Drug & supplement interaction

Asafoetida + Interferon Beta-1a

Interferon Beta-1a brand names: Rebif, Avonex.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a 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

Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a

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-1a and Asafoetida 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.

Asafoetida safety at a glance

Asafoetida overall Use caution Likely safe in food amounts, but medicinal doses are not well studied.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts; asafoetida might cause abortion. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Unsafe When used orally due to the possible risk of methemoglobinemia in infants. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Interferon Beta-1a

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Asafoetida has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and antihypertensive drugs (moderate) — and none of Interferon Beta-1a’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

Asafoetida Does Interact With Other Medications

Asafoetida has 289 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 289 No known interaction 2,541 (incl. Interferon Beta-1a)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Asafoetida

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

What to actually watch for

What Asafoetida Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, asafoetida appears to be generally well tolerated. Large amounts of asafoetida have been reported to cause swelling of the lips, belching, flatulence, diarrhea, headache, or convulsions (18). There are reports of infantile methemoglobinemia associated with asafoetida (4,102549). Topically, asafoetida has been reported to cause genital organ swelling (18).”

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

    3 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    3. 102549. Al-Qahtani S, Abusham S, Alhelali I. Severe methemoglobinemia secondary to Ferula asafoetida ingestion in an infant: a case report. Saudi J Med Med Sci 2020;8(1):56-9. PubMed

    “Orally, asafoetida in doses of 50-100 mg has been reported to cause headache or convulsions (18).”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  • Bloating or gas / Diarrhea Additional detail

    “Orally, large amounts of asafoetida have been reported to cause belching, flatulence, and diarrhea (18).”

    Asafoetida · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  • A fast or pounding heartbeat Additional detail

    “Orally, asafoetida has been associated with methemoglobinemia in infants (4,102549). In one case, a 3-month-old boy who was given asafoetida gum resin for colic presented with tachypnea, hypoxia, and tachycardia. The child had very high methemoglobin levels and other markers consistent with metabolic acidosis with lethal methemoglobinemia.”

    Asafoetida · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in colic.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 102549. Al-Qahtani S, Abusham S, Alhelali I. Severe methemoglobinemia secondary to Ferula asafoetida ingestion in an infant: a case report. Saudi J Med Med Sci 2020;8(1):56-9. PubMed
  • Swelling Additional detail

    Recorded for Asafoetida in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

  • Headache Additional detail

    Recorded for Asafoetida in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Asafoetida — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Beta-1a 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-1a.

Special populations

Asafoetida in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts; asafoetida might cause abortion.

Lactation Unsafe

When used orally due to the possible risk of methemoglobinemia in infants.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1a

This page covers Asafoetida only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Beta-1a 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-1a page

“Siberian cocklebur, an herb tied to documented cases of liver failure, is the first name to know for anyone injecting interferon beta-1a (Rebif, Avonex) for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta-1a can strain the liver on its own, which is why prescribers order routine liver blood tests, and 38 of the 57 supplements on file carry that sa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Beta-1a interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Asafoetida as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 40 real supplement products containing Asafoetida, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Asafoetida. Even though Asafoetida itself has no known interaction with Interferon Beta-1a, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Asafoetida
Steady interest

#1,001 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Beta-1a
Steady interest

#2,614 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 Asafoetida reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Asafoetida

What is Asafoetida?

Asafoetida
  • Digestive upset and gas
  • Bloating and stomach cramps
  • Irritable bowel symptoms
  • Respiratory complaints
  • Used as a cooking spice

Asafoetida is a strong-smelling plant resin used widely as a spice and in traditional medicine, mainly for digestive complaints. Solid human evidence for its medicinal benefits is limited, though it is generally considered safe in the small amounts used in cooking. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, and avoid them during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Ferula assa-foetida · Apiaceae · Dried gum resin (oleo-gum-resin) from the root and rhizome · Powder, capsules, resin, tincture/extract, culinary spice

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

Asafoetida: dosing

There is no official, standardized medicinal dose for asafoetida. The amount used can vary widely between products and traditional recipes, and high-quality dosing studies in people are lacking.As a cooking spice, only a small pinch of powder is typically used.

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

Read the full Asafoetida monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection

What Is Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebif, Avonex

  • Interferon beta-1a intramuscular injection is used to treat adults with various forms of multiple sclerosis (MS; a disease in which the nerves do not function properly and people may experience weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control) including:

    • clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; nerve symptom episodes that last at least 24 hours),

    • relapsing-remitting forms (course of disease where symptoms flare up from time to time), or

    • secondary progressive forms (course of disease where relapses occur more often).

  • Interferon beta-1a is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. It works by decreasing inflammation and preventing nerve damage that may cause symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Interferon Beta-1a

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (192,069 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Multiple sclerosis relapse 15,851 reports
Influenza like illness 13,253 reports
Fatigue 11,554 reports
Fall 10,604 reports
Multiple sclerosis 9,358 reports
See full Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Asafoetida

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

0Major
289Moderate
0Minor
2,540No known interaction
289 Moderate 2,540 No interaction
Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Asafoetida page.

No interaction 2,540 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,540 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Asafoetida list.

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

Asafoetida References

The 4 references that drive our Asafoetida 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  3. Fatehi, M., Farifteh, F., and Fatehi-Hassanabad, Z. Antispasmodic and hypotensive effects of Ferula asafoetida gum extract. J Ethnopharmacol 2004;91(2-3):321-324. PubMed
  4. Al-Qahtani S, Abusham S, Alhelali I. Severe methemoglobinemia secondary to Ferula asafoetida ingestion in an infant: a case report. Saudi J Med Med Sci 2020;8(1):56-9. PubMed

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 Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Asafoetida with Interferon Beta-1a?
We do not list a known interaction between Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a. 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 Asafoetida and Interferon Beta-1a combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications, and Asafoetida has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Interferon Beta-1a'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 Asafoetida interact with any other medications?
Yes. Asafoetida has 289 documented drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a 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-1a interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Beta-1a has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Asafoetida is not one of them. The Interferon Beta-1a 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

Asafoetida monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Beta-1a supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, 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-1a and Asafoetida?

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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.