Drug & supplement interaction

Coconut Oil + Methotrexate

Methotrexate brand names: Rheumatrex, Otrexup, Rasuvo, Reditrex.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Coconut Oil and Methotrexate 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 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

Coconut Oil and Methotrexate

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 Methotrexate and Coconut Oil 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 Coconut Oil at all — not against Methotrexate, 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.

Coconut Oil safety at a glance

Coconut Oil overall Use caution Generally safe as a food, but it is high in saturated fat, so heavy dietary use may affect cholesterol.
Pregnancy Use caution Normal food amounts are likely fine, but avoid large medicinal doses without medical advice.
Breastfeeding Use caution Normal food amounts are likely fine; talk to your doctor before using large amounts as a supplement.

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

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Coconut Oil and Methotrexate 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail

    Coconut Oil

    “Due to its high saturated fat content, there has been some speculation that consuming coconut oil might increase cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Several population and clinical studies have found that consuming coconut oil increases total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in some patients.”

    Coconut Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in angina.

    6 sources cited
    1. 12361. Reiser R, Probstfield JL, Silvers A, et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein response of humans to beef fat, coconut oil and safflower oil. Am J Clin Nutr 1985;42:190-7. PubMed
    2. 14407. Kumar PD. The role of coconut and coconut oil in coronary heart disease in Kerala, south India. Trop Doct 1997;27:215-7. PubMed
    3. 17935. Cox C, Sutherland W, Mann J, et al. Effects of dietary coconut oil, butter and safflower oil on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lathosterol levels. Eur J Clin Nutr 1998;52:650-4. PubMed
    4. 17940. Feranil AB, Duazo PL, Kuzawa CW, Adair LS. Coconut oil is associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women in the Philippines. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2011;20:190-5.
    5. 94451. Cox C, Mann J, Sutherland W, et al Effects of coconut oil, butter, and safflower oil on lipids and lipoproteins in persons with moderately elevated cholesterol levels. J Lipid Res 1995;36:1787-95. DOI
    6. 94452. Voon PT, Ng TK, Lee VK, Nesaretnam K. Diets high in palmitic acid (16:0), lauric and myristic acids (12:0 + 14:0), or oleic acid (18:1) do not alter postprandial or fasting plasma homocysteine and inflammatory markers in healthy Malaysian adults. Am J Cli PubMed

    Methotrexate

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

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Coconut Oil

    “Several cases of allergic reactions have been reported for patients who consumed coconut fruit. In some of the cases, the patients were previously diagnosed with sensitivity to other tree nuts, including peanuts, so cross-sensitivity is suspected. In a separate case report, a 17-year-old male was found to be sensitized to both coconut and buckwheat, indicating a possible cross-sensitivity between the two allergens.”

    Coconut Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    5 sources cited
    1. 95808. Michavila Gomez A, Amat Bou M, Gonzalez Cortés MV, Segura Navas L, Moreno Palanques MA, Bartolomé B. Coconut anaphylaxis: Case report and review. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2015;43(2):219-20. PubMed
    2. 12359. Teuber SS, Peterson WR. Systemic allergic reaction to coconut (Cocos nucifera) in 2 subjects with hypersensitivity to tree nut and demonstration of cross-reactivity to legumin-like seed storage proteins: new coconut and walnut food allergens. J Allergy Cl PubMed
    3. 12360. Tella R, Gaig P, Lombardero M, et al. A case of coconut allergy. Allergy 2003;58:825-6. PubMed
    4. 95806. Anagnostou K. Coconut Allergy Revisited. Children (Basel). 2017;4(10). pii: E85. PubMed
    5. 14408. Fries JH, Fries MW. Coconut: a review of its uses as they relate to the allergic individual. Ann Allergy 1983;51:472-81.

    “In one case report, a 6-year-old child developed urticaria and hives from applying coconut oil to the skin. The child had been exposed to coconut oil consistently since 2 weeks of age, indicating sensitization over the course of regular exposure. In clinical research, one patient reported localized pruritus immediately after applying a combination of coconut oil, anise oil, and ylang ylang.”

