Drug & supplement interaction

Bee Venom + Duloxetine

Duloxetine brand names: Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle, Irenka.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Bee Venom and Duloxetine 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

Bee Venom and Duloxetine

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 Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine and Bee Venom? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Duloxetine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Duloxetine is filed under 8 classifications — including antidepressant drugs, cytochrome p450 2d6 (cyp2d6) inhibitors, serotonergic drugs. Bee Venom has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Duloxetine’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 — Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Two case reports describe hepatotoxicity, including acute icteric hepatitis associated with bee venom acupuncture. Another case report describes hepatitis B reactivation complicated by nephritic syndrome during bee venom immunotherapy.”

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

    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

    Duloxetine

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

  • Low blood pressure Additional detail

    Bee Venom

    “Case reports have described stroke, and bradycardia associated with bee venom therapy. Other reported adverse cardiovascular effects include cardiac dysfunction, palpitations, hypotension, and chest pain or tightness.”

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

    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. 1343. Mosbech H, Muller U. Side-effects of insect venom immunotherapy: results from an EAACI multicenter study. Allergy 2000;55:1005-10. DOI
    3. 2619. Hebel SK, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons. 52nd ed. St. Louis: Facts and Comparisons, 1998.
    4. 6070. Birnbaum J, Charpin D, Vervloet D. Rapid hymenoptera venom immunotherapy: comparative safety of three protocols. Clin Exp Allergy 1993;23:226-30. PubMed
    5. 6078. Ewan PW. ABC of allergies. Venom allergy. BMJ 1998;316:1365-8.
    6. 111472. Kim K, Jeong H, Lee G, Jang S, Yook T. Characteristics of Adverse Events in Bee Venom Therapy Reported in South Korea: A Survey Study. Toxins (Basel) 2021;14(1):18. PubMed

    Duloxetine

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

  • Drowsiness 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

    Duloxetine

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

  • Tiredness / Dizziness / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Bee Venom

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

    Duloxetine

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Bee Venom

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

    Duloxetine

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

Reported for Bee Venom but not commonly for Duloxetine: shortness of breath, kidney problems, a low platelet count and an allergic reaction.

Effects for Duloxetine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Bee Venom come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. 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

Overlapping uses

What Duloxetine Is Prescribed For, and What Bee Venom Has Been Studied For

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

Duloxetine is prescribed for: Duloxetine delayed-release capsules treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. They also manage diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (nerve pain from diabetes), fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain (such as chronic low back pain and pain from osteoarthritis) in adults. GAD is also approved in pediatric patients 7 years and older for Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle, and certain duloxetine delayed-release capsule products. Fibromyalgia is approved in patients 13 years and older for Cymbalta and some duloxetine delayed-release capsule products.

Read the rest of what Duloxetine is prescribed for

Age-specific approvals vary by product — follow your prescriber's guidance on which product is right for your age group.

Bee Venom has been studied for:

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

    Bee Venom for osteoarthritis

    Preliminary clinical research on the use of injected bee venom for the treatment of osteoarthritis is mixed. However, a high-quality clinical trial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee shows that injecting bee venom 100 mcg intradermally at 15 acupuncture points on the knees and back weekly for 12 weeks reduces knee pain and increases physical function scores when compared with a histamine control injection.

    2 sources cited
    1. 6045. Caldwell JR. Venoms, copper, and zinc in the treatment of arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999;25:919-28. PubMed
    2. 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):

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 Duloxetine on your own; if you are taking Bee Venom for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Bee Venom or Duloxetine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Bee Venom or Duloxetine, 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 Duloxetine

This page covers Bee Venom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Duloxetine page lists 132 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Lithium (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 107 moderate · 20 minor.

Open the Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine, 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 Duloxetine 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Duloxetine
Top 5%

#50 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 Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine

What Is Duloxetine Used For?

Brand names: Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle, Irenka

Duloxetine delayed-release capsules treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. They also manage diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (nerve pain from diabetes), fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain (such as chronic low back pain and pain from osteoarthritis) in adults.

GAD is also approved in pediatric patients 7 years and older for Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle, and certain duloxetine delayed-release capsule products. Fibromyalgia is approved in patients 13 years and older for Cymbalta and some duloxetine delayed-release capsule products. Age-specific approvals vary by product — follow your prescriber's guidance on which product is right for your age group.

See full Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Bee Venom with Duloxetine?
We do not list a known interaction between Bee Venom and Duloxetine. 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 Duloxetine 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 Bee Venom and Duloxetine 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 Bee Venom in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Duloxetine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Bee Venom and Duloxetine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Duloxetine is filed under 8 classifications, and Bee Venom has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Duloxetine'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 — Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Duloxetine has documented interactions with 132 supplements in our database — Bee Venom is not one of them. The Duloxetine 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 Duloxetine 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.