mg/L. When re-challenged with evening primrose oil for a week, the patient's lopinavir levels increased from 6.69 to 8.11 mg/L. It is suspected that evening primrose oil increases levels of lopinavir by inhibiting cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), which metabolizes lopinavir. However, this effect has not been reported in other research.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Phenothiazines

Theoretically, taking evening primrose oil with phenothiazines might increase the risk of convulsions.
Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). There is some concern that taking supplements containing GLA might cause seizures, or lower the seizure threshold, when taken with phenothiazines. In one report, three patients with schizophrenia who had received phenothiazines developed EEG changes suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy after starting treatment with GLA, although none experienced an actual seizure. In another report, two patients with schizophrenia who were stabilized on phenothiazines developed seizures when evening primrose oil 4 grams daily was added. One of these patients had a prior history of seizures. It is unclear whether evening primrose oil had any additive epileptogenic effects with the phenothiazines; there is no evidence that taking evening primrose oil alone causes seizures.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

Theoretically, evening primrose may increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that linoleic acid, a constituent of evening primrose oil, inhibits CYP2C9.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor, from the product label.

TerraVita

See all TerraVita products
Name
ZooScape LLC
Phone Number
844-449-0444
Web Address
www.ZooScape.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita: Common Questions

Does Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor by TerraVita interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor has a known interaction with 233 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Will evening primrose actually help with what I want to take it for?
That depends on your reason. If it's for breast pain, the evidence shows it's likely ineffective. For asthma, it's possibly ineffective. For acne, ADHD, and several other uses, there simply isn't enough reliable evidence to say whether it works. Talk with your doctor about whether evening primrose makes sense for your specific situation.
What are the most common side effects?
Stomach upset is the most frequent issue—think abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, gas, nausea, and vomiting. Skin rash, acne, dizziness, and headache occur less often. Most people who take evening primrose tolerate it well in the short term, though long-term safety data are limited.
Is it safe if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The data suggest evening primrose is possibly safe in both pregnancy and lactation, but evidence isn't conclusive. Because some concerns have been raised, it's best avoided during pregnancy unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Talk with your healthcare provider before using it if you're pregnant or nursing.
How many active ingredients does this have?
Just one: Evening Primrose Herb Glycerite Liquid Extract. The glycerin and chocolate flavor are inactive ingredients added for taste and texture.
I take medication—is this safe for me?
Evening primrose interacts with quite a few drug types, so you need to check your exact medications first. Use the interaction checker on this page with your prescription names and dosages. If anything flags, bring it to your pharmacist before you start.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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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.

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor label
Go deeper

The Full Monographs Behind Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor’s Ingredients

Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.

Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Evening Primrose Herb Chocolate Flavor'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.

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 33 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.