    Coconut Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    2 sources cited
    1. 95806. Anagnostou K. Coconut Allergy Revisited. Children (Basel). 2017;4(10). pii: E85. PubMed
    2. 13483. Mumcuoglu KY, Miller J, Zamir C, et al. The in vivo pediculicidal efficacy of a natural remedy. Isr Med Assoc J 2002;4:790-3.

    Methotrexate

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

  • Itching Additional detail

    Coconut Oil

    Recorded for Coconut Oil in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Hives above.

    Methotrexate

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

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea Additional detail

    Coconut Oil

    “Orally, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis have been reported rarely.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 101877. Neelakantan N, Seah JYH, van Dam RM. The effect of coconut oil consumption on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Circulation. 2020;141(10):803-814. PubMed
    2. 115879. Alejandria MM, Dalmacio LMM, Climacosa FMM, et al. Virgin Coconut Oil as Adjunctive Therapy for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in a Tertiary Referral Hospital: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Acta Med Philipp 2024;58(8):31-41.

    Methotrexate

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

Reported for Coconut Oil but not commonly for Methotrexate: a heart attack, an allergic reaction, a severe allergic reaction and swelling.

Effects for Methotrexate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Coconut Oil come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 489,806 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Methotrexate 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.

Overlapping uses

What Methotrexate Is Prescribed For, and What Coconut Oil Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Methotrexate is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Coconut Oil is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Methotrexate is prescribed for: Methotrexate treats a wide range of serious conditions. In cancer care, it is used for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (a rare tumor related to pregnancy). It is also used to prevent and treat meningeal leukemia (cancer affecting the lining of the brain and spinal cord). Outside of cancer, methotrexate is prescribed for adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), children with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (a form of childhood arthritis), and adults with severe psoriasis that hasn't responded well to other treatments.

Coconut Oil has been studied for:

  • Psoriasis studied, not established Coconut Oil has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Coconut Oil for psoriasis

    It is unclear if topical coconut oil is beneficial in patients with psoriasis.

  • Breast cancer studied, not established Coconut Oil has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Coconut Oil for breast cancer

    It is unclear if oral coconut oil is beneficial in patients with breast cancer.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Methotrexate on your own; if you are taking Coconut Oil for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Coconut Oil or Methotrexate

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

This page covers Coconut Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methotrexate page lists 82 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 7 major · 60 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Methotrexate page

“The liver is where methotrexate and supplements clash most. Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Otrexup, Rasuvo), used for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and certain cancers, can strain the liver on its own, and 38 of the 82 interacting ingredients on this list add liver risk of their own, alcohol included, which makes this a list to approach…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Methotrexate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 408 real supplement products containing Coconut Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Coconut Oil. Even though Coconut Oil itself has no known interaction with Methotrexate, 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 Coconut Oil and Methotrexate 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 Coconut Oil
Steady interest

#1,105 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Methotrexate
Top 5%

#49 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 Coconut Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Coconut Oil and Methotrexate records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Coconut Oil

What is Coconut Oil?

  • Cooking and food preparation
  • Skin moisturizer
  • Hair conditioning
  • Oral health (oil pulling)
  • Weight management
  • Heart health (popularly claimed)

Coconut oil is a popular fat used in cooking, skin care, and hair care, and many people believe it has special health benefits. The evidence for most health claims is limited or mixed, and because coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, eating large amounts may raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol. Use it in moderation and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it for a specific health condition.

Cocos nucifera · Arecaceae · Oil extracted from the dried or fresh meat (kernel) of the coconut · Cooking oil (virgin and refined), capsules, skin and hair products, MCT oil derived from coconut

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

Coconut Oil: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of coconut oil for any health condition. It is most often used simply as a cooking oil or food ingredient.Because it is high in saturated fat and calories, it is best used in moderation as part of a balanced diet. If you are using a coconut oil supplement or MCT product, follow the directions on the product label.For skin or hair use, a small amount applied to the area is typical.

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

Read the full Coconut Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Methotrexate

What Is Methotrexate Used For?

Brand names: Rheumatrex, Otrexup, Rasuvo, Reditrex

Methotrexate treats a wide range of serious conditions. In cancer care, it is used for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (a rare tumor related to pregnancy). It is also used to prevent and treat meningeal leukemia (cancer affecting the lining of the brain and spinal cord).

