7 Medications You Should Never Mix With Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is a fruity, floral, sour drink beloved in Latin America and Africa. Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as roselle, Jamaican tea, Indian sorrel, and Florida cranberry, has grown in popularity worldwide due to its various health benefits. However, hibiscus tea can have serious interactions with some medications.

1. ACE Inhibitors

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drugs are used to treat high blood pressure, kidney disease, and diabetes. Like ACE inhibitors, hibiscus tea can also lower blood pressure by slowing the production of the angiotensin II hormone. The result of taking both at the same time is that you might experience blood pressure that drops too low.

It’s not recommended to drink hibiscus tea or take hibiscus supplements while using ACE inhibitors such as:

• Accupril (quinapril)
• Aceon (perindopril)
• Altace (ramipril)
• Capoten (captopril)
• Lotensin (benazepril)
• Mavik (trandolapril)
• Monopril (fosinopril)
• Vasotec (enalapril)
• Zestril (lisinopril)

2. Cozaar (losartan)

Cozaar (losartan) is another blood pressure-lowering drug that hibiscus tea interacts with. It’s an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drug that works slightly differently from ACE inhibitors by blocking the receptors for angiotensin II. Still, it leads to the same result: lower blood pressure.

Because hibiscus also affects angiotensin II, the result is the same: the potential for drastic blood pressure drops.

Speak with your healthcare provider if you plan to drink hibiscus tea and you take Cozaar, or other blood pressure-lowering medications.

3. Anti-Diabetes Drugs

Avoid drinking hibiscus tea if you have diabetes and are taking medication to treat it. Diabetes drugs lower blood sugar, and hibiscus tea may also lower blood sugar. Drinking it could result in a dangerous drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

• Anxiety
• Blurred vision
• Confusion
• Fast heart rate
• Feeling faint or weak
• Feeling shaky
• Headache
• Nausea

Talk to your healthcare provider to see if you should avoid hibiscus tea, alter your medication dosage, or monitor your blood sugar more closely.

4. Chloroquine

Chloroquine is prescribed to treat malaria (an infection transmitted by mosquitoes) and amebiasis (an intestinal infection caused by a parasite). Hibiscus tea can have severe interactions with chloroquine and should not be taken simultaneously.

Hibiscus tea can prevent your body from absorbing chloroquine well, making it less effective and potentially worsening the serious infections it was prescribed to treat.

5. Zocor (simvastatin)

Zocor (simvastatin) is a drug that’s prescribed to lower cholesterol. Drinking hibiscus tea can speed up your body’s elimination of simvastatin, significantly reducing your exposure to the drug. This can make the drug less effective and potentially lead to side effects.

Until more research on this herb-drug interaction is available, experts discourage drinking hibiscus tea alongside simvastatin.

6. Tylenol (acetaminophen)

Hibiscus also may interact with Tylenol (acetaminophen), a common over-the-counter pain reliever.

Consuming hibiscus can make your body eliminate Tylenol faster, meaning you won’t get as much pain relief for as long. To avoid this interaction, take Tylenol at least three to four hours before drinking hibiscus tea, but confirm this with your healthcare provider.

7. Hydrochlorothiazide

Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic drug used to treat high blood pressure and/or edema (fluid retention) caused by health conditions such as heart, liver, or kidney disease.

Consuming hibiscus tea alongside hydrochlorothiazide may make your body less effective at clearing the drug. This could potentially lead to severe side effects as the drug is not eliminated properly and builds up in the body.

Animal studies suggest that taking hibiscus at the same time as hydrochlorothiazide may make you pee more, increasing the risk of dehydration.

Due to this interaction, avoiding hibiscus tea is recommended if you take hydrochlorothiazide.

Who Else Should Avoid Hibiscus Tea?

People taking the above medications should avoid drinking hibiscus tea or discuss it with their healthcare provider first. Anyone in the following situations should also reconsider drinking hibiscus tea:

• Low blood pressure: If you have pre-existing low blood pressure, drinking hibiscus tea could cause it to drop further, leading to symptoms.
• Diabetes: Similarly, if you have diabetes, then consider avoiding hibiscus tea because it can lead to unexpected blood sugar drops.
• Pregnancy: Avoid hibiscus tea if you’re pregnant. Hibiscus contains phytoestrogens, and can affect your hormones, with some animal studies showing changes in menstruation and puberty delay, indicating it may not be safe during pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding: Similarly, there is not enough evidence to know if hibiscus tea is safe during breastfeeding. Due to its potential impact on hormones, it’s possible that it is not safe.

Hibiscus Side Effects

Hibiscus has few side effects, and research has found it safe for most people, barring the above-mentioned medications and precautions.

Some people report an upset stomach or bloating after drinking hibiscus tea, but this is uncommon.