Drug & supplement interaction

Clove + Ivermectin

Ivermectin brand names: Stromectol, Mectizan, Sklice, Soolantra.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Clove and Ivermectin 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 Ivermectin states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Clove and Ivermectin

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 Ivermectin and Clove 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.

Clove safety at a glance

Clove overall Use caution Safe as a food spice, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic in large amounts.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is i... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is i... 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 Ivermectin and Clove? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Ivermectin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Ivermectin is filed under 4 classifications — including topical drugs, p-glycoprotein substrates, oral drugs. Clove has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) substrates (moderate) — and none of Ivermectin’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

Clove Does Interact With Other Medications

Clove has 917 moderate, 60 minor known drug interactions in our database — Ivermectin 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 Clove

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Clove and Ivermectin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 5 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Wheezing / Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail

    Clove

    “Clove cigarettes have been associated with throat and chest tightness, pulmonary edema, and fatal aspiration pneumonitis. The causative factor may be clove alone or clove along with other substances found in cigarettes.”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.

    6 sources cited
    1. 43337. Pallares, D. E. Link between clove cigarettes and urticaria? Postgrad.Med 10-1-1999;106(4):153. PubMed
    2. 43618. Hackett, P. H., Rodriguez, G., and Roach, R. C. Clove cigarettes and high-altitude pulmonary edema. JAMA 6-28-1985;253(24):3551-3552. DOI
    3. 43599. Guidotti, T. L., Laing, L., and Prakash, U. B. Clove cigarettes. The basis for concern regarding health effects. West J Med 1989;151(2):220-228.
    4. 12892. Malson JL, Lee EM, Murty R, et al. Clove cigarette smoking: biochemical, physiological, and subjective effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;74:739-45. PubMed
    5. 43602. Anonymous. Evaluation of the health hazard of clove cigarettes. Council on Scientific Affairs. JAMA 12-23-1988;260(24):3641-3644. DOI
    6. 16384. Kirsch CM, Yenokida GG, Jensen WA, et al. Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema due to the intravenous administration of clove oil. Thorax 1990;45:235-6. PubMed

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Confusion / Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    Clove

    “CNS depression has been reported in a 7-month-old who was given one teaspoon of clove oil accidentally in place of mineral oil for diarrhea. The patient was successfully treated with supportive care and gastric lavage. A case of confusion and inability to speak has been reported secondary to oral exposure to clove oil and alcohol.”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    3 sources cited
    1. 43457. Lane, B. W., Ellenhorn, M. J., Hulbert, T. V., and McCarron, M. Clove oil ingestion in an infant. Hum.Exp Toxicol. 1991;10(4):291-294. PubMed
    2. 43580. Dyrbye, B. A., Dubois, L., Vink, R., and Horn, J. A patient with clove oil intoxication. Anaesth.Intensive Care 2012;40(2):365-366.
    3. 43652. Hartnoll, G., Moore, D., and Douek, D. Near fatal ingestion of oil of cloves. Arch.Dis Child 1993;69(3):392-393. PubMed

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Clove

    “Contact dermatitis and urticaria has been reported following topical exposure to clove oil or eugenol, a constituent of clove oil.”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    4 sources cited
    1. 12635. Kanerva L, Estlander T, Jolanki R. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from spices. Contact Dermatitis 1996;35:157-62. PubMed
    2. 43339. Sanchez-Perez, J. and Garcia-Diez, A. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from eugenol, oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves in a physiotherapist. Contact Dermatitis 1999;41(6):346-347. PubMed
    3. 43606. Romaguera, C., Alomar, A., Camarasa, J. M., Garcia, Bravo B., Garcia, Perez A., Grimalt, F., Guerra, P., Lopez, Gorretcher B., Pascual, A. M., Miranda, A., and . Contact dermatitis in children. Contact Dermatitis 1985;12(5):283-284. PubMed
    4. 43346. Andersen, K. E., Johansen, J. D., Bruze, M., Frosch, P. J., Goossens, A., Lepoittevin, J. P., Rastogi, S., White, I., and Menne, T. The time-dose-response relationship for elicitation of contact dermatitis in isoeugenol allergic individuals. Toxicol.Appl PubMed

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A fast or pounding heartbeat / Itching reported in 6.2% of FDA reports for Ivermectin Additional detail

    Clove

    “Orally, clove is well tolerated when consumed as a spice; however, clove oil in doses of only 5-10 mL can be toxic in children. Topically, clove is generally well tolerated. When inhaled or used intravenously, clove may be unsafe.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Topically: Burning, contact dermatitis, dental decay, itching, mucous membrane irritation, tingling, ulcers.

    Inhaled: Dental decay, hypertension, itching, tachy…”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards).

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Swelling Additional detail

    Clove

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

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea reported in 4.6% of FDA reports for Ivermectin Additional detail

    Clove

    “Proteinuria and other urinary abnormalities were observed in a seven-month-old infant given one teaspoon of clove oil accidentally in place of mineral oil for diarrhea. The patient was successfully treated with supportive care and gastric lavage.”

    Clove · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 43457. Lane, B. W., Ellenhorn, M. J., Hulbert, T. V., and McCarron, M. Clove oil ingestion in an infant. Hum.Exp Toxicol. 1991;10(4):291-294. PubMed

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Clove

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

    Ivermectin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ivermectin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Clove but not commonly for Ivermectin: an electrolyte imbalance, shortness of breath, raised blood pressure and low blood sugar.

Effects for Ivermectin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Clove come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 6,298 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Ivermectin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Clove in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts found in foods. Clove, clove oil, and eugenol have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for use in foods in the US. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using clove in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation; 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 Ivermectin Products Have a Food Rule — Clove Should Not Break It

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

Patients should take tablets on an empty stomach with water.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Ivermectin — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Clove or Ivermectin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Clove or Ivermectin, 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 Ivermectin

This page covers Clove only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ivermectin page lists 58 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), Sweet Orange (major), Bitter Melon (moderate) and Black Pepper (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 37 moderate · 18 minor.

