Interactions on record — worth a quick check against your medications. Check your meds →
Dietary supplement

Lemongrass Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by doTERRA

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

Lemongrass is a dietary supplement by doTERRA with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for digestive upset, anxiety and stress, antimicrobial/antifungal.Based on those ingredients, 708 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Lemongrass. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Lemongrass by doTERRA

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: lemongrass. It's a liquid formulation, which means it's a concentrated extract rather than a whole herb or dried leaf.

There are no other inactive ingredients listed.

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 Lemongrass product and its label doesn't state a use — see Lemongrass'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 lemongrass isn't established in our data. We hold ratings of insufficient reliable evidence for headache, common cold, cough, diabetes, epilepsy, and fatigue — meaning the studies we have aren't solid enough to say whether it actually works for these uses.

If you're considering it for a specific health goal, that's worth discussing with your doctor or pharmacist to see what the latest research shows.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Lemongrass

How safe is it?

Some data gaps
Safety Information · database check
Some gaps

Safety data exists for these ingredients, but with some important gaps.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 0 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.

Lemongrass in food amounts is generally well tolerated, but concentrated extracts and essential oils — like this liquid formulation — have limited safety data. Medicinal or concentrated doses should be avoided due to that gap in safety information and traditional cautions.

You should not use this product during pregnancy; the safety data advises against it. For breastfeeding, there isn't enough data on file to know either way — talk with your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Lemongrass

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 — Lemongrass.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • For scale: 709 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 doTERRA Lemongrass, check with your doctor or pharmacist if you take pentobarbital (Nembutal), any CYP3A4 substrates (a very large medication category that includes statins, certain heart drugs, and many others), or any glucuronidated drugs. Because the interaction list is extensive, running your exact medications through the search tool on this page is the safest step.

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 some safety-information gaps remain.

This product interacts with a very large number of medications, most notably pentobarbital and broad classes of drugs your liver processes. If you take any prescription medications at all, check them against our interaction tool before starting.

You'll also want to avoid it during pregnancy and discuss breastfeeding use with your healthcare provider. The evidence for its effectiveness on common conditions isn't established, so clarity on why you're considering it will help guide that conversation.

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 May 28, 2019.

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 Lemongrass, straight from the product label.

Brand doTERRA
Net contents 5 mL; 0.16 fl. Oz.
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD May 28, 2019
DSLD ID 202809
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 Lemongrass by doTERRA, 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:
1 Drop(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Drop(s)
Servings per container
85
IngredientAmount% DV
Lemongrass60 mg--

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.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

For aromatic or topical use.

Diffuse aromatically or, to apply topically, dilute with a carrier oil to minimize skin sensitivity.

For internal use dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.

Precautions

Caution: Possible skin sensitivity.

Keep out of reach of children.

If pregnant or under a doctor's care, consult your physician.

Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

General

v6 30340001

Formula

Cymbopogon flexuosus

FDA Statement of Identity

Essential Oil Supplement

Brand IP Statement(s)

CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade

General Statements

Peel back for more information.

See for yourself

Lemongrass by doTERRA label

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

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Lemongrass by doTERRA

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

Serving size1 Drop(s) Dosage formLiquid Servings per container85 Amounts shown are per serving.

Lemongrass

Interacts with
708 drugs
60 mg per serving

Lemongrass is a fragrant tropical grass widely used as a cooking herb, a tea, and an aromatherapy oil. It is generally considered safe in the small am...

Lemongrass monograph & interactions
Interaction report

Lemongrass by doTERRA Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Lemongrass?

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 checker
708Drugs
708 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Lemongrass 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.

Lemongrass3 drug types · 708 drugs

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, lemongrass might decrease the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Animal research shows that lemongrass and its constituent citral inhibit CYP3A4.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Glucuronidated Drugs

Theoretically, lemongrass might increase the clearance and decrease the levels of glucuronidated drugs.
Animal research shows that lemongrass and its constituent citral induce uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT), the major phase 2 enzyme that is responsible for glucuronidation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Pentobarbital (Nembutal)

Theoretically, lemongrass might increase the effects and adverse effects of pentobarbital.
Animal research shows that high doses of lemongrass essential oil increases sleep time and decreases time to fall asleep in animals administered pentobarbital.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Lemongrass, from the product label.

doTERRA

See all doTERRA products
Name
doTERRA Intl, LLC
Street Address
389 South 1300 West
City
Pleasant Grove
State
UT
ZipCode
84062
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Lemongrass by doTERRA: Common Questions

Does Lemongrass by doTERRA interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Lemongrass has a known interaction with 708 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Lemongrass 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.
Can I use lemongrass if I'm pregnant?
No — the safety data advises against lemongrass during pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about your options.
Is this safe to use while breastfeeding?
There isn't enough data on file to know either way. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before using it, especially since this is a concentrated liquid form rather than food-use amounts.
What's the difference between cooking with lemongrass and taking this product?
Food amounts of lemongrass are generally well tolerated. This liquid is a concentrated extract, which has much less safety data and carries real interaction risks — they're not the same thing.
Does lemongrass actually work for colds or headaches?
The evidence isn't established in our data. We rate both of those uses as having insufficient reliable evidence, so we can't say whether it actually helps.
Why does this interact with so many drugs?
Lemongrass affects two major enzyme systems in your liver — the ones responsible for breaking down and clearing hundreds of different medications. That's why the interaction list is so large.

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

Not sure if Lemongrass is safe with your meds?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.

Lemongrass label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Lemongrass'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 2 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.

Lemongrass 2 references
  1. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Li CC, Yu HF, Chang CH, Liu YT, Yao HT. Effects of lemongrass oil and citral on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes, oxidative stress, and acetaminophen toxicity in rats. J Food Drug Anal 2018;26(1):432-8. PubMed

See these in context on the Lemongrass 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

Keep exploring