Drug & supplement interaction

Astragalus + Alemtuzumab

Alemtuzumab brand name: Campath.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Astragalus has a moderate interaction with Alemtuzumab. Theoretically, astragalus might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Astragalus and Alemtuzumab

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Alemtuzumab

Alemtuzumab falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Astragalus interacts with.

Theoretically, astragalus might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.
Astragalus seems to stimulate immune function. Theoretically, taking astragalus might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thinking behind this pairing. Alemtuzumab (Campath) is a lab-made antibody that revs up your immune system to hunt down and destroy the leukemia cells. Astragalus, on the other hand, has a reputation for nudging the immune system in a stimulating direction too. On paper, two things both pushing on the immune system could throw off the careful balance your cancer treatment is trying to strike, possibly working against the therapy's intended effect.

I want to be straight with you, though: this concern comes only from lab and animal research, not from real patients, so it's largely theoretical. That said, since alemtuzumab is serious treatment for a serious condition, I wouldn't add astragalus on your own. Please run it past your oncologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Upton R, ed. Astragalus Root: Analytical, quality control, and therapeutic monograph. Santa Cruz, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. 1999:1-25.
  2. Sun Y, Hersh EM, Lee SL, et al. Preliminary observations on the effects of the Chinese medicinal herbs Astragalus membranaceus and Ligustrum lucidum on lymphocyte blastogenic responses. J Biol Response Mod 1983;2:227-37..

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Astragalus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Astragalus has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Alemtuzumab one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 207 No known interaction 2,623 (incl. Alemtuzumab)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Astragalus

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Astragalus or Alemtuzumab

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Astragalus or Alemtuzumab, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Alemtuzumab

This page covers Astragalus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alemtuzumab page lists 70 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate) and Andrographis (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 59 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alemtuzumab page

“Alemtuzumab (Campath) works by knocking down part of the immune system, which is how it treats multiple sclerosis and certain leukemias. That mechanism makes this a list to approach with real seriousness, because most of it, 53 ingredients including ashwagandha and astragalus, may stimulate immune activity, and anything that revs the i…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alemtuzumab interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 3,437 real supplement products containing Astragalus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Astragalus. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Alemtuzumab too, on top of Astragalus — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Astragalus and Alemtuzumab 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 Astragalus
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alemtuzumab
Steady interest

#1,774 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.

Supplement

About Astragalus

What is Astragalus?

Astragalus
  • Immune support
  • Colds and flu
  • Upper respiratory infections
  • Fatigue and stress (adaptogen)
  • Heart health
  • General wellness in traditional medicine

Astragalus is a root used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly to support the immune system and help the body cope with stress. While early studies are interesting, strong human evidence for most uses is still lacking. It is generally well tolerated by healthy adults for short-term use, but should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding due to limited safety data.

Read the full Astragalus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Alemtuzumab Injection (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia)

What Is Alemtuzumab Injection (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) Used For?

Brand name: Campath

Alemtuzumab (brand name Lemtrada) is approved for adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — including relapsing-remitting MS and active secondary progressive MS. Because it carries serious risks, it is generally reserved for people who have already tried at least two other MS medications without adequate results.

It is not recommended for people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a first episode of MS-like symptoms, due to its risk profile.

See full Alemtuzumab Injection (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Astragalus

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

0Major
207Moderate
0Minor
2,622No known interaction
207 Moderate 2,622 No interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Astragalus page.

No interaction 2,622 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,622 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Astragalus list.

See the full Astragalus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Alemtuzumab, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Astragalus monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Alemtuzumab supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Alemtuzumab, ranked by severity Alemtuzumab Injection (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Astragalus and Alemtuzumab Together: Common Questions

Can you take Astragalus with Alemtuzumab?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Astragalus and Alemtuzumab interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Alemtuzumab and Astragalus?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.