MemoHoney Side Effects: What to Check With Your Pharmacist
Quick answer
Mild stomach upset is possible with MemoHoney, while flushing and tingling are unlikely at 7.5 mg niacin and 40 mg beta alanine.
The arginine and citrulline can lower blood pressure and may add to blood pressure pills, nitrates, sildenafil-type drugs and diabetes drugs. After a recent heart attack, arginine is best avoided.
Is MemoHoney safe if you already take several medicines?
It depends on which medicines. For most people the amounts on the MemoHoney label are small, but two of its ingredients, arginine and citrulline, carry warnings that matter a great deal after 50: they can lower blood pressure and they can add to heart and blood sugar medicines.
No study has tested this capsule in anyone. Every caution here comes from research on single ingredients, usually at far higher doses, so the safest first step is a short talk with the pharmacist who fills your prescriptions.
Which of your medicines could clash with MemoHoney? A medicine-by-medicine table
Find each medicine you take in the left column. The third column says what the sources worry about, and the last column says who should make the call.
| Medicine group or history | Named in the sources | The worry | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure pills | Any blood pressure drug, herb or supplement | Arginine may lower pressure further; RxList grades this Major | Your doctor, before day one |
| Nitrates for chest pain | Nitroglycerin, isosorbide | Pressure may fall too far, with more dizziness | Your cardiologist; do not combine on your own |
| Sildenafil-type drugs | Sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), tadalafil, vardenafil | WebMD warns of a dangerous drop in pressure with citrulline | The prescriber of that drug |
| Diabetes medicines | Insulin or blood sugar pills | Arginine may lower blood sugar, which could stack with the medicine | Your doctor; ask about extra checks |
| After a heart attack | Any recent heart attack | More deaths on arginine than placebo in the VINTAGE MI trial | A cardiologist only; most should skip it |
| Herpes or cold sores | Frequent outbreaks | One drug-information source says arginine might make herpes worse | Your doctor; stop during a flare |
| Blood thinners | Anti-platelet drugs and blood thinners | Mayo Clinic lists bleeding risk | Your doctor |
| Potassium-sparing water pills | Amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene | Potassium may climb too high | Your doctor |
| Thyroid pill | Levothyroxine | Calcium carbonate can cut its absorption within 4 hours | Your pharmacist, about timing |
Sources: (WebMD, L-citrulline: Uses and Risks) (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) (JAMA 2006, Schulman et al., L-arginine after heart attack (VINTAGE MI)) (RxList, L-Arginine (supplement monograph)) (NIH ODS, Calcium (consumer)). No source sets an amount of arginine below which these warnings stop, so a small dose is not a free pass.
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What does the MemoHoney label itself warn about?
Less than the research does. Tap a number on the label to see what each part says and why it matters if you take other medicines.
- Suggested use One capsule daily with 8 oz of water, 20 to 30 minutes before a meal.
- Caution box Pregnant or nursing, under 18, or any known medical condition: ask a physician first.
- Niacin 7.5 mg NE About half an adult's daily need. Flushing usually starts at 30 mg or more.
- Two arginine lines 200 mg base plus 200 mg AKG. This is where the heart and blood pressure cautions come from.
- Two citrulline lines 100 mg of each salt. The kidneys turn citrulline into arginine.
- Beta alanine 40 mg Far below the roughly 800 mg where tingling becomes common.
- Other ingredients A plant-based capsule shell, vegetable stearate and silicon dioxide. No honey, sugar or bee product.
The caution box asks people with a known medical condition to see a physician first. For most readers over 50 who take daily prescriptions, that line already applies. Every panel line is explained on our MemoHoney Supplement Facts page.
Why do heart and blood pressure medicines matter most?
Because arginine widens blood vessels, and the drugs in this group lower blood pressure too. Mayo Clinic calls L-arginine a vasodilator and notes that, taken by mouth, it can bring blood pressure down in people without heart disease (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine).
Blood pressure pills
Taking arginine with a blood pressure drug may have an additive effect, and Memorial Sloan Kettering says taking both may not be safe (Memorial Sloan Kettering, Arginine (About Herbs)). Watch for lightheadedness when you get up from a chair or bed.
Nitrates and sildenafil-type drugs
Nitroglycerin and isosorbide, and drugs such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil, all lower pressure in their own way. WebMD lists both groups as interactions for arginine (WebMD, L-Arginine).
After a heart attack
In VINTAGE MI, 153 people were given about 9 g of arginine a day or a placebo after a heart attack. Six on arginine died against none on placebo, and the trial team said arginine should not be recommended in that setting (JAMA 2006, Schulman et al., L-arginine after heart attack (VINTAGE MI)). One capsule holds far less, but no one has shown a safe floor. Our MemoHoney L-arginine page covers the full research.
What about diabetes, cold sores and the honey in the name?
