Heart Medicines and Amino Acid Supplements: A MemoHoney Safety Read
Quick answerMemoHoney lists 400 mg of L-arginine and 200 mg of L-citrulline in each capsule. Both may lower blood pressure. That effect could add to nitrates like nitroglycerin, blood pressure pills and ED pills such as sildenafil. After a heart attack, an arginine trial found more deaths, not benefit. Ask your cardiologist or pharmacist before the first capsule.
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Which MemoHoney ingredients can affect blood pressure?
Two of the seven label lines matter most for heart medicines. MemoHoney lists L-arginine twice, 200 mg as the base form and 200 mg bound to AKG. It also lists L-citrulline twice, 100 mg as HCl and 100 mg as malate.
That adds up to 400 mg of arginine and 200 mg of citrulline in every capsule. The body uses arginine to make nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes the walls of blood vessels. Citrulline is converted into arginine too; one study found it lifted blood arginine better, gram for gram, than arginine did (Schwedhelm et al., 2008).
Relaxed blood vessels can mean lower blood pressure. That is the whole reason this post exists. The bar below shows how the 640 mg of amino acids splits up, line by line.
- L-Arginine (base) 200 mg
- L-Arginine AKG 2:1 Extract 200 mg
- L-Citrulline HCl 100 mg
- L-Citrulline Malate 100 mg
- Beta Alanine 40 mg
- Niacin 7.5 mg NE
- Calcium 18 mg
The other lines are small. Beta-alanine is 40 mg, niacin is 7.5 mg NE and calcium is 18 mg. Our Supplement Facts page shows them all.
Which heart medicines need a check first?
Three groups of medicines need a check before any arginine or citrulline product. All three already pull pressure down or open up blood vessels. Stacking two things that do the same job is where problems can start.
| Medicine group | Common examples | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrates | Nitroglycerin tablets, spray or patches; isosorbide | They widen blood vessels fast. Arginine and citrulline may add to the drop. | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) (WebMD, L-citrulline) |
| ED pills | Sildenafil and similar drugs | They also act on the nitric oxide pathway. The pair might push pressure too low. | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) |
| Blood pressure drugs | Water pills, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers | Your dose is set for your body. An extra push down can overshoot. | (MSKCC, Arginine) (WebMD, L-citrulline) |
| After a heart attack | Any heart care plan | An arginine trial in this group found no benefit and more deaths. | (Schulman et al., JAMA 2006) |
This list is not complete. If a pill was prescribed for your heart, your blood pressure or chest pain, ask about it. Even the MemoHoney label asks anyone with a known medical condition to speak with a physician before use.
How does 400 mg compare with blood pressure studies?
The MemoHoney dose is far below the doses tested for blood pressure. A review of 11 trials found that 4 to 24 g of arginine a day lowered systolic pressure by about 5 points and diastolic by about 3 (Dong et al., 2011). Citrulline trials also used gram doses, and their results varied (Khalaf et al., 2019).
So 400 mg is about one tenth of the lowest dose in that review. That sounds reassuring, and it may be. But nobody has measured what 400 mg does on top of a nitrate or an ED pill. A small dose is not the same as a tested dose.
- 400 mgArginine in one MemoHoney capsule
- 4-24 gArginine per day in pressure studies
- 5 / 3Average drop in mmHg in those trials
People react differently, too. Someone who already runs low, or who takes several heart pills, has less room for any extra drop. That is a question only your own care team can answer.
What does blood pressure that drops too low feel like?
Low blood pressure usually shows up as dizziness. You may feel lightheaded when you stand, see spots, or feel weak and unusually tired. Some people feel sick to their stomach or faint.
Older adults often notice it first when getting out of bed or out of a chair. A fall can be the first sign. If a parent starts any new supplement, ask about dizzy spells in the first weeks.
Dizziness after a new supplement
If you feel faint, sit or lie down right away. Call your doctor the same day. If you pass out, have chest pain, or feel your heart racing, call 911.
Some warning signs are not about blood pressure at all. Sudden numbness on one side, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or a severe headache can mean a stroke. Phone 911 and write down when the signs started (CDC, Stroke signs).
Why does a heart attack history change the answer?
This is the study every heart patient should know about. In the VINTAGE MI trial, people who had just had a heart attack took L-arginine or a placebo for 6 months (Schulman et al., JAMA 2006). Arginine did not improve their arteries or how well their hearts pumped.
More deaths happened in the arginine group. The researchers stopped the trial early. Memorial Sloan Kettering lists added risk after a heart attack among its arginine cautions (MSKCC, Arginine).
