Drug & supplement interaction

Boldo + Tofacitinib

Tofacitinib brand names: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Boldo and Tofacitinib 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

Boldo and Tofacitinib

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 Tofacitinib and Boldo 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.

Boldo safety at a glance

Boldo overall Use caution May be used short-term in low doses, but the ascaridole in the leaf and oil can harm the liver.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of... 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 Tofacitinib and Boldo? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Tofacitinib

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Tofacitinib is filed under 4 classifications — including cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates, immunosuppressants, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. Boldo has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), hepatotoxic drugs (moderate) and lithium (moderate) — and none of Tofacitinib’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

Boldo Does Interact With Other Medications

Boldo has 482 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Tofacitinib isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 482 No known interaction 2,348 (incl. Tofacitinib)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Boldo

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Boldo and Tofacitinib 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

    Boldo

    “Orally, boldo is generally well tolerated when used in amounts commonly found in foods. However, when used in medicinal amounts, boldo can cause significant adverse effects such as hepatotoxicity. There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of topical boldo;”

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

    “Orally, boldo is thought to potentially cause hepatotoxicity. The volatile oil from the boldo leaf contains the liver toxin, ascaridole. In one case report, a manufacturer of an herbal laxative reformulated their product to contain boldo.”

    Boldo · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in alcohol-related liver disease.

    3 sources cited
    1. 13178. Piscaglia F, Leoni S, Venturi A, et al. Caution in the use of boldo in herbal laxatives: a case of hepatotoxicity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005;40:236-9. PubMed
    2. 100304. Ribeiro RJ, Silvestre C, Duarte C. Hidden risks of alternative medicines: a case of boldo-induced hepatotoxicity. J Diet Suppl 2017;14(2):186-90. PubMed
    3. 106431. Oliveira Sá A, Pimentel T, Oliveira N. Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Case of Unexplained Jaundice. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020;7(12):002116. PubMed

    Tofacitinib

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Boldo

    “Topically, boldo can be irritating when applied to the skin (4). In one case report, a healthy 64-year-old patient experienced allergic contact dermatitis in an airborne pattern on the face, arms, and dorsum of both hands following airborne exposure to boldo. After exposure to boldo was avoided, the dermatitis resolved.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 106433. Valdes R, Feuereisen A, Bellinghausen M. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Boldo. Dermatitis 2021;32(2):e31-e32. PubMed

    Tofacitinib

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

Reported for Boldo but not commonly for Tofacitinib: an irregular heartbeat, stomach upset, stomach pain and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Tofacitinib come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Boldo come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 185,980 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tofacitinib 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

Boldo in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts. In animals, boldo and the constituent boldine have abortive and teratogenic effects. Also, the ascaridole constituent of boldo is a liver toxin.

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 Tofacitinib Is Prescribed For, and What Boldo Has Been Studied For

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

Boldo has been studied for:

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

    Boldo for joint pain

    Although there has been interest in using oral boldo for joint pain, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of boldo for this purpose.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tofacitinib

This page covers Boldo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tofacitinib page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 143 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tofacitinib page

“Supplements deserve genuine care alongside tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR), a medicine that deliberately dials down the immune system to control conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Most of the interactions on this page run through the liver enzymes that clear the drug, meaning an herb can push its blood level…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tofacitinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 173 real supplement products containing Boldo, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Boldo. Even though Boldo itself has no known interaction with Tofacitinib, 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 Boldo and Tofacitinib 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 Boldo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tofacitinib
Steady interest

#1,750 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 Boldo reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Boldo and Tofacitinib 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 Boldo

What is Boldo?

Boldo
  • Indigestion and bloating
  • Mild constipation
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Appetite stimulation
  • Urinary complaints

Boldo is a South American shrub whose leaves are traditionally used for digestive and gallbladder complaints, but good human evidence is very limited. The leaves and oil contain ascaridole, which can be toxic to the liver, so only ascaridole-free products should be used and only for short periods. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Peumus boldus · Monimiaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Tea, dried leaf, tincture, capsules, essential oil

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

Boldo: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for boldo, and products vary widely in strength and in how much ascaridole they contain. Because of this, it is best to follow the directions on the product label and use it only for short periods.Choose products labeled as ascaridole-free when possible, and avoid the pure essential oil.

