Drug & supplement interaction

Eucalyptus + ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine

ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine brand name: Kadcyla.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Eucalyptus has a moderate interaction with ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine. Theoretically, eucalyptus might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

Eucalyptus and ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine

ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Eucalyptus interacts with.

Theoretically, eucalyptus might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that eucalyptus oil might inhibit CYP3A4, although this has not been reported in humans.
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's the gist of this one. Lab studies hint that eucalyptus oil might slow down a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Kadcyla carries a chemotherapy payload (emtansine) that the body partly breaks down through that same enzyme. So in theory, if eucalyptus blocks CYP3A4, a bit more of that toxic payload could linger, which could mean stronger side effects like low blood counts, liver irritation, nerve tingling, or more fatigue and nausea.

The important word here is theoretical. This was only seen in a test tube, never in real people, and inhaling vapor rubs or sucking a lozenge gives tiny amounts that almost certainly won't budge your chemo. Since Kadcyla is serious medicine, just give your oncology pharmacist a heads-up before using concentrated eucalyptus products.

References
  1. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 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

Eucalyptus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Eucalyptus has 877 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Eucalyptus

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine

This page covers Eucalyptus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine page lists 121 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 87 moderate · 32 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine page

“If you're taking ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) for HER2-positive breast cancer, treat this list as one to check carefully, not casually. Every one of the 121 flagged ingredients affects the same enzyme, CYP3A4, which your body uses to clear part of this medicine.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 216 real supplement products containing Eucalyptus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Eucalyptus. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine too, on top of Eucalyptus — 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 Eucalyptus and ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine 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 Eucalyptus
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine
Top 5%

#86 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 Eucalyptus

What is Eucalyptus?

Eucalyptus
  • Cough and chest congestion
  • Colds and flu symptoms
  • Stuffy nose
  • Sore throat
  • Minor muscle and joint aches
  • Aromatherapy

Eucalyptus is best known for its strong-smelling oil used in vapor rubs, inhalants, and lozenges to ease coughs and congestion. It may provide mild, short-term relief of cold symptoms, but the oil is toxic if swallowed and must never be taken by mouth undiluted. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially in children, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.

Read the full Eucalyptus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ado-trastuzumab Emtansine Injection

What Is Ado-trastuzumab Emtansine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Kadcyla

Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) is used on its own to treat HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in adults who have already received trastuzumab and a taxane chemotherapy, either together or separately. It is used when cancer has come back or spread, or when the disease returned within six months of finishing earlier treatment.

Kadcyla is also used as adjuvant (after-surgery) treatment for HER2-positive early breast cancer in patients who still had remaining cancer after completing neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) treatment with a taxane and trastuzumab. Patients must be tested for HER2 overexpression or gene amplification using an FDA-authorized test before starting Kadcyla.

See full Ado-trastuzumab Emtansine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Eucalyptus

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

0Major
877Moderate
0Minor
1,952No known interaction
Moderate

877 interactions

Showing 60 of 877 moderate interactions — see all 877 on the Eucalyptus page.

No interaction 1,952 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,952 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Eucalyptus list.

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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Eucalyptus and ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Eucalyptus with ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine?
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 Eucalyptus and ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine 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 ADO-Trastuzumab Emtansine and Eucalyptus?

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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.