Nobody has tested a smaller dose in the same kind of patients. That gap is the reason we say this plainly: if you have had a heart attack, do not start an arginine product on your own. Let your cardiologist decide.
Should you talk to a doctor before ordering?
This short checklist sorts out who should talk to a doctor before ordering. Answer each question. It is not medical advice, and a yes on any red question means call first.
Are you 18 or older?
The label says under-18s should ask a physician first.Do you take nitrates (like nitroglycerin), ED pills or blood pressure medicine?
Arginine and citrulline may lower blood pressure and add to these drugs. Ask your doctor first.Have you ever had a heart attack?
An arginine trial after heart attacks found no benefit and more deaths in the arginine group. Ask your cardiologist.Are you pregnant or nursing?
The label says to consult a physician first.Were you hoping for a honey supplement?
No honey is listed. Read the label before you buy.
Honest note: what has never been tested
No study has tested MemoHoney with heart medicines, or tested MemoHoney at all. The one arginine memory trial we found gave frail older adults with high blood pressure 3.3 g a day for 4 weeks (Mone et al., 2022). The study was small and brief, with only one side blinded, and one capsule supplies roughly an eighth of that amount.
No supplement has proof of preventing dementia (NCCIH, Supplements for cognitive function). Nor does the FDA approve any supplement ahead of sale (FDA, Q&A on Dietary Supplements). So weigh a small, untested benefit against a real medicine question. For more on the ingredient, see our L-arginine page and L-citrulline page.
What should you ask a cardiologist or pharmacist?
A cardiologist or pharmacist can give you a real answer in one visit. Bring the facts and you will leave with a clear yes or no. Click through the steps below.
Questions to read out loud
- Can this amino acid capsule lower my blood pressure along with my medicines?
- Is it safe with the nitroglycerin I keep for chest pain?
- Is it safe with the ED pill I take now and then?
- Should I check my blood pressure at home in the first two weeks?
- Is there a reason to skip it completely?
How do you take it safely once you have a yes?
If your doctor says yes
Stick to the label's routine of one capsule daily, a full 8 oz glass of water, and a 20 to 30 minute lead before eating. Missed a day? Just carry on; doubling up is off the table.
If you have a home cuff, check your pressure at the same time each day for the first two weeks. Write the numbers down and bring them to your next visit.
Arginine also comes from food, as part of the protein in meat, poultry, eggs, fish, beans and nuts. A normal diet already has some. Our side effects page lists other things to watch.
Photo: beef, chicken, eggs and beans, everyday protein foods. Not a claim about where the capsule's ingredients come from.
Heart medicines and amino acid supplements FAQ
Do arginine pills and blood pressure drugs mix?
Only after your doctor says yes. Mayo Clinic warns that L-arginine with blood pressure drugs might make pressure drop too low.
Can you take L-citrulline with nitroglycerin?
Ask your doctor first. WebMD notes citrulline might lower blood pressure, so it may add to the effect of nitrates such as nitroglycerin.
Is it safe to take arginine with sildenafil?
It needs a doctor's check. Sildenafil and arginine both widen blood vessels, and Mayo Clinic says the pair might push blood pressure too low.
What does research say about arginine after a heart attack?
It is not recommended without your cardiologist. The VINTAGE MI trial gave arginine after heart attacks, found no benefit and saw more deaths, and was stopped early.
Will the MemoHoney dose drop my blood pressure?
No one has tested it. Blood pressure trials used 4 to 24 g of arginine a day, ten times or more the 400 mg in a MemoHoney capsule, so the effect of this dose is unknown.
Should I stop my heart pills to take a supplement?
No. Keep your heart and pressure medicines exactly as prescribed, and raise any supplement plan with the prescriber.
How does a too-low blood pressure feel?
Dizziness, feeling faint when you stand, blurred vision, unusual tiredness and fainting are common signs. Sit or lie down and call your doctor; call 911 if you faint or have chest pain.
Is L-citrulline safer than L-arginine for the heart?
Not proven. The body turns citrulline into arginine, so both may lower blood pressure and both belong on the list you show your doctor.
Will a pharmacist check supplement interactions?
Many pharmacists will look over your medicines and supplements together if you ask. Bring the bottles or a clear photo of each label.
Cleared by your doctor to try MemoHoney?
One capsule a day, 30 per bottle, with every amount printed on the label. Show the label to your cardiologist or pharmacist first if you take heart or blood pressure medicine.