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

Read the full Boldo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tofacitinib

What Is Tofacitinib Used For?

Brand names: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR

  • Tofacitinib is used alone or with other medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis (condition in which the body attacks its own joints causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) in adults who are unable to take or did not respond to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor medication(s). It is also used to treat psoriatic arthritis (a condition that causes joint pain and swelling and scales on the skin) in adults who are unable to take or did not respond to or tolerate one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). Tofacitinib is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) in adults who are unable to take or who did not respond to one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). It is also used to treat polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (PJIA; a type of childhood arthritis that affects five or more joints during the first six months of the condition, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) in children 2 years and older who are unable to take or who did not respond to one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). Tofacitinib is in a class of medications called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. It works by decreasing the activity of the immune system.

See full Tofacitinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Boldo

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

0Major
482Moderate
0Minor
2,347No known interaction
482 Moderate 2,347 No interaction
Moderate

482 interactions

Showing 60 of 482 moderate interactions — see all 482 on the Boldo page.

No interaction 2,347 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,347 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Boldo list.

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

Boldo References

The 10 references that drive our Boldo 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Lambert J, Cormier J. Potential interaction between warfarin and boldo-fenugreek. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:509-12. PubMed
  3. Piscaglia F, Leoni S, Venturi A, et al. Caution in the use of boldo in herbal laxatives: a case of hepatotoxicity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005;40:236-9. PubMed
  4. Agarwal SC, Crook JR, Pepper CB. Herbal remedies -- how safe are they? A case report of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation induced by herbal medication used for obesity. Int J Cardiol 2006;106:260-1. PubMed
  5. Teng, C. M., Hsueh, C. M., Chang, Y. L., Ko, F. N., Lee, S. S., and Liu, K. C. Antiplatelet effects of some aporphine and phenanthrene alkaloids in rabbits and man. J Pharm Pharmacol 1997;49(7):706-711. PubMed
  6. Carbajal R, Yisfalem A, Pradhan N, et al. Case report: Boldo (Peumus boldus) and tacrolimus interaction in a renal transplant patient. Transplant Proc 2014;46(7):2400-2. PubMed
  7. Almeida ER, Melo AM, Xavier H. Toxicological evaluation of the hydro-alcohol extract of the dry leaves of Peumus boldus and boldine in rats. Phytother Res 2000;14(2):99-102. DOI
  8. Ribeiro RJ, Silvestre C, Duarte C. Hidden risks of alternative medicines: a case of boldo-induced hepatotoxicity. J Diet Suppl 2017;14(2):186-90. PubMed
  9. Oliveira Sá A, Pimentel T, Oliveira N. Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Case of Unexplained Jaundice. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020;7(12):002116. PubMed
  10. Valdes R, Feuereisen A, Bellinghausen M. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Boldo. Dermatitis 2021;32(2):e31-e32. 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 Boldo and Tofacitinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Boldo with Tofacitinib?
We do not list a known interaction between Boldo and Tofacitinib. 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 Boldo and Tofacitinib have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Boldo and Tofacitinib 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 Boldo in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Tofacitinib is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Boldo and Tofacitinib combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Tofacitinib is filed under 4 classifications, and Boldo has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Tofacitinib'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 Boldo interact with any other medications?
Yes. Boldo has 482 documented drug interactions in our database — Tofacitinib 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 Tofacitinib interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tofacitinib has documented interactions with 184 supplements in our database — Boldo is not one of them. The Tofacitinib 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

Boldo monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Tofacitinib drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Tofacitinib supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Tofacitinib, 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 10 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Tofacitinib and Boldo?

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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.