Guide
Supplements and Your Medicines: How to Check for Interactions Before You Start
Supplements can interact with medicines, and natural does not always mean safe. Before you start one, tell your doctor or pharmacist every supplement you take and show them the label. With Maxforce, the interactions to ask about are nitrates and sildenafil with L-arginine, blood pressure and thyroid drugs, and anything that affects the liver.
Written by the Maxforce label deskUpdated
The basics01
Can you take supplements with prescription medicines?
Sometimes, but not without checking. Supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and the term natural does not always mean safe (NIH ODS, Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know) (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely).
FDA advises talking to a doctor, pharmacist or other health professional before using a supplement (FDA, Using Dietary Supplements). NCCIH says to tell all your providers about every supplement you take, especially before surgery (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely). The label on a gummy like Maxforce says the same in short: if you take medications, consult your doctor before using it.
A good habit is a single written list of every medicine, vitamin, herb and gummy you take, kept on your phone and updated when anything changes.
Maxforce lines02
Which Maxforce ingredients interact with which medicines?
Several do. The table lists the interactions named in the sources, by ingredient. One gummy holds small amounts of most lines, but the sources do not set a safe floor.
| Ingredient | Medicines named | Source |
|---|---|---|
| L-arginine | Nitrates, sildenafil, blood pressure drugs, blood thinners, diabetes drugs, some diuretics | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) |
| Ashwagandha | Thyroid hormone, diabetes, blood pressure, immunosuppressant and sedative drugs | (NIH ODS, Ashwagandha) |
| Green tea extract | Nadolol (a beta-blocker); atorvastatin levels may fall | (NCCIH, Green Tea) |
| Tribulus | Diuretics, blood pressure drugs, diabetes drugs, clopidogrel | (MSK, Tribulus terrestris) |
| Horny goat weed | CYP3A4-processed drugs, aromatase inhibitors | (MSK, Epimedium (horny goat weed)) |
| Maca | May interfere with testosterone lab tests | (MSK, Maca) |
| Caffeine | People on certain medicines may be more sensitive | (FDA, Caffeine: how much is too much?) |
Muira puama and catuaba have too little safety data to list interactions. That is a gap, not a clean bill of health.
Your own check03
How do you check a supplement before you start it?
Read the label, list your medicines, ask a pharmacist and read the cautions for each ingredient before the first dose.
Read the whole label
Note the ingredients, the dose and the warning. Maxforce's label asks anyone taking medications to consult a doctor first.
List your medicines
Include over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and anything you take only sometimes.
Check the high-risk pairs
Nitrates with L-arginine or sildenafil is the one that can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine).
Ask a professional
A pharmacist can check the list in minutes. A doctor can weigh your conditions.
Start and watch
Note any new symptom, and stop if one appears.
Flag these04
Which kinds of medicine need the most care with enhancement supplements?
Heart and blood-pressure drugs come first, then diabetes, thyroid, blood-thinning and mood medicines.
Nitrates and ED drugs
Low blood pressure risk with L-arginine and with hidden drugs (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) (FDA, Tiger 5000 public notification).
Blood pressure and heart drugs
Caffeine, green tea and horny goat weed carry rhythm or pressure cautions (MSK, Epimedium (horny goat weed)) (NCCIH, Green Tea).
Diabetes and thyroid drugs
Ashwagandha and L-arginine appear in their interaction lists (NIH ODS, Ashwagandha) (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine).
The list is not complete, and it does not tell you your own risk. It tells you where to start the conversation.
What to tell05
What should you tell your doctor about a supplement?
Give the product name, the label, the dose and how long you have taken it. A photo of the Supplement Facts panel is the fastest way.
- The product name and the nine ingredient lines.
- That the 82 mg blend has hidden amounts, and only caffeine (5 mg) is printed.
- How many gummies you take, and when.
- Any symptom since you started.
Bring the whole tub if you can. A clinician can then judge the label against your own medicines, which a website cannot do.
Maxforce: from $49 a bottle30 gummies a bottle · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day money-back guarantee
See packsBefore surgery06
Should you stop a supplement before surgery?
Tell the surgical team about it well ahead and let them decide. Several herbs can affect blood pressure, bleeding or sedation.
NCCIH advises telling providers about every supplement, especially before surgery (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely). NCCIH also says to avoid ashwagandha before surgery (NCCIH, Ashwagandha). Maxforce lists ashwagandha as its sixth line, at most 5 mg a gummy, but the surgeon should still see the label.
Bring the tub or a photo of the panel to the pre-surgery visit, and do not stop prescribed medicine unless told to.
One rule07
Should you ever stop a prescribed medicine for a supplement?
No. Keep taking prescribed medicine exactly as directed. A supplement is not a substitute, and stopping a medicine on your own can be dangerous.
If you want to change a medicine, ask the person who prescribed it. If a doctor tells you to avoid a supplement, follow that advice. If a seller says otherwise, trust your doctor.
chest pain, fainting, trouble breathing, a racing or irregular heartbeat with faintness, or yellow skin or eyes with dark urine. The label says to discontinue use and consult your doctor if any adverse reaction occurs.
Report it08
How do you report a bad reaction to a supplement?
Stop the product, get care if needed and file a report with FDA's Safety Reporting Portal at safetyreporting.hhs.gov.
FDA says even partial information helps it identify potentially dangerous products (FDA, How to Report a Problem with Dietary Supplements). Include the product name, the lot code, what happened and when. Keep the tub and the receipt. If you bought through our link, also tell the order desk on +1 (302) 200-3480, and see the refund policy page.
FAQ09
Maxforce questions people ask
Can supplements make my medicine less effective?
Yes, in some cases. NCCIH says supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs. High doses of green tea extract can reduce the effect of the beta-blocker nadolol, for example. Ask a pharmacist.
Do I need to tell my dentist or surgeon about supplements?
Yes. NCCIH advises telling all providers about every supplement you take, especially before surgery, because some herbs affect blood pressure and bleeding. Bring the label and your list.
Is natural the same as safe for supplements?
No. NIH says the term natural does not always mean safe. Plant extracts have real effects and some have rare reports of liver, heart or blood-pressure harm, which the ingredient pages detail.
Can a pharmacist check my supplement interactions?
Yes. Pharmacists check interactions daily, and you can usually ask without an appointment. Bring the label. They can flag known conflicts with your prescriptions.
How long should I wait between my medicine and a supplement?
We cannot give a timing rule, and no label here provides one. Spacing does not solve every interaction. Ask your pharmacist, who can advise based on the exact medicines.
What if I have a reaction but take many supplements?
Stop the new one first and get care if the reaction is serious. Tell your doctor everything you take, with labels. Report to FDA with the product names and lot codes.
Who wrote this10
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Maxforcevitality, a Maxforce U.S. retail desk, not by the manufacturer or the distributor named on the label. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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