Open the Ivermectin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 59 real supplement products containing Clove, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Clove. Even though Clove itself has no known interaction with Ivermectin, 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 Clove and Ivermectin 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 Clove
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ivermectin
Top 1%

#12 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 Clove reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Clove and Ivermectin 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 Clove

What is Clove?

Clove
  • Toothache and oral pain
  • Digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial and antifungal
  • Cough and respiratory complaints
  • Flavoring in food and drinks

Clove is a common cooking spice that is also used in traditional medicine, especially as a topical numbing agent for tooth pain thanks to its main compound, eugenol. Food amounts are generally safe, but concentrated clove oil and supplements can be irritating or toxic if overused, and human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using clove medicinally, especially in children or during pregnancy.

Syzygium aromaticum · Myrtaceae · Dried flower buds, leaves, and essential oil · Whole or ground spice, capsules, essential oil, topical gels, mouth rinses, teas

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

Clove: dosing

There is no official, well-established medicinal dose for clove. The amount used as a cooking spice is considered safe for most people.For supplements, capsules, and topical oils, the right amount depends on the specific product. Because clove oil is very concentrated, it should be diluted before use on the skin or gums and should not be swallowed.

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

Read the full Clove monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ivermectin

What Is Ivermectin Used For?

Brand names: Stromectol, Mectizan, Sklice, Soolantra

Ivermectin tablets (including Stromectol) are used to treat two parasitic infections: strongyloidiasis (a roundworm infection of the intestinal tract) and onchocerciasis (river blindness, caused by a parasitic worm spread by blackfly bites). These are prescription uses for serious infections.

Topical ivermectin lotion — sold under several names including RID One and Done, Head Lice Treatment Ivermectin Lotion, Scalp Care Lotions, and others — is applied to the scalp to treat head lice. A separate topical ivermectin cream (1%), available as Soolantra and ivermectin cream 1%, is used to treat the inflammatory pimple-like bumps of rosacea.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ivermectin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (6,298 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Headache 647 reports
Asthenia 590 reports
Fever 485 reports
Pruritus 388 reports
Diarrhea 292 reports
See full Ivermectin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Clove

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

0Major
917Moderate
60Minor
1,852No known interaction
Moderate

917 interactions

Showing 60 of 917 moderate interactions — see all 917 on the Clove page.

Minor

60 interactions

No interaction 1,852 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Clove References

The 26 references that drive our Clove 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  3. Kanerva L, Estlander T, Jolanki R. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from spices. Contact Dermatitis 1996;35:157-62. PubMed
  4. Chen SJ, Wang MH, Chen IJ. Antiplatelet and calcium inhibitory properties of eugenol and sodium eugenol acetate. Gen Pharmacol 1996;27:629-33. PubMed
  5. Malson JL, Lee EM, Murty R, et al. Clove cigarette smoking: biochemical, physiological, and subjective effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;74:739-45. PubMed
  6. Kirsch CM, Yenokida GG, Jensen WA, et al. Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema due to the intravenous administration of clove oil. Thorax 1990;45:235-6. PubMed
  7. Pallares, D. E. Link between clove cigarettes and urticaria? Postgrad.Med 10-1-1999;106(4):153. PubMed
  8. Barnard, D. R. Repellency of essential oils to mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 1999;36(5):625-629. PubMed
  9. Sanchez-Perez, J. and Garcia-Diez, A. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from eugenol, oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves in a physiotherapist. Contact Dermatitis 1999;41(6):346-347. PubMed
  10. Andersen, K. E., Johansen, J. D., Bruze, M., Frosch, P. J., Goossens, A., Lepoittevin, J. P., Rastogi, S., White, I., and Menne, T. The time-dose-response relationship for elicitation of contact dermatitis in isoeugenol allergic individuals. Toxicol.Appl PubMed
  11. Alqareer, A., Alyahya, A., and Andersson, L. The effect of clove and benzocaine versus placebo as topical anesthetics. J Dent 2006;34(10):747-750. PubMed
  12. Lane, B. W., Ellenhorn, M. J., Hulbert, T. V., and McCarron, M. Clove oil ingestion in an infant. Hum.Exp Toxicol. 1991;10(4):291-294. PubMed
  13. Quirce, S., Fernandez-Nieto, M., del, Pozo, V, Sastre, B., and Sastre, J. Occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by eugenol in a hairdresser. Allergy 2008;63(1):137-138. PubMed
  14. Srivastava, K. C. and Malhotra, N. Acetyl eugenol, a component of oil of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum L.) inhibits aggregation and alters arachidonic acid metabolism in human blood platelets. Prostaglandins Leukot.Essent.Fatty Acids 1991;42(1):73-81. PubMed
  15. Dyrbye, B. A., Dubois, L., Vink, R., and Horn, J. A patient with clove oil intoxication. Anaesth.Intensive Care 2012;40(2):365-366.

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 Clove and Ivermectin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Clove with Ivermectin?
We do not list a known interaction between Clove and Ivermectin. 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.
Do Clove and Ivermectin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Clove and Ivermectin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Ivermectin 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 Ivermectin on its own and move Clove 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 Clove and Ivermectin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Ivermectin is filed under 4 classifications, and Clove has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Ivermectin'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 Clove interact with any other medications?
Yes. Clove has 977 documented drug interactions in our database — Ivermectin 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 Ivermectin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ivermectin has documented interactions with 58 supplements in our database — Clove is not one of them. The Ivermectin 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 Ivermectin and Clove?

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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.