Stinging Nettle Root and Medicine Interactions: What the Research Says
By Real Herbs Editorial Team · Published October 2026 · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read
Key takeaway: No clinical study has tested stinging nettle root taken together with another medicine, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reports no interactions while noting that specific interaction data are not available. How nettle root behaves alongside blood pressure medicines, diabetes medicines, blood thinners, water pills, lithium or BPH medicines has therefore not been studied, so the practical step is to tell your doctor or pharmacist about it before you start and to ask them how to monitor. This guide sets out what the sources do say, a table by medicine type, and the questions worth asking.
People who take regular medicines often ask whether stinging nettle root (Urtica dioica) is safe to add. This guide reports what regulators and clinical studies say, where information is missing, and how to check with a health professional.
Disclosure: Real Herbs sells a stinging nettle root extract. We report the interaction information as it was published.
What the sources say
The EMA’s 2025 assessment report on nettle root lists interactions with other medicinal products as “none reported”, and elsewhere notes that specific interaction data are not available ([1]). The earlier EMA monograph (2012) also reports no interactions ([2]). Both statements describe an absence of reports and not the result of interaction studies.
None of the nettle root trials cited here tested it alongside another medicine ([3], PMID 15045190; [4], PMID 32981268). Searches of PubMed in October 2026 for nettle and drug interactions, for nettle with warfarin, and for pharmacokinetic interactions found no clinical study of nettle root taken with another medicine. The closest result was a laboratory study of a multi-herb product that contains nettle, which found no change in three liver enzymes involved in drug metabolism in cultured liver cells ([5], PMID 37476879). That study was not in people and did not test a nettle root supplement, so it does not answer the question.
Review A review of nettle root describes its mechanism of action as unclear, with sex hormone binding globulin and prostate membrane receptors thought more likely to be involved than 5-alpha-reductase or androgen receptors ([6], PMID 17509841). Because the mechanism is still being worked out, it is difficult to predict interactions from it.
Medicine types and nettle root
The table covers everyday medicine types that doctors and pharmacists routinely review when a new supplement is added. “No study found” means we found no clinical study of nettle root taken with that medicine type, not that it has been shown to be free of effects.
Swipe sideways to see all columns.
| Medicine type | Studied with nettle root? | Practical step |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure medicines | No study found | Tell your prescriber. Keep any home blood pressure checks they have asked for, and report dizziness or changes. |
| Diabetes medicines | No study found | Tell your prescriber. Keep up your usual blood sugar checks and report any change in readings. |
| Blood thinners (anticoagulants and antiplatelets) | No study found | Tell the clinic that manages your blood thinner before starting, and keep scheduled blood tests. |
| Water pills (diuretics) | No study found | Tell your prescriber, especially if you take them for blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions. |
| Lithium | No study found | Ask your prescriber before starting any new supplement, since lithium levels are monitored closely. |
| Alpha-blockers for BPH (for example tamsulosin) | No study found; the nettle trials cited here did not combine them | Ask the prescriber before combining, and report dizziness on standing. |
| 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors for BPH (finasteride, dutasteride) | No study found. One trial compared a nettle and saw palmetto combination with finasteride but did not combine them ([7], PMID 9340898) | Ask the prescriber before combining, and keep PSA checks as scheduled. |
| Other supplements and herbal products | Only the nettle root and saw palmetto combination has been tested together ([8], PMID 15928959) | List every product you take and share the list with your pharmacist. |
The practical steps in the right-hand column are general precautions and not a finding of risk: they are the kind of review that applies to any new supplement.
How to check before combining
- Make a list. Write down every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement you take, with doses.
- Bring the label. Take the bottle to your pharmacist or doctor so they can see the extract ratio, the amount per capsule and the other ingredients.
- Introduce one product at a time. Starting a single new product makes it easier to tell what changed if you notice anything.
- Note the start date. Record the date and the dose so that your doctor can compare it with any change in how you feel or in test results.
- Keep monitoring. Carry on with any blood pressure, blood sugar, blood test or PSA checks your clinician has scheduled.
- Tell every clinician. Mention the supplement to anyone who treats you, including before surgery or a dental procedure.
Seek advice promptly if you develop dizziness, a rash, new stomach upset or any other unexpected change after starting. For a full list of reactions that have been reported and who should speak to a doctor first, see our guide to side effects and who should avoid nettle root.
Questions to ask your pharmacist
- Is there any reason my medicines would need monitoring more closely if I add nettle root?
- Should I take nettle root at a different time of day from my medicines?
- Which symptoms or test results should I report to you or my doctor?
- Is this product suitable if I am also taking other supplements?
- How long should I try it before we review whether to continue?