Outside of cancer, methotrexate is prescribed for adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), children with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (a form of childhood arthritis), and adults with severe psoriasis that hasn't responded well to other treatments.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Methotrexate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (489,806 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Rheumatoid arthritis 42,798 reports
Arthralgia 40,830 reports
Fatigue 33,049 reports
Nausea 28,999 reports
Joint swelling 25,026 reports
See full Methotrexate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Coconut Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Coconut Oil — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Coconut Oil list.

See the full Coconut Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Methotrexate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Coconut Oil References

The 20 references that drive our Coconut Oil 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. Teuber SS, Peterson WR. Systemic allergic reaction to coconut (Cocos nucifera) in 2 subjects with hypersensitivity to tree nut and demonstration of cross-reactivity to legumin-like seed storage proteins: new coconut and walnut food allergens. J Allergy Cl PubMed
  2. Tella R, Gaig P, Lombardero M, et al. A case of coconut allergy. Allergy 2003;58:825-6. PubMed
  3. Reiser R, Probstfield JL, Silvers A, et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein response of humans to beef fat, coconut oil and safflower oil. Am J Clin Nutr 1985;42:190-7. PubMed
  4. Mumcuoglu KY, Miller J, Zamir C, et al. The in vivo pediculicidal efficacy of a natural remedy. Isr Med Assoc J 2002;4:790-3.
  5. Kumar PD. The role of coconut and coconut oil in coronary heart disease in Kerala, south India. Trop Doct 1997;27:215-7. PubMed
  6. Fries JH, Fries MW. Coconut: a review of its uses as they relate to the allergic individual. Ann Allergy 1983;51:472-81.
  7. Cox C, Sutherland W, Mann J, et al. Effects of dietary coconut oil, butter and safflower oil on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lathosterol levels. Eur J Clin Nutr 1998;52:650-4. PubMed
  8. Feranil AB, Duazo PL, Kuzawa CW, Adair LS. Coconut oil is associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women in the Philippines. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2011;20:190-5.
  9. Cox C, Mann J, Sutherland W, et al Effects of coconut oil, butter, and safflower oil on lipids and lipoproteins in persons with moderately elevated cholesterol levels. J Lipid Res 1995;36:1787-95. DOI
  10. Voon PT, Ng TK, Lee VK, Nesaretnam K. Diets high in palmitic acid (16:0), lauric and myristic acids (12:0 + 14:0), or oleic acid (18:1) do not alter postprandial or fasting plasma homocysteine and inflammatory markers in healthy Malaysian adults. Am J Cli PubMed
  11. Anagnostou K. Coconut Allergy Revisited. Children (Basel). 2017;4(10). pii: E85. PubMed
  12. Michavila Gomez A, Amat Bou M, Gonzalez Cortés MV, Segura Navas L, Moreno Palanques MA, Bartolomé B. Coconut anaphylaxis: Case report and review. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2015;43(2):219-20. PubMed
  13. Vijayakumar M, Vasudevan DM, Sundaram KR, et al. A randomized study of coconut oil versus sunflower oil on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Indian Heart J. 2016 Jul-Aug;68(4):498-506. PubMed
  14. Khaw KT, Sharp SJ, Finikarides L, et al. Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women. BMJ Open. 2018;8(3):e020167. PubMed
  15. Neelakantan N, Seah JYH, van Dam RM. The effect of coconut oil consumption on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Circulation. 2020;141(10):803-814. PubMed

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 Coconut Oil and Methotrexate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Coconut Oil with Methotrexate?
We do not list a known interaction between Coconut Oil and Methotrexate. 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 Coconut Oil and Methotrexate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 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.
Are Coconut Oil and Methotrexate used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Coconut Oil in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Methotrexate is being adjusted to a target.
Does Methotrexate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Methotrexate has documented interactions with 82 supplements in our database — Coconut Oil is not one of them. The Methotrexate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Coconut Oil monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Methotrexate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Methotrexate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Methotrexate, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 20 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Methotrexate and Coconut Oil?

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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.