Drug & supplement interaction

Calamus + Etanercept-SZZS

Etanercept-SZZS brand name: Erelzi.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS 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 Etanercept-SZZS states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS

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 Etanercept-SZZS and Calamus 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.

Calamus safety at a glance

Calamus overall Avoid Some forms contain beta-asarone, a possible carcinogen banned from food by the FDA.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally; avoid using. 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 Etanercept-SZZS and Calamus? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Etanercept-SZZS

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Etanercept-SZZS is filed under a single classification — immunosuppressants. Calamus has documented interactions with 10 drug classes — the most serious being anticholinergic drugs (moderate), antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and cholinergic drugs (moderate) — and none of Etanercept-SZZS’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

Calamus Does Interact With Other Medications

Calamus has 1,098 moderate, 19 minor known drug interactions in our database — Etanercept-SZZS 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 Calamus

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

What to actually watch for

What Calamus Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Etanercept-SZZS. It is the side-effect record for Calamus on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Calamus, this list is the first place to look.

  • Sweating Additional detail

    “A case of gastrointestinal toxicity has been reported in a 19-year-old male who appeared to use calamus root for its euphoric effects. The man ingested a large amount of the root with water and later presented at the emergency department with continuous vomiting, paleness, and sweating. He was treated intravenously with saline and promethazine.”

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

    3 sources cited
    1. 38458. Vargas, C. P., Wolf, L. R., Gamm, S. R., and Koontz, K. Getting to the root (Acorus calamus) of the problem. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36(3):259-260.
    2. 93980. Björnstad K, Helander A, Hultén P, Beck O. Bioanalytical investigation of asarone in connection with Acorus calamus oil intoxications. J Anal Toxicol 2009;33(9):604-9. PubMed
    3. 33310. Shoba, F. G. and Thomas, M. Study of antidiarrhoeal activity of four medicinal plants in castor-oil induced diarrhoea. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;76(1):73-76. PubMed
  • A fast or pounding heartbeat Additional detail

    “Tachycardia has been reported as a toxic effect related to oral use of calamus oil.”

    Calamus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in irregular heartbeat.

    1 source cited
    1. 93980. Björnstad K, Helander A, Hultén P, Beck O. Bioanalytical investigation of asarone in connection with Acorus calamus oil intoxications. J Anal Toxicol 2009;33(9):604-9. PubMed
  • Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Recorded for Calamus in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A fast or pounding heartbeat above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Calamus — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Etanercept-SZZS’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Etanercept-SZZS column appears here.

Special populations

Calamus in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using.

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 Etanercept-SZZS Products Have a Food Rule — Calamus Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Etanercept-SZZS says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Calamus included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Etanercept-SZZS on its own and move Calamus to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Etanercept-SZZS 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.

Preparation of Enbrel Single-dose Prefilled SureClick Autoinjector Leave the autoinjector at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before injecting.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Etanercept-SZZS — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's.

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 Etanercept-SZZS

This page covers Calamus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Etanercept-SZZS page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Etanercept-SZZS interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 71 real supplement products containing Calamus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Calamus. Even though Calamus itself has no known interaction with Etanercept-SZZS, 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 Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS 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 Calamus
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Etanercept-SZZS
Steady interest

#1,489 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 Calamus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS 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 Calamus

What is Calamus?

Calamus
  • Digestive upset and gas
  • Loss of appetite
  • Memory and focus (traditional)
  • Coughs and colds
  • Calming or sedative effect (traditional)

Calamus is a swamp plant with a long history in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, mostly for digestive and nervous-system complaints. However, it contains beta-asarone, a compound linked to cancer and other toxic effects in animal studies, which is why the U.S. FDA banned it from foods. Because of these safety concerns and a lack of solid human evidence, it is generally best avoided.

Acorus calamus · Acoraceae · Rhizome (root) and essential oil · Dried root, powder, tea, tincture, essential oil

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

Calamus: dosing

There is no established safe or effective dose for calamus. Because of the cancer and toxicity concerns, health authorities do not recommend a standard amount.If you come across a product that contains calamus, do not assume any amount is safe. For most people, the safest choice is to avoid calamus altogether and consider better-studied alternatives.

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

Read the full Calamus monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Calamus

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

0Major
1,098Moderate
19Minor
1,712No known interaction
Moderate

1,098 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,098 moderate interactions — see all 1,098 on the Calamus page.

Minor

19 interactions

No interaction 1,712 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Calamus References

The 13 references that drive our Calamus 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. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  3. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publ, 1997.
  4. Shoba, F. G. and Thomas, M. Study of antidiarrhoeal activity of four medicinal plants in castor-oil induced diarrhoea. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;76(1):73-76. PubMed
  5. Koo, B. S., Park, K. S., Ha, J. H., Park, J. H., Lim, J. C., and Lee, D. U. Inhibitory effects of the fragrance inhalation of essential oil from Acorus gramineus on central nervous system. Biol Pharm.Bull. 2003;26(7):978-982. PubMed
  6. Oh, M. H., Houghton, P. J., Whang, W. K., and Cho, J. H. Screening of Korean herbal medicines used to improve cognitive function for anti-cholinesterase activity. Phytomedicine 2004;11(6):544-548. PubMed
  7. Panchal, G. M., Venkatakrishna-Bhatt, H., Doctor, R. B., and Vajpayee, S. Pharmacology of Acorus calamus L. Indian J Exp.Biol 1989;27(6):561-567.
  8. Vargas, C. P., Wolf, L. R., Gamm, S. R., and Koontz, K. Getting to the root (Acorus calamus) of the problem. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36(3):259-260.
  9. Pandit S, Mukherjee PK, Ponnusankar S, Venkatesh M, Srikanth N. Metabolism mediated interaction of a-asarone and Acorus calamus with CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. Fitoterapia 2011;82(3):369-74.
  10. Sharma V, Singh I, Chaudhary P. Acorus calamus (The Healing Plant): a review on its medicinal potential, micropropagation and conservation. Nat Prod Res. 2014;28(18):1454-66.
  11. Björnstad K, Helander A, Hultén P, Beck O. Bioanalytical investigation of asarone in connection with Acorus calamus oil intoxications. J Anal Toxicol 2009;33(9):604-9. PubMed
  12. Federal Register. Volume 33, Page 6967. U.S. Government Publishing Office. http://api.fdsys.gov/link?collection=fr&volume=33&page=6967. Accessed May 23, 2018.
  13. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 189 - Substances Prohibited From Use in Human Food. Available at: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=259fa8a1284cad42676075c8425c7333&mc=true&node=pt21.3.189&rgn=div5.

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 Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Calamus with Etanercept-SZZS?
We do not list a known interaction between Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS. 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.
Should I take Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Etanercept-SZZS says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Etanercept-SZZS on its own and move Calamus to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Calamus and Etanercept-SZZS combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Etanercept-SZZS is filed under 1 classification, and Calamus has documented interactions with 10 drug classes — none of Etanercept-SZZS'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 Calamus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Calamus has 1,117 documented drug interactions in our database — Etanercept-SZZS 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 Etanercept-SZZS interact with any supplements?
Yes. Etanercept-SZZS has documented interactions with 53 supplements in our database — Calamus is not one of them. The Etanercept-SZZS 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 Etanercept-SZZS and Calamus?

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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.