Drug & supplement interaction

Bifidobacterium Breve + Interferon Beta-1a

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

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Bifidobacterium Breve 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

Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve 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.

Bifidobacterium Breve safety at a glance

Bifidobacterium Br... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy people, but caution is needed for those who are very ill or immunocompromised.

Pregnancy Use caution Probiotics are often considered low-risk, but evidence is limited, so use only with your doctor's guidance.

Breastfeeding Use caution Limited safety data exist, so check with your healthcare provider before use.

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

Still wondering about combining Interferon Beta-1a and Bifidobacterium Breve? 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. Bifidobacterium Breve has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antibiotic 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

Bifidobacterium Breve Does Interact With Other Medications

Bifidobacterium Breve has 182 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 182 No known interaction 2,648 (incl. Interferon Beta-1a)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bifidobacterium Breve

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

What to actually watch for

What Bifidobacterium Breve Itself Has Been Linked To

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

A bowel blockage / A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail
“There have been rare cases of Bifidobacterium bacteremia related to probiotic use in critically ill infants and adults. In addition, cases of B. breve bacteremia have occurred in preterm infants or young children using probiotics. In a review of 298 term and preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in Japan and received B.”

Bifidobacterium Breve · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diabetes.
6 sources cited

102416. Pruccoli G, Silvestro E, Pace Napoleone C, Aidala E, Garazzino S, Scolfaro C. Are probiotics safe? Bifidobacterium bacteremia in a child with severe heart failure. Infez Med. 2019;27(2):175-178.

107597. Sakurai Y, Watanabe T, Miura Y, et al. Clinical and bacteriologic characteristics of six cases of Bifidobacterium breve bacteremia due to probiotic administration in the neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022;41(1):62-65. PubMed

107599. Esaiassen E, Hjerde E, Cavanagh JP, Simonsen GS, Klingenberg C; Norwegian Study Group on Invasive Bifidobacterial Infections. Bifidobacterium bacteremia: Clinical characteristics and a genomic approach to assess pathogenicity. J Clin Microbiol. 2017;55(7) PubMed

107596. Ohishi A, Takahashi S, Ito Y, et al. Bifidobacterium septicemia associated with postoperative probiotic therapy in a neonate with omphalocele. J Pediatr. 2010;156(4):679-81. PubMed

111007. Wakabayashi Y, Nakayama S, Yamamoto A, et al. First case of necrotizing fasciitis and bacteremia caused by Bifidobacteriumbreve. Anaerobe 2022;76:102613.

111011. Takeda Y, Ota K, Kondo A, et al. A case of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Bifidobacterium breve. IDCases 2022;31:e01667. PubMed
Bloating or gas Additional detail

“Bloating and flatulence have been reported with probiotic use; however, these adverse effects have not been reported from ingestion of Bifidobacterium breve in particular.”

Bifidobacterium Breve · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in flatulence.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Bifidobacterium Breve — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1a

This page covers Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,771 real supplement products containing Bifidobacterium Breve, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bifidobacterium Breve. Even though Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve

Top 25%

#204 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 Bifidobacterium Breve reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Bifidobacterium Breve and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Bifidobacterium Breve

What is Bifidobacterium Breve?

Digestive health and regularity
Infant colic and gut support
Diarrhea (including antibiotic-related)
Constipation
General immune and gut microbiome support

Bifidobacterium breve is a 'friendly' gut bacterium taken as a probiotic, most often to support digestion and balance the gut microbiome. Some studies suggest possible benefits for certain digestive and infant conditions, but evidence is still limited and varies by strain. It is generally well tolerated in healthy people, but anyone with a weak immune system or serious illness should check with a doctor or pharmacist first.

Bifidobacterium breve · Bifidobacteriaceae · Live bacterial cells (probiotic strain) · Capsules, powders, sachets, chewables, drops, and fortified foods or drinks

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

Bifidobacterium Breve: dosing

There is no single standard dose of Bifidobacterium breve. Probiotic amounts are usually measured in colony-forming units (CFU), and products vary widely in their strain and strength.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label, since dosing was often based on the specific strain studied.

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

Read the full Bifidobacterium Breve 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 & Bifidobacterium Breve

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

0Major

182Moderate

0Minor

2,647No known interaction

182 Moderate 2,647 No interaction

Moderate

182 interactions

Showing 60 of 182 moderate interactions — see all 182 on the Bifidobacterium Breve page.

No interaction 2,647 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,647 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Bifidobacterium Breve list.

See the full Bifidobacterium Breve interactions page

See every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Bifidobacterium Breve References

The 9 references that drive our Bifidobacterium Breve 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.

Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1999:19.
Xiao JZ, Takahashi S, Odamaki T, et al. Antibiotic susceptibility of bifidobacterial strains distributed in the Japanese market. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(2):336-42. PubMed
Pruccoli G, Silvestro E, Pace Napoleone C, Aidala E, Garazzino S, Scolfaro C. Are probiotics safe? Bifidobacterium bacteremia in a child with severe heart failure. Infez Med. 2019;27(2):175-178.
Ohishi A, Takahashi S, Ito Y, et al. Bifidobacterium septicemia associated with postoperative probiotic therapy in a neonate with omphalocele. J Pediatr. 2010;156(4):679-81. PubMed
Sakurai Y, Watanabe T, Miura Y, et al. Clinical and bacteriologic characteristics of six cases of Bifidobacterium breve bacteremia due to probiotic administration in the neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022;41(1):62-65. PubMed
Esaiassen E, Hjerde E, Cavanagh JP, Simonsen GS, Klingenberg C; Norwegian Study Group on Invasive Bifidobacterial Infections. Bifidobacterium bacteremia: Clinical characteristics and a genomic approach to assess pathogenicity. J Clin Microbiol. 2017;55(7) PubMed
Wakabayashi Y, Nakayama S, Yamamoto A, et al. First case of necrotizing fasciitis and bacteremia caused by Bifidobacteriumbreve. Anaerobe 2022;76:102613.
Takeda Y, Ota K, Kondo A, et al. A case of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Bifidobacterium breve. IDCases 2022;31:e01667. PubMed
Suwantarat N, Romagnoli M, Wakefield T, Carroll KC. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection caused by Bifidobacterium breve. Anaerobe 2014;28:1-3. 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 Bifidobacterium Breve and Interferon Beta-1a Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Bifidobacterium Breve with Interferon Beta-1a?

We do not list a known interaction between Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve 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 Bifidobacterium Breve has documented interactions with 1 drug class — 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 Bifidobacterium Breve interact with any other medications?

Yes. Bifidobacterium Breve has 182 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 — Bifidobacterium Breve 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

Bifidobacterium Breve 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 9 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Interferon Beta-1a and Bifidobacterium Breve?

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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.