Drug & supplement interaction

Astragalus + Ipilimumab

Ipilimumab brand name: Yervoy.

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 Astragalus and Ipilimumab 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Astragalus and Ipilimumab

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 Ipilimumab and Astragalus 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.

Astragalus safety at a glance

Astragalus overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term in healthy adults, but quality human safety data is limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough reliable safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough reliable safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Ipilimumab and Astragalus? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
Keep it in perspective

Astragalus Does Interact With Other Medications

Astragalus has 208 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Ipilimumab isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 208 No known interaction 2,622 (incl. Ipilimumab)
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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Astragalus and Ipilimumab May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Heart failure Worth acting on Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Intravenously, administration of astragalus has been associated with temporary dizziness in patients with heart failure in clinical research. Orally, astragalus has also been associated with dizziness in one clinical study. However, these effects may not have been caused by astragalus.”

    Astragalus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in congestive heart failure (chf).

    3 sources cited
    1. 32812. Zhang, J. G., Yang, N., He, H., Wei, G. H., Gao, D. S., Wang, X. L., Wang, X. Z., and Song, G. Y. [Effect of Astragalus injection on plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors in aged patients with chronic heart failure.]. Chin J Integr.Med 2005;11(3):18 PubMed
    2. 114804. Han X, Yu T, Chen X, Du Z, Yu M, Xiong J. Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pharmacol 2024;15:1345797. PubMed
    3. 114803. Chan KW, Kwong ASK, Tsui PN, et al. Add-on astragalus in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A multi-center, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2024;130:155457. PubMed

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Orally, astragalus has reportedly been associated with lacunar angina in one clinical trial. However, this may not have been caused by astragalus. In addition, rapid intravenous administration of astragalus has resulted in temporary palpitations.”

    Astragalus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in angina.

    2 sources cited
    1. 17355. Matkovic Z, Zivkovic V, Korica M, et al. Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res 2010;24:175-81.
    2. 32812. Zhang, J. G., Yang, N., He, H., Wei, G. H., Gao, D. S., Wang, X. L., Wang, X. Z., and Song, G. Y. [Effect of Astragalus injection on plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors in aged patients with chronic heart failure.]. Chin J Integr.Med 2005;11(3):18 PubMed

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Sore throat Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Orally, astragalus has reportedly been associated with rhinosinusitis and pharyngitis in one clinical trial. However, these effects may not have been caused by astragalus.”

    Astragalus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pharyngitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 17355. Matkovic Z, Zivkovic V, Korica M, et al. Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res 2010;24:175-81.

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Muscle pain Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Orally, astragalus has been associated with reports of musculoskeletal pain in one clinical trial. However, these effects may not have been caused by astragalus.”

    Astragalus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pain.

    1 source cited
    1. 114803. Chan KW, Kwong ASK, Tsui PN, et al. Add-on astragalus in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A multi-center, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2024;130:155457. PubMed

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Itching / A skin rash reported in 4.2% of FDA reports for Ipilimumab Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Intravenously, astragalus may cause rash, eczema, and pruritus.”

    Astragalus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in eczema.

    1 source cited
    1. 33034. Chen, H. W., Lin, I. H., Chen, Y. J., Chang, K. H., Wu, M. H., Su, W. H., Huang, G. C., and Lai, Y. L. A novel infusible botanically-derived drug, PG2, for cancer-related fatigue: a phase II double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study. Clin Invest PubMed

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness Additional detail

    Astragalus

    Recorded for Astragalus in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Heart failure above.

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea Additional detail

    Astragalus

    “Orally, astragalus has reportedly been associated with enterocolitis and nausea in one clinical trial. However, these effects may not have been caused by astragalus.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 17355. Matkovic Z, Zivkovic V, Korica M, et al. Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res 2010;24:175-81.

    Ipilimumab

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ipilimumab. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Astragalus but not commonly for Ipilimumab: a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Ipilimumab come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Astragalus come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 42,912 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Ipilimumab that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Overlapping uses

What Ipilimumab Is Prescribed For, and What Astragalus Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Ipilimumab is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Astragalus is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Ipilimumab is prescribed for: Yervoy (ipilimumab) is approved to treat a range of serious cancers. As a single agent, Yervoy treats unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adults and patients 12 and older, and is used as adjuvant therapy (after surgery) in adults with cutaneous melanoma that has spread to nearby lymph nodes. In combination with nivolumab, Yervoy treats unresectable or metastatic melanoma (adults and patients 12+), MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer (adults and patients 12+), advanced renal cell carcinoma, unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, and unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Some uses require tumor testing first.

Read the rest of what Ipilimumab is prescribed for

For example, Yervoy combined with nivolumab for non-small cell lung cancer requires that the tumor expresses a protein called PD-L1 (≥1%), and colorectal cancer treatment requires confirmation of MSI-H or dMMR status — both determined by FDA-authorized tests.

Astragalus has been studied for:

  • Colorectal cancer studied, not established Astragalus has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Astragalus for colorectal cancer

    Oral or intravenous astragalus has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Ipilimumab on your own; if you are taking Astragalus for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Astragalus or Ipilimumab

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 Ipilimumab, 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.

