Drug Interaction Report

Information for this minor interaction is available on the professional version.

While you are taking St. John's wort, you must not eat or drink certain foods and beverages that are high in tyramine. Eating these foods while you are taking St. John's wort can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels. This may cause life threatening symptoms such as sudden and severe headache, confusion, blurred vision, problems with speech or balance, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, seizure (convulsions), and sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body). Call your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms. Foods that are high in tyramine include: air dried meats, aged or fermented meats, sausage or salami, pickled herring, and any spoiled or improperly stored beef, poultry, fish, or liver, red wine, beer from a tap, beer that has not been pasteurize, aged cheeses, including blue, brick, brie, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and swiss, sauerkraut, over the counter supplements or cough and cold medicines that contain tyramine, soy beans, soy sauce, tofu, miso soup, bean curd, fava beans, or yeast extracts (such as Marmite). Caffeine intake should be limited as well. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with St. John's wort. Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of St. John's wort such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns.

Food can affect the absorption of aliskiren from the intestine. Therefore, you should take aliskiren at the same time each day exactly as prescribed by your doctor. You may take aliskiren with or without food, but take it the same way every time. This will help keep blood levels and effects of the medication steady. You should avoid drinking orange, apple, or grapefruit juice as much as possible during treatment with aliskiren. Studies have shown that drinking these juices regularly or within a short period before or after a dose of aliskiren can interfere with the absorption of the medication.