Is Evening Primrose Oil Safe with Heart Drug?
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Kathy
Posted on: July 28, 2004

I used to take evening primrose oil for my PMS and it helped me wonderfully. About a year ago I was put on Benicar 20 mg for high blood pressure. I stopped taking the primrose oil because my doctor didn’t know if the two together were ok. Can you please tell me if I can start taking the primrose again, because my PMS is horrible and I don’t even like myself during PMS!!! I will anxiously wait for your reply.

Evening primrose oil is very safe. The only known negative drug interaction of evening primrose oil is when taken in epilepsy with anti-epilepsy drugs. It is unlikely that there would be any negative interaction with Benicar.

To ensure that you are taking as good quality product, ask your health food store staff to recommend their best brand. Negative side effects with many herbs are more likely caused by poor quality or contaminated products than by the herb itself. If you decide to take evening primrose oil, monitor your blood pressure and be aware of any symptoms you may feel, so that you can feel comfortable about taking it with your drug.

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