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. Even though Astragalus itself has no known interaction with Ipilimumab, 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 Astragalus and Ipilimumab 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ipilimumab
Top half

#1,274 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 Astragalus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Astragalus and Ipilimumab 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 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.

Astragalus membranaceus · Fabaceae · Root · Capsules, tablets, dried root, tea, liquid extract (tincture), powder, and injectable forms used in some countries

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

Astragalus: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose of astragalus. The right amount can depend on the form (capsule, tea, extract), the part of the plant used, and how the product is prepared.Because doses vary widely between products and studies, the best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. A pharmacist can help you review a specific product and decide whether it is appropriate for you.If you start astragalus and notice any unwanted effects, stop and check with a healthcare professional. Avoid using it long-term without medical supervision, since long-term safety is not well established.

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

Read the full Astragalus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ipilimumab Injection

What Is Ipilimumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Yervoy

Yervoy (ipilimumab) is approved to treat a range of serious cancers. As a single agent, Yervoy treats unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adults and patients 12 and older, and is used as adjuvant therapy (after surgery) in adults with cutaneous melanoma that has spread to nearby lymph nodes. In combination with nivolumab, Yervoy treats unresectable or metastatic melanoma (adults and patients 12+), MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer (adults and patients 12+), advanced renal cell carcinoma, unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, and unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Some uses require tumor testing first. For example, Yervoy combined with nivolumab for non-small cell lung cancer requires that the tumor expresses a protein called PD-L1 (≥1%), and colorectal cancer treatment requires confirmation of MSI-H or dMMR status — both determined by FDA-authorized tests.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ipilimumab

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (42,912 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Malignant neoplasm progression 3,782 reports
Diarrhea 3,128 reports
Colitis 2,316 reports
Fever 2,057 reports
Rash 1,805 reports
See full Ipilimumab Injection 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
208Moderate
0Minor
2,621No known interaction
208 Moderate 2,621 No interaction
Moderate

208 interactions

Showing 60 of 208 moderate interactions — see all 208 on the Astragalus page.

No interaction 2,621 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 2,621 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Astragalus list.

See the full Astragalus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ipilimumab, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Astragalus References

The 13 references that drive our Astragalus 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. Upton R, ed. Astragalus Root: Analytical, quality control, and therapeutic monograph. Santa Cruz, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. 1999:1-25.
  2. Khoo KS, Ang PT. Extract of astragalus membranaceus and ligustrum lucidum does not prevent cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression. Singapore Med J 1995;36:387-90.
  3. Chu DT, Wong WL, Mavligit GM. Immunotherapy with Chinese medicinal herbs. II. Reversal of cyclophosphamide-induced immune suppression by administration of fractionated Astragalus membranaceus in vivo. J Clin Lab Immunol 1988;25:125-9.
  4. 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..
  5. Ma J, Peng A, Lin S. Mechanisms of the therapeutic effect of astragalus membranaceus on sodium and water retention in experimental heart failure. Chin Med J (Engl) 1998;111:17-23.
  6. Matkovic Z, Zivkovic V, Korica M, et al. Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res 2010;24:175-81.
  7. Zhang, J. G., Yang, N., He, H., Wei, G. H., Gao, D. S., Wang, X. L., Wang, X. Z., and Song, G. Y. [Effect of Astragalus injection on plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors in aged patients with chronic heart failure.]. Chin J Integr.Med 2005;11(3):18 PubMed
  8. Chen, H. W., Lin, I. H., Chen, Y. J., Chang, K. H., Wu, M. H., Su, W. H., Huang, G. C., and Lai, Y. L. A novel infusible botanically-derived drug, PG2, for cancer-related fatigue: a phase II double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study. Clin Invest PubMed
  9. Tian H, Lu J, He H, et al.The effect of Astragalus as an adjuvant treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A (preliminary) meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;191:206-215. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.05.062. PubMed
  10. Hong KF, Liu PY, Zhang W, Gui DK, Xu YH. The Efficacy and Safety of Astragalus as an Adjuvant Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Integr Complement Med 2023. PubMed
  11. Chan KW, Kwong ASK, Tsui PN, et al. Add-on astragalus in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A multi-center, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2024;130:155457. PubMed
  12. Han X, Yu T, Chen X, Du Z, Yu M, Xiong J. Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pharmacol 2024;15:1345797. PubMed
  13. Jing P, Hongzheng H, Zhenqi WU, Meijuan Z, Zuojing LI, Gang C. Long-term efficacy and safety of Huangqi ()-based Traditional Chinese Medicine in diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Tradit Chin Med 2024;44(2):

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 Astragalus and Ipilimumab Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Astragalus with Ipilimumab?
We do not list a known interaction between Astragalus and Ipilimumab. 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.
Do Astragalus and Ipilimumab have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 8 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Astragalus and Ipilimumab used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Astragalus in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Ipilimumab is being adjusted to a target.
Does Astragalus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Astragalus has 208 documented drug interactions in our database — Ipilimumab is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Astragalus monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ipilimumab Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Ipilimumab supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ipilimumab, 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 13 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ipilimumab and Astragalus?

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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.