Drug & supplement interaction

Bee Venom + Cobicistat

Cobicistat brand name: Tybost.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Bee Venom and Cobicistat 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 label for Cobicistat states a food rule worth keeping to, and 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

Bee Venom and Cobicistat

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 Cobicistat and Bee Venom 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.

Bee Venom safety at a glance

Bee Venom overall Use caution Bee venom can trigger severe, even life-threatening allergic reactions and should be used only under professional supervision.
Pregnancy Possibly Safe When used by subcutaneous injection by a trained medical professional. Significant adverse effects to fetus or mother have not been reported. However, some clin... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Safe When used by subcutaneous injection by a trained medical professional. Significant adverse effects to fetus or mother have not been reported. However, some clin... 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 Cobicistat and Bee Venom? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cobicistat

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inhibitors, oral drugs. Bee Venom has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Cobicistat’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

Bee Venom Does Interact With Other Medications

Bee Venom has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bee Venom

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Bee Venom and Cobicistat 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. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Kidney problems Worth acting on reported in 44.9% of FDA reports for Cobicistat Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Bee venom immunotherapy has been associated with nephrotic syndrome, acute interstitial nephritis, and acute tubular necrosis. A case report describes a 50-year-old male with type 2 diabetes and normal renal function who developed acute kidney injury with combined features of interstitial nephritis and tubular necrosis after being stung by more than 1000 bees.”

    Bee Venom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diabetes.

    2 sources cited
    1. 96576. Park JH, Yim BK, Lee JH, Lee S, Kim TH. Risk associated with bee venom therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0126971. PubMed
    2. 111474. Waziri B, Alhaji UI, Oduwale MA, Umar HI, Abdulmalik AM. A rare concurrence: bee venom associated acute tubular necrosis and acute interstitial nephritis. Oxf Med Case Reports 2022;5:167-70. PubMed

    Cobicistat

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

  • Severe muscle breakdown Worth acting on Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Bee venom can cause rhabdomyolysis. A 63-year-old female who received an accidental injection into the psoas muscle of 2 mL of normal saline containing bee venom diluted in a 1:2000 ratio, experienced severe burning pain at the injection site which persisted for 1 month, with imaging showing inflammation of the muscle. The pain gradually resolved over the following 5 months.”

    Bee Venom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in muscle breakdown.

    2 sources cited
    1. 111474. Waziri B, Alhaji UI, Oduwale MA, Umar HI, Abdulmalik AM. A rare concurrence: bee venom associated acute tubular necrosis and acute interstitial nephritis. Oxf Med Case Reports 2022;5:167-70. PubMed
    2. 11475. Horwitz RI, Daniels SR. Bias or biology: evaluating the epidemiologic studies of L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol Suppl 1996;46:60-72.

    Cobicistat

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

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Local adverse effects of parenteral bee venom include erythema, swelling, numbness, pain, and tenderness at the injection site, itching, urticaria, and edema. Bee stings have been associated with eosinophilic foreign body granuloma, and bee venom acupuncture can cause dermatitis, contact urticaria, skin infection with Mycobacterium chelonae, giant dermatofibroma, or chronic folliculitis.”

    Bee Venom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    5 sources cited
    1. 1343. Mosbech H, Muller U. Side-effects of insect venom immunotherapy: results from an EAACI multicenter study. Allergy 2000;55:1005-10. DOI
    2. 13222. Wesselius T, Heersema DJ, Mostert JP, et al. A randomized crossover study of bee sting therapy for multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2005;65:1764-8. PubMed
    3. 102531. Conrad VJ, Hazan LL, Latorre AJ, Jakubowska A, Kim CMH. Efficacy and safety of honey bee venom (Apis mellifera) dermal injections to treat osteoarthritis knee pain and physical disability: a randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med 2019;25(8):
    4. 111482. Park JH, Kim JG, Cha SH, Park SD. Eosinophilic foreign body granuloma after multiple self-administered bee stings. Br J Dermatol 1998,139(6):1102-5. PubMed
    5. 96576. Park JH, Yim BK, Lee JH, Lee S, Kim TH. Risk associated with bee venom therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0126971. PubMed

    Cobicistat

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

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Immune-mediated reactions associated with bee venom include rash, itching, generalized hypersensitivity reaction, anaphylaxis, serum sickness reaction, and immune thrombocytopenia (2169,6074.6077,95899,96576,11470). Estimates of the rate of immunologic reactions to various forms of bee venom range from 0.025% to 29%. They occur most frequently when doses are increased rapidly.”

