Drug & supplement interaction

Devil's Claw + Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate

Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate brand name: Vemlidy.

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

Devil's Claw has a minor interaction with Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate. Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of P-glycoprotein substrates.

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

Devil's Claw and Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate

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

Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate

Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Devil's Claw interacts with.

Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research shows that devil's claw inhibits P-glycoprotein, which transports many drugs out of cells. This might increase intracellular levels of P-glycoprotein substrates, although it is unclear if this effect would be clinically important.
Severity Minor 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's the connection worth knowing about. Your hepatitis B medicine, Vemlidy (tenofovir alafenamide), relies on a cellular pump called P-glycoprotein to move it around the body. Lab studies hint that devil's claw may slow that pump down a bit. In theory, that could let a little more of the drug build up inside your cells, which might nudge the chance of side effects like nausea, headache, or tiredness slightly higher.

But here's my honest take: this is based only on test-tube research, not on real people, so we genuinely don't know if it matters in everyday life. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Still, since Vemlidy is important for keeping your hepatitis B controlled, run any new supplement past your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Romiti N, Tramonti G, Corti A, Chieli E. Effects of Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) on the multidrug transporter ABCB1/P-glycoprotein. Phytomedicine 2009;16:1095-100. PubMed

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

Devil's Claw Also Interacts With Other Medications

Devil's Claw has 731 moderate, 72 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 731 Minor 72 No known interaction 2,027 (incl. Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Devil's Claw

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate

This page covers Devil's Claw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate page lists 94 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 71 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate page

“St. John's wort is the supplement to rule out first with tenofovir alafenamide (Vemlidy).”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 585 real supplement products containing Devil's Claw, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Devil's Claw. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate too, on top of Devil'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 Devil's Claw and Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate 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 Devil's Claw
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate
Steady interest

#2,815 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 Devil's Claw

What is Devil's Claw?

Devil's Claw
  • Osteoarthritis pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • General inflammation
  • Digestive upset and loss of appetite

Devil's claw is a southern African plant used mainly for arthritis and back pain, and some studies suggest it may help ease these types of discomfort. The evidence is moderate at best, and product strength varies, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

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

About Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/Tenofovir alafenamide

What Is Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/Tenofovir alafenamide Used For?

Brand name: Vemlidy

  • Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) (Viread) is used along with other medications to treat HIV infection in adults and children 2 years of age and older weighing 22 pounds (10 kilograms) or more. Tenofovir DF is also used to treat chronic (long term) HBV in adults and children 2 years of age and older weighing 22 pounds (10 kilograms) or more. Tenofovir alafenamide (AF) (Vemlidy) is used to treat chronic (long term) HBV in adults and children 12 years of age and older who have stable liver disease. Tenofovir is in a class of medications called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). It works by decreasing the amount of HIV and HBV in the blood. Although tenofovir will not cure HIV, it may decrease your chance of developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV-related illnesses such as serious infections or cancer. Taking these medications along with practicing safer sex and making other lifestyle changes may decrease the risk of transmitting the HIV virus to other people. Tenofovir will not cure hepatitis B and may not prevent complications of chronic hepatitis B such as cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Tenofovir may not prevent the spread of hepatitis B to other people.

See full Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/Tenofovir alafenamide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Devil's Claw

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

0Major
731Moderate
72Minor
2,026No known interaction
731 Moderate 72 Minor 2,026 No interaction
Moderate

731 interactions

Showing 60 of 731 moderate interactions — see all 731 on the Devil's Claw page.

Minor

72 interactions

Showing 60 of 72 minor interactions — see all 72 on the Devil's Claw page.

No interaction 2,026 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Devil'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 2,026 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Devil's Claw list.

See the full Devil's Claw interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate, 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
Devil's Claw monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate, ranked by severity Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/Tenofovir alafenamide 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 Devil's Claw and Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Devil's Claw with Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Devil's Claw and Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate and Devil'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.