Evening Primrose 33 references
  1. Shaw D, Leon C, Kolev S, Murray V. Traditional remedies and food supplements: a 5-year toxicological study (1991-1995). Drug Saf 1997;17:342-56.
  2. Laivuori H, Hovatta O, Viinikka L, et al. Dietary supplementation with primrose oil or fish oil does not change urinary excretion of prostacyclin and thromboxane metabolites in pre-eclamptic women. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1993;49:691-4. PubMed
  3. Dove D, Johnson P. Oral evening primrose oil: its effect on length of pregnancy and selected intrapartum outcomes in low-risk nulliparous women (abstract). J Nurse Midwifery 1999;44:320-4. PubMed
  4. Guivernau M, Meza N, Barja P, Roman O. Clinical and experimental study on the long-term effect of dietary gamma-linolenic acid on plasma lipids, platelet aggregation, thromboxane formation, and prostacyclin production. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty A PubMed
  5. Cant A, Shay J, Horrobin DF. The effect of maternal supplementation with linoleic and gamma- linolenic acids on the fat composition and content of human milk: a placebo-controlled trial. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1991;37:573-9. PubMed
  6. Keen H, Payan J, Allawi J, et al. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy with gamma-linolenic acid. The gamma-Linolenic Acid Multicenter Trial Group. Diabetes Care 1993;16:8-15.
  7. Blommers J, de Lange-De Klerk ES, Kuik DJ, et al. Evening primrose oil and fish oil for severe chronic mastalgia: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:1389-94.. DOI
  8. Cheung KL. Management of cyclical mastalgia in oriental women: pioneer experience of using gamolenic acid (Efamast) in Asia. Aust N Z J Surg 1999;69:492-4..
  9. Das UN. The lipids that matter from infant nutrition to insulin resistance. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2002;67:1-12. PubMed
  10. Wedig KE, Whitsett JA. Down the primrose path: petechiae in a neonate exposed to herbal remedy for parturition. J Pediatr 2008;152:140, 140.e1. PubMed
  11. Ty-Torredes KA. The effect of oral evening primrose oil on bishop score and cervical length amongst term gravidas. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;195(6 Suppl 1):S30.
  12. Moodley J and Norman RJ. Attempts at dietary alteration of prostaglandin pathways in the management of pre-eclampsia. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1989;37(3):145-147. PubMed
  13. Tong M. [Treatment of hyperlipemia with evening primrose oil capsules]. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1988;8:469-71, 452-3.
  14. Holman CP and Bell AF. A trial of evening primrose oil in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia. J Orhtomolecular Psych 1983;12:302-304.
  15. Vaddadi KS. The use of gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid to differentiate between temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia. Prostaglandins Med 1981;6(4):375-379. PubMed
  16. Zou L, Harkey MR, and Henderson GL. Effects of herbal components on cDNA-expressed cytochrome P450 enzyme catalytic activity. Life Sci 8-16-2002;71(13):1579-1589. PubMed
  17. Yoon, S., Lee, J., and Lee, S. The therapeutic effect of evening primrose oil in atopic dermatitis patients with dry scaly skin lesions is associated with the normalization of serum gamma-interferon levels. Skin Pharmacol Appl.Skin Physiol 2002;15(1):20- PubMed
  18. Bamford, J. T., Gibson, R. W., and Renier, C. M. Atopic eczema unresponsive to evening primrose oil (linoleic and gamma- linolenic acids). J Am.Acad.Dermatol. 1985;13(6):959-965.
  19. Preece PE, Hanslip JI Gilbert L. Evening primrose oil (Efamol) for mastalgia. In: Horrobin DF. Clinical Uses of Essential Fatty Acids . Montreal, Quebec: Eden;1982.
  20. Parveen, S. Sarwar G. Ali M. Channa G. A. Danazol versus oil of evening primrose in the treatment of mastalgia. Pakistan Journal of Surgery. 2007;23(1):10-13.
  21. Belch JJF, Shaw B, O'Dowd A, et al. Evening primrose oil (Efamol) as a treatment for cold-induced vasospasm (Raynaud's phenomenon). Prog Lipid Res 1986;25:335-40.
  22. Johnson, M., Ostlund, S., Fransson, G., Kadesjo, B., and Gillberg, C. Omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in children and adolescents. J.Atten.Disord. 2009;12(5):394-401. PubMed
  23. Farzaneh F, Fatehi S, Sohrabi MR, Alizadeh K. The effect of oral evening primrose oil on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2013;288(5):1075-9. PubMed
  24. Puri BK. The safety of evening primrose oil in epilepsy. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 2007;77:101-3. PubMed
  25. Jalloh MA, Gregory PJ, Hein D, et al. Dietary supplement interactions with antiretrovirals: a systematic review. Int J STD AIDS. 2017 Jan;28(1):4-15. PubMed
  26. Osman M, Badawi E. Evening primrose oil reducing serum lithium concentration. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2016 Oct;6(5):343-44. PubMed
  27. Kalati M, Kashanian M, Jahdi F, Naseri M, Haghani H, SHeikhansari N. Evening primrose oil and labour, is it effective? A randomized clinical trial. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Feb 9:1-5.
  28. Sharif SN, Darsareh F. Impact of evening primrose oil consumption on psychological symptoms of postmenopausal women: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial. Menopause. 2020;27(2):194-198. PubMed
  29. Shahraki AD, Mirhoseini S, Movahedi M, Hajihashemy M, Haghollahi F. Comparative Study of the Effect of Vaginal use of Primrose Oil with Misoprostol on Cervical Preparation of Prim Gravid Women: A Double-blind Clinical Trial. Adv Biomed Res 2023;12:78. PubMed
  30. Shahinfar S, Abedi P, Jahanfar S, Khajehpoor M, Chashmyazdan M. The effect of evening primrose oil on cervical ripening and birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon 2023;9(2):e13414. PubMed
  31. Mahmoodinasab M, Loripoor M, Vazirinejad R, Aminzadeh F. Effect of misoprostol with and without evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) on induction of missed abortion. Avicenna J Phytomed 2023;13(5):454-462.
  32. Hashemi H, Hasanpoor-Azghady SB, Farahani M, Amiri-Farahani L. Comparison of the effect of vaginal misoprostol and evening primrose oil capsule with misoprostol alone on the consequences of abortion in women with intrauterine fetal death: a randomized cli
  33. Ariana S, Amjadi N, Kazemi SN, Ahmadli Z. The Use of Evening Primrose Oil for Cervical Ripening in Low-Risk Women with Term Pregnancy: A Randomized Double-Blinded Controlled Trial. Complement Med Res 2024;31(3):215-221. PubMed

See these in context on the Evening Primrose monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

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.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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