- Diabetes
- There is no honey or sugar on the label. The concern runs the other way: L-arginine may lower blood sugar, which could add to insulin or pills (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine). Ask whether to check your readings more often for the first weeks.
- Cold sores
- RxList is the only source we found that raises herpes, saying arginine might make it worse because the virus uses arginine to multiply (RxList, L-Arginine (supplement monograph)). If outbreaks are frequent, ask first.
- Honey or bee allergy
- No honey, royal jelly or bee pollen is listed, but the label has no allergen statement.
Does MemoHoney cause stomach upset, flushing or tingling?
It might upset the stomach; flushing and tingling are unlikely at the amounts printed. Mayo Clinic lists nausea, belly pain, bloating and diarrhea among arginine side effects (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine).
Red, warm skin from niacin usually needs 30 mg or more of nicotinic acid (NIH ODS, Niacin (health professional)). The capsule holds 7.5 mg. If you also take a multivitamin or a B-complex, add the niacin on both labels and keep the total under the 35 mg adult ceiling for supplements. Our niacin page has the details.
Beta alanine tingling mostly shows up in people who swallow more than about 800 mg in one go (ISSN position stand: Beta-Alanine (2015)), and WebMD describes the feeling as not harmful (WebMD, Beta-Alanine). One capsule has 40 mg.
What should you tell the pharmacist before the first capsule?
Everything you swallow, not just prescriptions. Pharmacists can only spot a clash they can see, so bring the bottle or a clear photo of the label.
- Each prescription, with its dose and the time of day you take it.
- Over-the-counter pills and every other supplement, including a multivitamin.
- Heart history: a past heart attack, chest pain, or blood pressure that runs low.
- Diabetes, and how you check your blood sugar.
- Frequent cold sores.
- Any surgery on the calendar. RxList says to stop arginine at least 2 weeks before.
Then ask: does anything on this label clash with my list, and should I space it from my thyroid pill?
Could your forgetfulness be a medicine side effect instead?
Sometimes, yes. The National Institute on Aging lists medicine side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency, and thyroid, kidney or liver problems among treatable causes of memory loss (NIA, Forgetfulness: Knowing When to Ask for Help).
So have a full medicine review before adding anything new. NCCIH warns against using a supplement as a reason to put off seeing a provider (NCCIH, 7 Things To Know About Supplements and Alzheimer's). If you keep losing things, miss appointments or get confused about time or place, book a visit. Our memory after 50 guide separates normal changes from warning signs.
When should you stop taking MemoHoney?
Keep the bottle so whoever you call can read the label.
- Now
Call 911
Swelling of the face, lips or throat, hives that spread, or trouble breathing.
- Today
Stop and call your doctor
Fainting, chest pain, or dizziness every time you stand.
- This week
Stop and ask
Stomach pain or loose stools that last, low sugar readings, or a cold sore flare.
- 2 weeks
Before surgery
Stop at least two weeks ahead and tell the surgical team you took arginine.
The FDA asks people to stop a supplement that causes a problem and report it (FDA, FDA 101: Dietary Supplements). Stopping early does not end your refund window; the 60-day rules are on our MemoHoney guarantee page.
MemoHoney safety questions from older readers
Is MemoHoney safe for people over 50?
For many it may be, but over 50 is when blood pressure, heart and diabetes medicines become common, and those are the ones arginine can interact with. Check with a pharmacist first.
Is MemoHoney good for you?
No study shows it helps memory. Food, movement and sleep have stronger support.
Can I take MemoHoney with heart medicines?
Not without your cardiologist. Nitrates and a recent heart attack are the two strongest warnings for arginine.
Is L-arginine hard on the kidneys?
No source we read shows kidney harm at this amount. WebMD asks people with kidney or liver problems to tell their provider before using it.
Does the niacin in MemoHoney affect the liver?
Liver problems in the sources are tied to high-dose, extended-release nicotinic acid, far above the 7.5 mg here.
I am allergic to honey or bee products. Can I take MemoHoney?
No honey or bee product is on the label. Show the full panel to your doctor anyway, since there is no allergen statement.
Is MemoHoney okay with diabetes, given the honey name?
It contains no sugar or honey. Arginine may lower blood sugar, so ask your doctor about monitoring.
Can I take MemoHoney with my thyroid pill?
Ask your pharmacist about timing. Calcium carbonate can reduce levothyroxine absorption within 4 hours, though one capsule holds only 18 mg.
Should I stop MemoHoney before surgery?
Yes. RxList says to stop arginine at least two weeks before a scheduled operation.
Page check
Written by
Reads the MemoHoney label line by line and weighs each health statement against NIH, Mayo Clinic and Alzheimer's Association guidance.
- Label re-read on October 13, 2026
- Product details: the printed label and brand pages. Health details: the sources linked in the text
- Found an error? Write to [email protected]. How we work: editorial standards