The short answer
Yohimbine can raise blood pressure and may work against the goal of enalapril treatment. Have your prescriber or pharmacist review it before use. Human studies support the blood-pressure concern, but they do not establish that yohimbine reduces enalapril absorption.
What this answer covers
Oral yohimbine during oral enalapril treatment. Yohimbe bark products may contain yohimbine, but their strength cannot be assumed to match a purified-dose study.
- Supplement or preparation
- yohimbine
- Medication ingredient
- enalapril
What is the concern?
Enalapril is used to lower blood pressure. Yohimbine can stimulate a rise in pressure, so the two may have opposing effects. That is a reason to review the combination. It does not mean a study has measured exactly how much enalapril stops working in a person taking yohimbine.
What did the human studies find?
In one small study of people with untreated hypertension, a single oral dose of yohimbine raised mean blood pressure by about 5 mm Hg after an hour. A separate placebo-controlled experiment also found a pressure rise in hypertensive participants. Neither study tested people taking enalapril, so the size of an interaction remains uncertain.
Does a yohimbe product mean the same exposure?
Not necessarily. Yohimbe is a botanical source of yohimbine, and products can differ substantially in their content. NCCIH also describes problems with labeling accuracy. Bring the actual product label to the review; a trial using a known yohimbine dose cannot reliably predict the effect of an unspecified bark extract.
Would taking them at different times help?
The inspected evidence does not establish a protective spacing interval or show that impaired absorption is the cause. Ask your clinician whether the supplement is appropriate and whether blood-pressure checks are needed. Do not increase or stop enalapril on your own to compensate for a supplement effect.
Evidence and practical considerations
Physiologic interactions
A possible opposing blood-pressure effect is supported by yohimbine-only human experiments, but the effect during enalapril treatment is an inference. Reduced enalapril absorption has not been demonstrated by these sources.
- Exact scope
- Oral yohimbine during oral enalapril treatment. Yohimbe bark products may contain yohimbine, but their strength cannot be assumed to match a purified-dose study. with Enalapril, RxCUI 3827, IN. Oral enalapril maleate tablets are an explicitly identified salt formulation of enalapril in the label. This bridge applies to the labeled oral prodrug; injected enalaprilat, other ACE inhibitors and combination products are not assigned this evidence automatically.
- Medication form and route
- oral
What remains uncertain
- Small acute studies in untreated patients do not establish long-term co-use effects, a dose threshold, an absorption mechanism or a spacing remedy. Botanical content is variable.
Factors that may matter: yohimbine dose; baseline hypertension; purified yohimbine versus variable bark extract.
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: original clinical research
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 25 healthy volunteers and 29 untreated patients with hypertension.
Yohimbine significantly increased diastolic pressure in the hypertensive group; norepinephrine increased in both groups.
How this applies: Supports a potential opposing blood-pressure effect. Applying it to enalapril is a pharmacodynamic inference, not a directly measured interaction.
Acute response without enalapril treatment. The abstract does not establish an enalapril pharmacokinetic interaction.
Source 2: original clinical research
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 25 unmedicated people with hypertension.
Mean blood pressure increased by 5 mm Hg and norepinephrine by 66% at one hour.
How this applies: Corroborates a pressor effect of measured yohimbine doses, without proving reduced enalapril absorption.
Small acute study with no enalapril arm. Historical regulatory descriptions in this paper are not treated as current approval information.
Source 3: government botanical reference
nccih.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: People considering yohimbe supplements.
Identifies blood-pressure and other serious safety concerns; the amount of yohimbine can vary and labeling may be inaccurate.
How this applies: Distinguishes the isolated substance from botanical products. A botanical label cannot be used to infer the trial dose.
Safety reference rather than a controlled enalapril interaction study.
Source 4: regulatory prescribing information
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Patients prescribed oral enalapril maleate for hypertension or heart failure.
Excessive hypotension is uncommon in uncomplicated hypertension but is a recognized risk, especially with heart failure or salt or fluid depletion. Patients should report lightheadedness and conditions causing dehydration.
How this applies: The maleate formulation is explicitly identified as a salt of enalapril. Applies to oral enalapril, RxCUI 3827 IN; does not transfer to injected enalaprilat or another ACE inhibitor.
Provides the exact medication context. It does not establish an interaction with any of the supplements assessed in this batch or a dose-separation rule.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Sources checked and original article drafted. Exact medicine, preparation and study limits are recorded for review. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: e417ce9cf3cb9957
This guide brings together the evidence records used by our interaction checker. Each finding retains its own preparation limits, research date, and source summaries.
Full citations require verification. Reading this answer and the source summaries does not.
Taking other supplements or medications?
Use the checker to explore your other combinations. Ask a pharmacist to review the exact products, amounts and medical conditions in your complete list.
Open the interaction checkerInformation, not medical advice. Do not change prescribed treatment based on this guide.