The short answer
Not known. We found no study of people taking arjuna with digoxin. The only study of the pair is about the blood test. When arjuna bark extract was added to serum in a lab, one digoxin test, the LOCI assay, read slightly low. The authors judged the difference probably too small to matter.
Digoxin has a narrow therapeutic index, which means the gap between a helpful level and a harmful one is small. If you take digoxin, tell your prescribing doctor before you start arjuna or Arjunarishta, and mention it to the lab when your digoxin level is tested.
Digoxin is sold in India as Lanoxin.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arjuna extract made one digoxin blood test read slightly low[1] | Interference with the LOCI test, not with digoxin in the body | Digoxin level could read a little lower than it is; judged probably not clinically important | In vitro |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Laboratory test study, 2015 In vitro
Researchers added water and ethanol extracts of arjuna bark to pooled serum, with and without digoxin, and measured it with the LOCI digoxin test on a Siemens Vista 1500 analyser. Serum with no digoxin showed almost none. In serum with digoxin, the reading came out slightly but significantly lower, which the authors thought probably not clinically important. Nobody took arjuna, so the study says nothing about whether arjuna changes digoxin in the body, and it applies only to this one test.[1]
What your doctor may watch for
- Digoxin levels and signs of digoxin toxicity. The label says its narrow therapeutic index calls for closer monitoring in some situations.[2]
- Symptoms that do not fit your digoxin result. If that happens, make sure the lab and your doctor know about the arjuna.[1]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, arjuna (name of product, for example Arjunarishta, and how much) along with digoxin. Nobody has studied the two together, and arjuna slightly affected one digoxin blood test in the lab. Should my digoxin level be checked, and should the lab know?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Can I take Arjunarishta with digoxin?
We found no study of Arjunarishta, or any arjuna product, taken with digoxin. Because digoxin has a narrow safe range, this is a question for your prescribing doctor before you start.[1][2]
Why does digoxin need extra care with herbal products?
Its label lists St John's wort, a herb, and meals high in bran among things that can lower digoxin levels. That does not mean arjuna does the same. It is a reason to tell your doctor about any herbal product you take.[3]
Related
Arjunarishta
A fermented arjuna bark liquid used for the heart. It contains alcohol from fermentation, and the only study of it we found was in rats.
InteractionArjuna and blood pressure medicines
Arjuna capsules lowered blood pressure further in people taking telmisartan, in one small 28-day trial. Other BP drugs are untested.
InteractionArjuna and nitrates for angina
People in arjuna studies also used rescue or background nitrates, but no study we found was designed to check for an interaction between them.
InteractionMulethi (licorice) with water pills and digoxin
Mulethi and many water pills lower potassium. People taking licorice with hydrochlorothiazide had low potassium, which makes digoxin riskier.
Sources
- Dasgupta A, Sengupta TK, Johnson M. Effect of Chinese medicine Danshen and Indian Ayurvedic medicine bark of Arjuna tree on a relatively new LOCI digoxin assay for application on the Vista 1500 analyzer. J Clin Lab Anal. 2015;29:263-267. PMID 24840233.
- Digoxin tablets, US prescribing information (DailyMed).
- Lanoxin (digoxin) tablets, US prescribing information (DailyMed), section 7.
Updated 4 November 2026
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