Combination products and nettle leaf
Combination products. Several trials tested a fixed product containing 160 mg of saw palmetto extract and 120 mg of nettle root extract, which was well tolerated ([8], PMID 15928959). Those trials examined the product itself and not its use with other drugs, so they do not settle interaction questions.
Nettle leaf. This guide covers the root. Nettle leaf is a different material that is studied for different purposes, so statements about leaf should not be read across to the root, and the reverse.
Frequently asked questions
Does stinging nettle root interact with medicines?
No interactions have been reported to the EMA, but the agency also notes that specific interaction data are not available, and no clinical study has tested nettle root taken together with another medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting.
Can I take nettle root with blood pressure medicines?
No study found has tested the combination. Tell your prescriber before you start, keep any blood pressure checks they have asked for, and report dizziness.
Can I take nettle root with diabetes medicines?
No study found has tested the combination. Tell your prescriber, keep up your usual blood sugar checks and report any change in readings.
Is nettle root safe with blood thinners such as warfarin?
We found no clinical study of nettle root taken with warfarin or other blood thinners. If you take one, tell the clinic that manages it before starting and keep your scheduled blood tests.
Can I take nettle root with tamsulosin or finasteride?
None of the nettle root trials cited here combined it with these medicines. One trial compared a nettle and saw palmetto combination with finasteride, but the men took one or the other. Ask the prescriber before combining them.
Should I take nettle root at a different time from my medicines?
There is no research on timing between nettle root and other medicines. Your pharmacist can advise whether spacing them makes sense for your particular medicines.
Does nettle root affect liver enzymes?
We found no study in people. A laboratory study of a multi-herb product that contains nettle found no change in three drug-metabolising liver enzymes in cultured cells, but that product is not a nettle root supplement.
Do the safety findings for nettle leaf apply to the root?
Not necessarily. Leaf and root are different materials studied for different purposes, so their findings should not be read across.
The bottom line
There are no published studies of stinging nettle root taken with other medicines, and the EMA’s statement that no interactions have been reported reflects an absence of reports and not the result of testing. If you take any regular medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist about nettle root before you start, bring the label, introduce one product at a time and keep up the monitoring you already have.
Real Herbs Stinging Nettle Root Extract: 750 mg of 10:1 root extract per capsule (about 7,500 mg dried root equivalent), 100 vegetarian capsules. Backed by our 100-Day Money-Back Guarantee. Real Herbs sells this product. The trials and the EMA documents did not test this exact product.
Related reading
- Nettle root side effects and who should avoid it
- Nettle root dosage, timing and forms
- Stinging nettle root for BPH: what the research shows
References
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Assessment report on Urtica dioica L.; Urtica urens L., radix. EMA/HMPC/322627/2023. Final, Revision 1, 22 January 2025. ema.europa.eu
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Community herbal monograph on Urtica dioica L., Urtica urens L., their hybrids or their mixtures, radix (nettle root). EMA/HMPC/461160/2008. Adopted 24 September 2012; marked superseded by the EMA. ema.europa.eu
- Schneider T, Rübben H. Stinging nettle root extract (Bazoton-uno) in long term treatment of benign prostatic syndrome (BPS). Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled multicenter study after 12 months (in German). Urologe A. 2004;43(3):302-6. PMID 15045190 · DOI 10.1007/s00120-004-0532-7
- Akbar Karami A, Sheikhsoleimani M, Reza Memarzadeh M, Haddadi E, Bakhshpour M, Mohammadi N, et al. Urtica Dioica Root Extract on Clinical and Biochemical Parameters in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Randomized Controlled Trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2020;23(10):1338-1344. PMID 32981268 · DOI 10.3923/pjbs.2020.1338.1344
- Semiz A. Drug interaction potential of Ankaferd blood stopper® in human hepatocarcinoma cells. Turk J Med Sci. 2023;53(2):455-462. PMID 37476879 · DOI 10.55730/1300-0144.5605
- Chrubasik JE, Roufogalis BD, Wagner H, Chrubasik S. A comprehensive review on the stinging nettle effect and efficacy profiles. Part II: urticae radix. Phytomedicine. 2007;14(7-8):568-79. PMID 17509841 · DOI 10.1016/j.phymed.2007.03.014
- Sökeland J, Albrecht J. Combination of Sabal and Urtica extract vs. finasteride in benign prostatic hyperplasia (Aiken stages I to II). Comparison of therapeutic effectiveness in a one year double-blind study (in German). Urologe A. 1997;36(4):327-33. PMID 9340898 · DOI 10.1007/s001200050106
- Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Walther C, Schläfke S, Medvedev A, Avdeichuk J, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of a combination of sabal and urtica extract for lower urinary tract symptoms--a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. World J Urol. 2005;23(2):139-46. PMID 15928959 · DOI 10.1007/s00345-005-0501-9
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
