Drug & supplement interaction

Calamus + Upadacitinib Hemihydrate

Upadacitinib Hemihydrate brand name: Rinvoq.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Calamus has a moderate interaction with Upadacitinib Hemihydrate. Theoretically, taking calamus with drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 might increase drug levels and potentially increase the risk of adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Calamus and Upadacitinib Hemihydrate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Upadacitinib Hemihydrate

Upadacitinib Hemihydrate falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Calamus interacts with.

Theoretically, taking calamus with drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 might increase drug levels and potentially increase the risk of adverse effects.
In vitro research shows that calamus extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzyme.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear Rinvoq (upadacitinib) out of your system. In lab dish studies, calamus appears to slow that enzyme down. If that same effect happened in people, your upadacitinib levels could creep up, which in theory could mean a higher chance of its known downsides, like infections, headaches, nausea, or changes in blood counts and cholesterol.

I'll be honest with you though: this concern comes only from test-tube research, not real human studies, so we really don't know how meaningful it is. Calamus also carries its own safety baggage (it's banned from foods in the U.S.), so I'd lean toward avoiding it. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before pairing it with Rinvoq.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. 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.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Calamus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Calamus has 1,097 moderate, 19 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Upadacitinib Hemihydrate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,097 Minor 19 No known interaction 1,714 (incl. Upadacitinib Hemihydrate)
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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Upadacitinib Hemihydrate

This page covers Calamus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Upadacitinib Hemihydrate page lists 138 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 Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 94 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Upadacitinib Hemihydrate page

“Grapefruit is the pairing I would want anyone on Rinvoq (upadacitinib) to know about first. The drug is cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, and grapefruit blocks that enzyme, letting blood levels climb, which matters for a medicine that already dials down the immune system.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Upadacitinib Hemihydrate 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Upadacitinib Hemihydrate too, on top of Calamus — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Calamus and Upadacitinib Hemihydrate 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Upadacitinib Hemihydrate
Top 25%

#564 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.

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.

Read the full Calamus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Upadacitinib

What Is Upadacitinib Used For?

Brand name: Rinvoq

Upadacitinib is approved for adults and some children with moderate-to-severe inflammatory conditions when other treatments haven't worked well enough. It targets overactive immune signaling that drives these diseases.

Conditions it treats include:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — in adults who didn't respond to TNF blocker medications
  • Psoriatic arthritis — in adults and children 2 years and older who didn't respond to TNF blockers
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema) — in people 12 and older whose disease isn't controlled by other systemic therapies
  • Ulcerative colitis — in adults who didn't respond to TNF blockers or other approved therapies
  • Crohn's disease — in adults who didn't respond to TNF blockers or other approved therapies

See full Upadacitinib drug information
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
1,097Moderate
19Minor
1,713No known interaction
1,097 Moderate 19 Minor 1,713 No interaction
Moderate

1,097 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,097 moderate interactions — see all 1,097 on the Calamus page.

Minor

19 interactions

No interaction 1,713 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,713 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Calamus list.

See the full Calamus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Upadacitinib Hemihydrate, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Calamus monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Upadacitinib Hemihydrate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Upadacitinib Hemihydrate, ranked by severity Upadacitinib drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Calamus and Upadacitinib Hemihydrate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calamus with Upadacitinib Hemihydrate?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calamus and Upadacitinib Hemihydrate interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Upadacitinib Hemihydrate 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.