Drug & supplement interaction

Cat's Claw + Azathioprine

Azathioprine brand names: Imuran, Azamune.

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

Cat's Claw has a moderate interaction with Azathioprine. Theoretically, cat's claw might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.

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

Cat's Claw and Azathioprine

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Azathioprine

Azathioprine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Cat's Claw interacts with.

Theoretically, cat's claw might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.
In human and laboratory research, cat's claw has been shown to have immunostimulating activity. It stimulates phagocytosis and increases respiratory cellular activity and the mobility of leukocytes. Theoretically, this could interfere with the activity of immunosuppressant medications.
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

Here is the thing to keep in mind with this combination. Azathioprine works by calming down or suppressing your immune system, which is exactly what you want whether you are protecting a transplanted kidney or quieting down rheumatoid arthritis. Cat's claw, on the other hand, has shown signs in lab and animal studies that it may stimulate the immune system, which is the opposite direction.

So in theory, taking cat's claw could work against what azathioprine is trying to do, potentially making it less effective. With a transplant that could mean a higher risk of rejection, and with arthritis it could mean flares returning. I want to be honest though: this concern is theoretical and based on weak evidence, not strong human data. Still, given the stakes, please check with your transplant team or doctor before adding it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sandoval M, Charbonnet RM, Okuhama NN, et al. Cat's claw inhibits TNFalpha production and scavenges free radicals: role in cytoprotection. Free Radic Biol Med 2000;29:71-78.
  2. Sheng, Y., Bryngelsson, C., and Pero, R. W. Enhanced DNA repair, immune function and reduced toxicity of C-MED-100, a novel aqueous extract from Uncaria tomentosa. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000;69(2):115-126. PubMed
  3. Lamm, S., Sheng, Y., and Pero, R. W. Persistent response to pneumococcal vaccine in individuals supplemented with a novel water soluble extract of Uncaria tomentosa, C-Med-100. Phytomedicine 2001;8(4):267-274.
  4. Sheng, Y., Li, L., Holmgren, K., and Pero, R. W. DNA repair enhancement of aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa in a human volunteer study. Phytomedicine 2001;8(4):275-282.

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

Cat's Claw Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cat's Claw has 961 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Azathioprine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 961 No known interaction 1,869 (incl. Azathioprine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cat's Claw

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Cat's Claw. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Cat's Claw or Azathioprine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cat's Claw or Azathioprine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Azathioprine

This page covers Cat's Claw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Azathioprine page lists 106 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 92 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Azathioprine page

“Azathioprine (Imuran) quiets an overactive immune system, which is why people take it after a transplant or for autoimmune disease, and it is also why I read this interaction list with real caution. Fully half of the 106 supplements on file, 53 of them, appear because they stimulate immunity and could blunt the very effect you depend on.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Azathioprine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Cat's Claw as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 910 real supplement products containing Cat's Claw, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cat's Claw. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Azathioprine too, on top of Cat's Claw — 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 Cat's Claw and Azathioprine 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 Cat's Claw
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Azathioprine
Top 25%

#601 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 Cat's Claw

What is Cat's Claw?

Cat's Claw
  • Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Inflammation
  • Immune support
  • Digestive complaints
  • General wellness/tonic

Cat's claw is a South American vine traditionally used for inflammation, joint pain, and immune support. Some small studies hint it may help with arthritis symptoms, but the overall evidence is limited and not strong enough to confirm clear benefits. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Cat's Claw monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Azathioprine

What Is Azathioprine Used For?

Brand names: Imuran, Azamune

Azathioprine is used alongside other medications to help prevent the body from rejecting a kidney transplant (renal homotransplantation). It is also used to treat active rheumatoid arthritis — reducing signs and symptoms in adults who have not responded well enough to other treatments.

Other pain relievers such as aspirin, NSAIDs, or low-dose steroids may be continued alongside azathioprine for rheumatoid arthritis. Combining azathioprine with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has not been well studied and is not recommended.

See full Azathioprine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cat's Claw

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

0Major
961Moderate
0Minor
1,868No known interaction
961 Moderate 1,868 No interaction
Moderate

961 interactions

Showing 60 of 961 moderate interactions — see all 961 on the Cat's Claw page.

No interaction 1,868 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,868 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cat's Claw list.

See the full Cat's Claw interactions page
See every supplement checked against Azathioprine, 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
Cat's Claw monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Azathioprine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Azathioprine, ranked by severity Azathioprine 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 Cat's Claw and Azathioprine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cat's Claw with Azathioprine?
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 Cat's Claw and Azathioprine 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 Azathioprine and Cat's Claw?

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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.