Is Chamomile Tea Safe With Tylenol?
In our latest question and answer, our pharmacist discusses whether or not chamomile tea is safe to drink with Tylenol.
Is it okay to drink chamomile tea if you've had a Tylenol (325 mg) at least 6 hours prior?
Dec 24, 2022- Chamomile and Tylenol are safe to use together because any interaction between them is very minor and unlikely to be clinically significant.
- Acetaminophen is primarily broken down in your body through pathways that chamomile does not affect, so combining them occasionally at normal doses should not cause problems.
Answer
Thanks so much for reaching out to us! There is potentially a very minor interaction between chamomile and Tylenol (acetaminophen), but it likely isn't clinically significant.
There is always a caveat that needs to be noted when discussing drug-herbal interactions simply due to the lack of data available. Nevertheless, looking specifically into Tylenol and chamomile, as mentioned, there may be a very minor interaction but, in all likelihood, they are safe to combine.
Interaction Details
Acetaminophen is metabolized in our system via several different processes. A very minor metabolism pathway for acetaminophen is via the CYP1A2 enzyme. Clinical studies have shown that chamomile is a minor inhibitor of this metabolizing enzyme.
Inhibition of the CYP1A2 enzyme could theoretically slow the metabolism of acetaminophen, increasing drug concentrations, which could increase the risk of side effects.
Now, acetaminophen is not primarily metabolized via CYP1A2. It is predominately metabolized via other pathways, including glucuronidation, sulfate conjugation, and via the metabolizing enzyme CYP2E1. CYP1A2 metabolism is thought to be only minor.
Any increase in acetaminophen concentrations due to CYP1A2 metabolism inhibition likely would be insignificant.
As long as you don't consistently combine chamomile and acetaminophen, and only do it once in a while, you shouldn't expect any problems, especially since you are taking a relatively low dose of Tylenol (325mg).
Final Words
Thanks so much for reaching out and please feel free to do so again in the future.
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Acetaminophen
- An active ingredient in Tylenol used to reduce pain and fever.
- Metabolized
- The process by which your body breaks down a drug into substances it can use or eliminate.
- CYP1A2 enzyme
- A protein in your body that helps break down certain drugs and substances.
- Inhibitor
- A substance that slows down or blocks a process, in this case the breakdown of medication.
- Drug concentrations
- The amount of medication present in your bloodstream at any given time.
- Glucuronidation
- One of the main pathways your body uses to break down acetaminophen.
- Sulfate conjugation
- Another primary pathway your body uses to process and eliminate acetaminophen.
- CYP2E1
- A metabolizing enzyme in your body that plays a major role in breaking down acetaminophen.
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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