The short answer
Not known in people. We found no study of brahmi taken with anticholinergic medicines such as trihexyphenidyl or oxybutynin. In mice, a Bacopa extract reversed the memory loss caused by scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug. That hints that brahmi may act against anticholinergic effects, at least on memory in animals.
Whether it would blunt a prescribed medicine for bladder or movement symptoms is not known. Brahmi can also mean a different plant, gotu kola, so check the Latin name on the pack. If you take an anticholinergic, tell your prescribing doctor before you start brahmi, and mention any change in the symptoms it treats.
Sold in India as Pacitane (trihexyphenidyl) and Cystran (oxybutynin).
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacopa extract reversed scopolamine-induced memory loss in mice[1] | Effects on the cholinergic system, proposed by the authors | Could work against anticholinergic medicines; not shown in people | Animal |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Mouse study, 2011 Animal
Mice given scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug used in experiments to cause memory loss, did worse in a water maze. Bacopa monnieri extract reversed both the loss of new learning and the loss of earlier memory. The study measured memory only, not bladder or movement effects, and its summary gives no doses or numbers. Animal results show the question is worth asking. They cannot tell us what happens in people.[1]
What your doctor may watch for
- Any change in the symptoms your medicine treats, such as bladder control, or tremor and stiffness.
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, brahmi (name of product, Latin name on the label and how much) along with my anticholinergic medicine. In a mouse study brahmi reversed an anticholinergic drug's effect on memory. Could it affect how well my medicine works?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Related
Brahmi and sedatives or sleeping pills
Not tested in people. In lab tests brahmi slowed enzymes that clear some sedatives, so the effect on drowsiness is unknown.
InteractionBrahmi and epilepsy medicines
Not tested in people. In rats, a brahmi extract raised carbamazepine levels about fourfold, and carbamazepine and phenytoin have a narrow safe range.
FormulationBrahmi Ghrita
A medicated ghee of brahmi and ten herbs, used for memory and epilepsy. One small study in older adults; it contains danti, a scheduled poison.
FormulationSaraswatarishta
A fermented brahmi tonic with gold leaf, listed for memory, speech, epilepsy and the mind. It contains alcohol from fermentation, plus sugar and honey.
Sources
- Saraf MK, Prabhakar S, Khanduja KL, Anand A. Bacopa monniera attenuates scopolamine-induced impairment of spatial memory in mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:236186. PMID 21607013.
- Walker EA, Pellegrini MV. Bacopa monnieri. StatPearls. Updated 17 March 2023.
- LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Bacopa monnieri. Updated 24 April 2024.
Updated 4 November 2026
Taking brahmi with other medicines? A vaidya can check your full list.
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