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

    6 sources cited
    1. 96576. Park JH, Yim BK, Lee JH, Lee S, Kim TH. Risk associated with bee venom therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0126971. PubMed
    2. 105770. Lee EJ, Ahn YC, Kim YI, Oh MS, Park YC, Son CG. Incidence rate of hypersensitivity reactions to bee-venom acupuncture. Front Pharmacol 2020;11:545555. PubMed
    3. 11470. Alford C, Cox H, Wescott R. The effects of red bull energy drink on human performance and mood. Amino Acids 2001;21:139-50. PubMed
    4. 111475. Chang MC. Persistent severe muscle pain following mistakenly injected high-dose bee venom: A care-compliant case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022;101(49):e32180. PubMed
    5. 1343. Mosbech H, Muller U. Side-effects of insect venom immunotherapy: results from an EAACI multicenter study. Allergy 2000;55:1005-10. DOI
    6. 6077. Bousquet J, Muller UR, Dreboro S, et al. Immunotherapy with hymenoptera venoms. Allergy 1987;42:401-13. DOI

    Cobicistat

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

  • Itching Additional detail

    Bee Venom

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

    Cobicistat

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

  • Tiredness / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Bee Venom

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

    Cobicistat

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Bee Venom

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

    Cobicistat

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Bee venom can cause pain, headache, somnolence, and confusion. It has also been associated with a case of neuralgic amyotrophy.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 96576. Park JH, Yim BK, Lee JH, Lee S, Kim TH. Risk associated with bee venom therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0126971. PubMed

    Cobicistat

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

Reported for Bee Venom but not commonly for Cobicistat: shortness of breath, a low platelet count, liver problems and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Cobicistat come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Bee Venom come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 20,779 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cobicistat 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.

Special populations

Bee Venom in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Safe

When used by subcutaneous injection by a trained medical professional. Significant adverse effects to fetus or mother have not been reported. However, some clinicians decrease maintenance dose by half during pregnancy.

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used by subcutaneous injection in high doses. High doses of bee venom can increase release of histamine, which can cause uterine contraction; avoid using in high doses.

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

How to take them

Some Cobicistat Products Have a Food Rule — Bee Venom Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Bee Venom on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Cobicistat with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Cobicistat products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION TYBOST must be coadministered with atazanavir or darunavir at the same time, with food, and in combination with other HIV-1 antiretroviral agents.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Cobicistat — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cobicistat

This page covers Bee Venom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cobicistat page lists 30 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), Cannabidiol (cbd) (moderate), Cannabinol (cbn) (moderate) and Cannabis (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 19 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cobicistat page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry to understand first if you take cobicistat (Tybost). Charcoal soaks up drugs in the gut, and since cobicistat's entire job is boosting an HIV medicine to protective levels, blunting its absorption can put the whole regimen at risk.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cobicistat interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Bee Venom, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bee Venom. Even though Bee Venom itself has no known interaction with Cobicistat, 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 Bee Venom and Cobicistat 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 Bee Venom
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cobicistat
Steady interest

#2,335 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 Bee Venom reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Bee Venom and Cobicistat 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 Bee Venom

What is Bee Venom?

Bee Venom
  • Joint pain and arthritis
  • Muscle and nerve pain
  • Bee sting allergy desensitization
  • Skin and cosmetic uses
  • Multiple sclerosis (traditional/alternative use)

Bee venom is a complex mixture of proteins and other compounds taken from honeybees and used in traditional medicine for pain and inflammation, and in conventional medicine for allergy shots to prevent severe sting reactions. Outside of supervised allergy treatment, strong evidence for its benefits is lacking, and it can cause serious allergic reactions, so it should only be used under medical supervision.

Venom secreted by the venom gland of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) · Purified injectable venom, bee sting therapy (live bees), creams and ointments, allergy desensitization extracts, some cosmetic products

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

Bee Venom: dosing

There is no standard, well-established dose of bee venom for general use. When it is used for allergy desensitization, an allergy specialist carefully chooses and adjusts the dose in a controlled setting.For over-the-counter creams or other products, follow the directions on the label. Do not try to treat yourself with live bee stings or injectable venom on your own.

