Yohimbe

Pausinystalia yohimbe · Yohimbine

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Erectile dysfunction^{1, 2} Psychogenic impotence³ Athletic performance⁴ Fluoxetine-induced sexual dysfunction⁵	Hypertension⁶ Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁷ Monoamine oxidase inhibitor use⁷ Liver or kidney disease⁶

Yohimbe is an evergreen tree of central and western Africa whose bark contains yohimbine, an alkaloid used traditionally as an aphrodisiac⁷. Yohimbine blocks alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and raises norepinephrine release⁶. That sympathetic activation drives its use for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, and for athletic performance, weight loss, and stimulant effect, where trials are few⁶.

Meta-analyses of randomized trials of yohimbine monotherapy found better erectile response than placebo^{1, 2}. Individual trials in organic impotence were mixed, with no significant difference from placebo in two of them^{8, 9}. These studied the prescription molecule, and yohimbe supplements may not work like it, with research insufficient for any condition⁷. In physically active women, a 2022 crossover trial of a single acute dose found higher sprint power and lower fatigue; no trial has replicated it. Products listing yohimbe are mainly liquids and capsules, and yohimbine content varies widely between them⁷; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is sympathomimetic toxicity: poison center reports tied yohimbine products to tachycardia and hypertension, with more severe outcomes than average exposures¹⁰. Per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, yohimbe is not used with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants, and health care providers are consulted before use alongside any medicine⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

54 sources, 39 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources