Does Lemon Verbena Interact With Coreg (Carvedilol)?
In our latest question and answer, our pharmacist discusses whether or not there is an interaction between lemon verbena and Coreg.
Can I drink lemon verbena tea while I am also taking carvedilol for blood pressure?
Feb 05, 2024- There is no known interaction between lemon verbena and Coreg (carvedilol).
- Lemon verbena is generally well tolerated as a supplement or tea, with mild sedation being the most commonly reported side effect.
- While you should tell your doctor about all supplements you take, current evidence does not suggest lemon verbena significantly lowers blood pressure or interacts with blood pressure medications.
Answer
Thank you for your inquiry!
Lemon verbena is generally regarded as safe with very few reported interactions with other drugs and there is currently no known interaction between it and Coreg (carvedilol).
Our drug-herbal interaction checker shows only a potential interaction between lemon verbena with drugs in the benzodiazepine class, primarily due to the risk of additive sedative effects (you can find more information on our lemon verbena-diazepam page).
Lemon Verbena Appears To Be Relatively Free Of Significant Side Effects
Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is a shrub native to South America, known for its fragrant lemon scent (although it is not botanically related to lemon (Citrus limon)). Research indicates that lemon verbena is high in polyphenols, including flavone diglucuronides and verbascoside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside. The essential oil of lemon verbena leaf contains caryophyllene, limonene, and linalool.
While lemon verbena hasn't been extensively studied, clinical research suggests it is generally well tolerated when ingested as a supplement or as a beverage (such as tea), with mild sedation being the most common side effect reported in studies.
Studies evaluating lemon verbena's effects on exercise-induced muscle damage, such as this study, did not find any evidence indicating a significant effect on blood pressure or a mechanism of action that would suggest an interaction with Coreg or any other blood pressure medication.
Although there are a few small studies suggesting that lemon verbena, when combined with other herbals like hibiscus, may slightly lower blood pressure, substantive evidence supporting a significant interaction with blood pressure medication or a substantial risk of additive blood pressure lowering when combined with a blood pressure medication is lacking.
While more studies are needed to fully understand lemon verbena's effects, it appears unlikely that it interacts with blood pressure medication or significantly lowers blood pressure when used alone or in combination with a blood pressure medication.
As always, be sure to let your doctor know about all the medications and supplements you are taking so you can be appropriately monitored.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for reaching out, and please don't hesitate to contact us again with any further questions!
References & sources
- Anxiolytic Effect and Improved Sleep Quality in Individuals Taking Lippia citriodora Extract — PubMed
- Effects of lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) supplementation on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial — PubMed
- Evaluation of the Efficacy of Supplementation with Planox® Lemon Verbena Extract in Improving Oxidative Stress and Muscle Damage: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial — PubMed
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Determine the Effectiveness of a Polyphenolic Extract ( Hibiscus sabdariffa and Lippia citriodora) for Reducing Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive and Type 1 Hypertensive Subjects — PubMed
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Benzodiazepine
- A class of prescription medications commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures that work by calming the nervous system.
- Polyphenols
- Plant compounds with antioxidant properties that are found naturally in many foods and herbs.
- Flavone diglucuronides
- A type of plant compound belonging to the polyphenol family that may have health-related properties.
- Verbascoside
- A naturally occurring plant compound found in lemon verbena that may have anti-inflammatory or protective effects.
- Phenylpropanoid glycoside
- A plant-derived compound formed when certain plant chemicals bond with a sugar molecule.
- Essential oil
- A concentrated liquid extracted from plants that contains their fragrant and active compounds.
- Additive sedative effects
- When two or more substances that cause drowsiness are combined, resulting in stronger drowsiness than either alone.
- Carvedilol
- A medication (brand name Coreg) used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure by slowing the heart rate and reducing the heart's workload.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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