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

Read the full Bee Venom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cobicistat

What Is Cobicistat Used For?

Brand name: Tybost

Tybost (cobicistat) is not itself an HIV treatment — it works by slowing the breakdown of certain HIV medicines so they stay active in your body long enough to work. Specifically, Tybost is used to boost the HIV medicines atazanavir or darunavir (once-daily dosing) as part of a complete HIV-1 treatment regimen in adults and in children weighing at least 14 kg (about 31 lbs).

Tybost is not interchangeable with ritonavir (another booster) for all HIV medicines. It is not recommended with darunavir twice-daily, fosamprenavir, saquinavir, or tipranavir.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cobicistat

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (20,779 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Bone density decreased 8,112 reports
Chronic kidney disease 4,754 reports
Renal injury 4,577 reports
Tooth loss 4,186 reports
Bone loss 4,107 reports
See full Cobicistat drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bee Venom

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Bee Venom page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Bee Venom References

The 35 references that drive our Bee Venom 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. Mosbech H, Muller U. Side-effects of insect venom immunotherapy: results from an EAACI multicenter study. Allergy 2000;55:1005-10. DOI
  2. Hebel SK, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons. 52nd ed. St. Louis: Facts and Comparisons, 1998.
  3. de Jong NW, Vermeulen AM, de Groot H. Allergy to bumblebee venom. III. Immunotherapy follow-up study (safety and efficacy) in patients with occupational bumblebee-venom anaphylaxis. Allergy 1999;54:980-4. PubMed
  4. Cuende E, Fraguas J, Pena JE, et al. Beekeepers' arthropathy. J Rheumatol 1999;26:2684-90.
  5. Caldwell JR. Venoms, copper, and zinc in the treatment of arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999;25:919-28. PubMed
  6. Petroianu G, Liu J, Helfrich U, et al. Phosholipase A2-induced coagulation abnormalities after bee sting. Am J Emerg Med 2000;18:22-7.
  7. Birnbaum J, Charpin D, Vervloet D. Rapid hymenoptera venom immunotherapy: comparative safety of three protocols. Clin Exp Allergy 1993;23:226-30. PubMed
  8. Bomalaski JS, Ford T, Hudson AP, Clark MA. Phospholipase A2-activating protein induces the synthesis of IL-1 and TNF in human monocytes. J Immunol 1995;154:4027-31. DOI
  9. Li JT, Yunginger JW. Management of insect sting hypersensitivity. Mayo Clin Proc 1992;67:188-94. PubMed
  10. Golden DB, Kagey-Sobotka A, Lichtenstein LM. Survey of patients after discontinuing venom immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105(2 Pt 1):385-90. PubMed
  11. Bousquet J, Muller UR, Dreboro S, et al. Immunotherapy with hymenoptera venoms. Allergy 1987;42:401-13. DOI
  12. Ewan PW. ABC of allergies. Venom allergy. BMJ 1998;316:1365-8.
  13. Alford C, Cox H, Wescott R. The effects of red bull energy drink on human performance and mood. Amino Acids 2001;21:139-50. PubMed
  14. Horwitz RI, Daniels SR. Bias or biology: evaluating the epidemiologic studies of L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol Suppl 1996;46:60-72.
  15. Wesselius T, Heersema DJ, Mostert JP, et al. A randomized crossover study of bee sting therapy for multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2005;65:1764-8. 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 Bee Venom and Cobicistat Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Bee Venom with Cobicistat?
We do not list a known interaction between Bee Venom and Cobicistat. 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 Bee Venom and Cobicistat have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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.
Should I take Bee Venom and Cobicistat at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Bee Venom on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Cobicistat with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Cobicistat products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Bee Venom and Cobicistat combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications, and Bee Venom has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Cobicistat'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 Bee Venom interact with any other medications?
Yes. Bee Venom has 121 documented drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cobicistat has documented interactions with 30 supplements in our database — Bee Venom is not one of them. The Cobicistat interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Cobicistat and Bee Venom?

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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.