Drug & supplement interaction

Canada Balsam + Oxaliplatin

Oxaliplatin brand name: Eloxatin.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin 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

Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin

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 Oxaliplatin and Canada Balsam 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Canada Balsam at all — not against Oxaliplatin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Canada Balsam safety at a glance

Canada Balsam overall Use caution Mainly used topically; resins and their oils can irritate skin and there is limited safety data for internal use.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is no reliable safety data, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Oxaliplatin and Canada Balsam? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Oxaliplatin’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Canada Balsam. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Oxaliplatin’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 9 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Severe muscle breakdown Worth acting on
  • Bleeding in the gut Worth acting on
  • A low platelet count Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on
  • A low white blood cell count Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on
  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on
  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on
  • Mouth irritation or sores

Showing the 10 most notable of 16 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Oxaliplatin. Read the label on DailyMed › Canada Balsam’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Canada Balsam side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Canada Balsam has no side effects.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Oxaliplatin

This page covers Canada Balsam only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Oxaliplatin page lists 10 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Coenzyme Q10 (moderate), Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) (moderate) and Rose Hip (moderate).

By severity: 8 moderate · 2 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Oxaliplatin page

“Most of the ten supplements on record for oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), a chemotherapy used against colorectal cancer, are antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10, and the concern with each is the same, that they might in theory blunt the drug's ability to kill tumor cells. None of the ten is rated major, eight sit at mod…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Oxaliplatin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin 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 Canada Balsam
Steady interest

#1,342 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Oxaliplatin
Top half

#847 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.
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Canada Balsam

What is Canada Balsam?

  • Topical wound and skin care
  • Soothing coughs and colds (traditional)
  • Antiseptic and antimicrobial uses
  • Aromatherapy and fragrance
  • Minor aches and irritations

Canada Balsam is the sticky oleoresin from the balsam fir tree, traditionally used on the skin and in folk cold remedies, and also widely used as a fragrance and a clear cement in microscopy and optics. There is very little high-quality human research supporting any health benefit, so it should be viewed as a traditional remedy rather than a proven treatment. Use it cautiously, mainly externally, and check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it medicinally.

Abies balsamea · Pinaceae · Oleoresin (resin) collected from the trunk; sometimes needles and bark · Resin (raw oleoresin), essential oil, salves and ointments, and as an ingredient in some traditional preparations

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

Canada Balsam: dosing

There is no established or standardized medicinal dose for Canada Balsam. It has not been studied enough in people to know a safe and effective amount.If you use a commercial product, such as a salve or an essential oil blend, follow the directions on the label.

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

Read the full Canada Balsam monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Oxaliplatin Injection

What Is Oxaliplatin Injection Used For?

Brand name: Eloxatin

Oxaliplatin Injection is used in combination with two other drugs — fluorouracil and leucovorin — to treat colon and colorectal cancers. It is approved for adjuvant treatment (treatment after surgery to lower the chance of cancer returning) of stage III colon cancer in patients who have had the tumor completely removed.

It is also used to treat advanced colorectal cancer (cancer that has spread or cannot be cured with surgery alone). In both settings, oxaliplatin is always given as part of a combination regimen — it is not used alone.

See full Oxaliplatin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Canada Balsam

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

We checked Canada Balsam against Oxaliplatin in the Natural Medicines interaction database and found no documented interaction on file. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus, and supplement label details from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Canada Balsam with Oxaliplatin?
We do not list a known interaction between Canada Balsam and Oxaliplatin. 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.
Does Oxaliplatin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Oxaliplatin has documented interactions with 10 supplements in our database — Canada Balsam is not one of them. The Oxaliplatin 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 Oxaliplatin and Canada Balsam?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.