Supplement · Considered, not recommended

Yohimbe and medications.

Why it sits outside our recommendations, and what to consider instead.

Yohimbe is not in the Distil recommendation database. We surface it here deliberately, because why a compound is left out is as useful as what we recommend.

Yohimbe bark, and its active alkaloid yohimbine, sits outside the Distil database for two reasons. First, the cardiovascular profile. It raises blood pressure and heart rate and can trigger anxiety and palpitations, and at higher intakes more serious cardiac effects. The gap between a dose that does something and a dose that causes problems is narrow.

Second, unstandardised yohimbe bark products vary widely in how much yohimbine they actually contain, so the dose you take is often unknown. It also interacts with MAOIs and stimulant medicines. A narrow safety margin plus unreliable labelling is why we leave it out. The better-behaved options below depend on what you were reaching for it to do.

What to consider instead. Every option below is in the Distil database, so you can check each against your own medications:

L-Theanine: pairs well with caffeine for calm focus, no cardiovascular load
Rhodiola Rosea: an adaptogen for fatigue and stress; check it against any serotonergic medicine

We still hold the documented interactions for Yohimbe, which is why it stays in the interactions checker even though we do not recommend it. Below are the 2 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed: 2 amber. Every call is cited to a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary.

Documented interactions

Additive sympathomimetic activity

Amber Rasagiline

Yohimbe raises blood pressure and noradrenaline. Combined with rasagiline (a Parkinson's MAO-B inhibitor), it can push blood pressure unpredictably high. We would not recommend combining without specialist supervision.

BNF: Rasagiline

Amber Selegiline

Yohimbe raises blood pressure and noradrenaline. Combined with selegiline, it can push blood pressure unpredictably high. We would not recommend combining without specialist supervision.

BNF: Selegiline

What this page does not say. Leaving a compound out of our recommendations is not a verdict that it is useless for everyone. It is a statement about safety, evidence, or interaction load in the context Distil screens for. Discuss any supplement decision with whoever manages your prescriptions.

Loading database stats…

For adults over 18. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.

Your supplements

Type the supplement name. Click each match to add it.

Your medications

Brand or generic name works. Click each match to add it.

Anything we should know? (optional)

Pick any that apply. We adjust the findings where context changes the answer.

I confirm I am 18 or over. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice; always discuss changes with your GP or pharmacist.

Add at least one supplement and one medication to check.

Not sure where to start? Try one:

How we decide

How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.

Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.

Read the full methodology

Your whole stack

Want this checked across everything you take?

This page checks the pairs you enter. The personalised Distil report goes further:

the same graded, cited interaction check across your whole stack, not just the pairs you thought to type in
where your current routine may be leaving you short of your goals
the evidence-backed compounds worth adding, and the ones worth dropping

It's a paid report: £79, or £49 for the first 25 customers. The interactions check is one section of it, and you can read a real one in full before you buy.

See a real sample report

Something missing?

If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.

Thanks, that's logged. We go through flagged items every week.

Distil's interactions database is reviewed and updated every quarter. We grade evidence transparently and publish our methodology, including every database change, at /about/methodology. This tool is information, not a substitute for clinical judgement. If you take medication and supplements together, your GP or pharmacist can review your full regimen against your medical history. If you want a full personalised stack reasoned against this same database, the Distil report is the next step up.