Drug & supplement interaction

American Pawpaw + Interferon Beta-1b

Interferon Beta-1b brand names: Betaseron, Betaferon, Extavia.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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Interaction report

American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Interferon Beta-1b and American Pawpaw in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

American Pawpaw safety at a glance

American Pawpaw overall Use caution The ripe fruit is generally eaten as food, but concentrated leaf, twig, and seed extracts may be toxic and lack good safety data.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety information, and concentrated extracts may be harmful, so avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety has not been studied, so avoid concentrated pawpaw supplements while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Interferon Beta-1b and American Pawpaw? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Interferon Beta-1b

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Interferon Beta-1b is filed under 2 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. American Pawpaw has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antineoplastics (minor) — and none of Interferon Beta-1b’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

American Pawpaw Does Interact With Other Medications

American Pawpaw has 25 minor known drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1b isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 25 No known interaction 2,805 (incl. Interferon Beta-1b)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against American Pawpaw

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against American Pawpaw. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What American Pawpaw Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Beta-1b. It is the side-effect record for American Pawpaw on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add American Pawpaw, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    “In general, American pawpaw is well tolerated. However, cases of urticaria, nausea, vomiting, bowel disturbances, headache, and faintness have been reported following ingestion of pawpaw fruit. Similarly, American pawpaw extract may cause vomiting when taken orally or contact dermatitis when applied topically.”

    American Pawpaw · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    3 sources cited
    1. 89428. Barber MA. Poisoning due to the papaw (Asimina triloba). JAMA. 1905;XLV(27):2013-2014. DOI
    2. 89429. McLaughlin JL. Paw paw and cancer: Annonaceous acetogenins from discover to commercial products. J Nat Prod. 2008;71:1311-1321.
    3. 1525. Avalos J, Rupprecht JK, McLaughlin JL, et al. Guinea pig maximization test of the bark extract from pawpaw, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae). Contact Dermatitis 1993;29:33-5.

    “Orally, American pawpaw fruit can cause urticaria.

    Topically, American pawpaw extract can cause contact dermatitis.”

    American Pawpaw · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 89428. Barber MA. Poisoning due to the papaw (Asimina triloba). JAMA. 1905;XLV(27):2013-2014. DOI
    2. 1525. Avalos J, Rupprecht JK, McLaughlin JL, et al. Guinea pig maximization test of the bark extract from pawpaw, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae). Contact Dermatitis 1993;29:33-5.
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Recorded for American Pawpaw in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Hives above.

  • Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, American pawpaw fruit can cause nausea, vomiting, bowel disturbances, and burning of the throat and stomach. American pawpaw extract can cause vomiting when taken orally.”

    American Pawpaw · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 89428. Barber MA. Poisoning due to the papaw (Asimina triloba). JAMA. 1905;XLV(27):2013-2014. DOI
    2. 89429. McLaughlin JL. Paw paw and cancer: Annonaceous acetogenins from discover to commercial products. J Nat Prod. 2008;71:1311-1321.
  • Headache Additional detail

    “Orally, American pawpaw fruit can cause headache and faintness.”

    American Pawpaw · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 89428. Barber MA. Poisoning due to the papaw (Asimina triloba). JAMA. 1905;XLV(27):2013-2014. DOI

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for American Pawpaw — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Beta-1b to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Interferon Beta-1b.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1b

This page covers American Pawpaw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Beta-1b page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Beta-1b page

“If you inject interferon beta-1b (Betaseron, Betaferon, Extavia) for multiple sclerosis, this supplement list is one to take seriously, mostly because of your liver. Interferon beta-1b can raise liver enzymes on its own, and 38 of the 57 ingredients on file add their own liver stress on top of that.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Beta-1b interaction page

How much people look this up

Where American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement American Pawpaw
Top half

#712 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Beta-1b
Top 10%

#267 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every American Pawpaw reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About American Pawpaw

What is American Pawpaw?

American Pawpaw
  • Anticancer interest
  • Lice and head lice treatment (topical)
  • Traditional digestive remedy
  • General wellness/antioxidant
  • Insecticide (historical seed use)

American pawpaw is a North American fruit tree whose leaves, twigs, and seeds contain compounds called acetogenins that have shown cancer-cell-killing activity in laboratory studies. However, strong human evidence for any health benefit is lacking, and the seeds, bark, and unripe parts can be toxic, so supplements should be used cautiously and only under professional guidance.

Asimina triloba · Annonaceae · Fruit, seeds, bark, leaves, and twigs · Fresh fruit, capsules, extracts, and standardized acetogenin products

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether American Pawpaw is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our American Pawpaw record says about it on its own.

American Pawpaw: dosing

There is no established standardized dose for American pawpaw supplements. Products vary widely in strength and which part of the plant they use, which makes safe dosing hard to determine.If you choose to use a pawpaw product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

From our American Pawpaw monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full American Pawpaw monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Beta-1b Injection

What Is Interferon Beta-1b Injection Used For?

Brand names: Betaseron, Betaferon, Extavia

  • Interferon beta-1b injection is used to reduce episodes of symptoms in patients with relapsing-remitting (course of disease where symptoms flare up from time to time) of multiple sclerosis (MS, a disease in which the nerves do not function properly and patients may experience weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control). Interferon beta-1b is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. It is not known exactly how interferon beta-1b works to treat MS.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Interferon Beta-1b

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (19,057 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Influenza like illness 1,402 reports
Multiple sclerosis relapse 1,344 reports
Fatigue 1,198 reports
Injection site pain 1,198 reports
Multiple sclerosis 1,167 reports
See full Interferon Beta-1b Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & American Pawpaw

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against American Pawpaw — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
25Minor
2,804No known interaction
25 Minor 2,804 No interaction
Minor

25 interactions

No interaction 2,804 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked American Pawpaw against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,804 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full American Pawpaw list.

See the full American Pawpaw interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1b, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

American Pawpaw References

The 4 references that drive our American Pawpaw monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Avalos J, Rupprecht JK, McLaughlin JL, et al. Guinea pig maximization test of the bark extract from pawpaw, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae). Contact Dermatitis 1993;29:33-5.
  2. McCage, C. M., Ward, S. M., Paling, C. A., Fisher, D. A., Flynn, P. J., and McLaughlin, J. L. Development of a paw paw herbal shampoo for the removal of head lice. Phytomedicine 2002;9(8):743-748. PubMed
  3. Barber MA. Poisoning due to the papaw (Asimina triloba). JAMA. 1905;XLV(27):2013-2014. DOI
  4. McLaughlin JL. Paw paw and cancer: Annonaceous acetogenins from discover to commercial products. J Nat Prod. 2008;71:1311-1321.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take American Pawpaw with Interferon Beta-1b?
We do not list a known interaction between American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
How was the American Pawpaw and Interferon Beta-1b combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Interferon Beta-1b is filed under 2 classifications, and American Pawpaw has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Interferon Beta-1b's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does American Pawpaw interact with any other medications?
Yes. American Pawpaw has 25 documented drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1b is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Interferon Beta-1b interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Beta-1b has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — American Pawpaw is not one of them. The Interferon Beta-1b interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

American Pawpaw monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Beta-1b Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Beta-1b supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1b, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 4 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Interferon Beta-1b and American Pawpaw?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.