Many people who take turmeric are also on prescription medication, for themselves or for their animals. This A–Z guide gathers what is known about more than 400 medicines and how they sit alongside turmeric, Golden Paste and curcumin extracts. It began as the Turmeric User Group’s medication file and is now kept here so everyone can find it.
Please read first: this is general information to discuss with your doctor, pharmacist or vet. It is not medical or veterinary advice. Never stop, start or change a medication without talking to your prescriber.
Browse the guide
Jump to a letter: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Z
How to read an entry
- “Okay with Golden Paste” means no significant interaction is known, and many people in the group have used the two together without problems.
- “Caution” or “consult your doctor or vet” means turmeric, black pepper or curcumin could change how the medication works, so talk to your prescriber before adding turmeric.
- Trade names have their own short entries that point to the main medication.
- Open “More detail and references” under an entry for the pharmacology and links to prescribing information.
Why interactions happen
Most interactions come down to how the body clears a medication. Many drugs are broken down in the liver by enzymes called cytochrome P450 (for example CYP3A4, CYP2D6 and CYP2C9) or moved out of cells by a pump called P-glycoprotein. Turmeric, curcumin and the piperine in black pepper can slow some of these, so a medication may stay in the body longer or at a higher level. Turmeric can also add to the effect of some medicines, such as blood thinners and drugs that lower blood sugar or blood pressure.
Concentrated curcumin extracts and CBD oil both affect these pathways more strongly than whole turmeric. If you use either alongside Golden Paste, mention it to your doctor or vet.
Sources
- PubChem (pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- DrugBank (drugbank.com)
- PharmGKB, the Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase (pharmgkb.org)
- Stockley’s Drug Interactions, 9th edition
- WikiPathways (wikipathways.org)
- Indiana University Flockhart Table of drug interactions (drug-interactions.medicine.iu.edu)
- Plumb’s Veterinary Drugs (plumbsveterinarydrugs.com), plus FDA prescribing information and published studies linked in each entry
Can’t find your medication?
Ask Dr Doug and it may be added to the guide. You might also find our post on turmeric and medications and the Safety page helpful.
