Drug & supplement interaction

Chaulmoogra + Raltegravir

Raltegravir brand name: Isentress.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir

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 Raltegravir and Chaulmoogra 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 Chaulmoogra at all — not against Raltegravir, 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.

Chaulmoogra safety at a glance

Chaulmoogra overall Use caution Largely outdated remedy with limited modern safety data and a history of irritation and side effects.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

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

What Chaulmoogra Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Raltegravir. It is the side-effect record for Chaulmoogra on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Chaulmoogra, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Kidney problems / Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, ingestion of the seed can cause cough, dyspnea, laryngospasms, nephrotoxicity, visual disorders, head and muscle pain, and central paralysis (18).

    Topically, use can cause skin irritation (18).”

    Chaulmoogra · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cough.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  • Cough / Muscle pain Additional detail

    Recorded for Chaulmoogra in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Kidney problems / Shortness of breath above.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Raltegravir

This page covers Chaulmoogra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Raltegravir page lists 33 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Breadfruit (moderate), Brussels Sprout (moderate), Cabbage (moderate) and Calcium (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 22 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Raltegravir page

“For someone taking raltegravir (Isentress) to keep HIV suppressed, a steady drug level is what blocks rebound and resistance, and this list deserves genuine vigilance. The lone major-rated entry is activated charcoal, which can soak up the medicine in the gut and cut what reaches your blood.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Raltegravir interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir 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 Chaulmoogra
Steady interest

#1,120 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Raltegravir
Steady interest

#2,030 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 Chaulmoogra reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir 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 Chaulmoogra

What is Chaulmoogra?

  • Leprosy (historical)
  • Skin conditions and rashes
  • Wound and sore care
  • Eczema and psoriasis (traditional)
  • Rheumatic complaints (traditional)

Chaulmoogra oil is an old herbal remedy famous for being the main treatment for leprosy before modern antibiotics. Today it has been replaced by safer, more effective drugs, and there is little reliable modern evidence to support its use. If you are considering it, talk to a pharmacist or doctor first, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Hydnocarpus kurzii · Achariaceae · Seed oil (chaulmoogra oil) and seeds · Seed oil, topical preparations, and historically injectable oil derivatives

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

Chaulmoogra: dosing

There is no established, standardized dose for chaulmoogra in modern use, and it is not a recommended treatment today. Historical doses varied widely and were used under medical supervision in an era before modern drugs.If you find a product that contains chaulmoogra, follow the directions on the label and do not use it internally.

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

Read the full Chaulmoogra monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Raltegravir

What Is Raltegravir Used For?

Brand name: Isentress

Raltegravir — available as Isentress and as the generic raltegravir tablet — is used to treat HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. It is always used together with other antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medicines, never on its own.

Isentress is approved for adults and for children weighing at least 2 kg. Raltegravir tablets are approved for adults and for children weighing at least 25 kg who can swallow a tablet whole.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Raltegravir

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (16,418 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Foetal exposure during pregnancy 1,078 reports
Depression 1,017 reports
Anxiety 966 reports
Emotional distress 789 reports
Anhedonia 708 reports
See full Raltegravir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chaulmoogra

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Chaulmoogra — 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
Evidence & sources

Chaulmoogra References

The 1 references that drive our Chaulmoogra 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

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 Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Chaulmoogra with Raltegravir?
We do not list a known interaction between Chaulmoogra and Raltegravir. 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 Raltegravir interact with any supplements?
Yes. Raltegravir has documented interactions with 33 supplements in our database — Chaulmoogra is not one of them. The Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir and Chaulmoogra?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.