Can You Take Echinacea With Antibiotics?

Hello and thank you for your question!

Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbals in those feeling under the weather, and there are studies that show it may be effective in reducing the risk of catching a cold (although there is less evidence that it helps reduce the duration of a cold if you already have one).

In my time as a pharmacist, I've been asked about echinacea quite often, and whether or not it is safe to take while on antibiotics.

While I always preface my answers regarding herbals by saying that there is generally a lack of a solid body of evidence when it comes to their effectiveness and potential drug interactions, based on the published data that we do have, echinacea appears to be safe to take with most medications, including antibiotics.

The National Institute of Health states as much:

Current evidence indicates that the risk of interactions between echinacea supplements and most medications is low.

You don't mention in your question the specific antibiotic you are taking, but again, there is no evidence that shows echinacea interacts with any antibiotic.

Echinacea Interaction With Antibiotics

Echinacea is a widely used herb native to the central United States. It is most commonly used for to treat common viral and bacterial infections, and preliminary evidence shows that it may help the body that decrease inflammation and strengthen the immune system.

In terms of drug interactions, as mentioned, there aren't many reported, and it is generally considered safe with most medications, including antibiotics.

There are no reported between echinacea and the most commonly used antibiotics used to treat sinus infections, including:

• Amoxicillin
• Cephalexin
• Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
• Penicillin
• Ciprofloxacin
• Cefdinir
• Clarithromycin
• Augmentin

There have been studies reporting interactions with antivirals however. For example, one study found that echinacea may interact with several HIV medications, including darunavir and ritonavir, by decreasing their concentrations, but the authors of the study noted that the interaction were likely not clinically significant.

Going back to antibiotics, you can feel safe knowing that echinacea likely won't interact with what you are taking. Echinacea also has very few reported side effects (e.g. nausea, stomach cramps) and happen only rarely.

I hope you start to feel better!