Drug & supplement interaction

False Unicorn + Rucaparib Camsylate

Rucaparib Camsylate brand name: Rubraca.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

False Unicorn has a moderate interaction with Rucaparib Camsylate. In vitro, false unicorn extract inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) activity.

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

False Unicorn and Rucaparib Camsylate

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Rucaparib Camsylate

Rucaparib Camsylate falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES — the group False Unicorn interacts with.

In vitro, false unicorn extract inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) activity. Theoretically, false unicorn might increase the levels of CYP2D6 substrates. Some of drugs that are CYP2D6 substrates include amitriptyline (Elavil), clozapine (Clozaril), codeine, desipramine (Norpramin), donepezil (Aricept), fentanyl (Duragesic), flecainide (Tambocor), fluoxetine (Prozac), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), olanzapine (Zyprexa), ondansetron (Zofran), tramadol (Ultram), trazodone (Desyrel), and others.
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 for Rubraca (rucaparib), your ovarian cancer maintenance medicine. In a lab setting (not in people), false unicorn appeared to slow down an enzyme called CYP2D6, which is one of the pathways your body uses to break down certain drugs. The worry is that adding false unicorn could let rucaparib build up a bit, which might mean more of its usual side effects, such as nausea, tiredness, low blood counts, or changes in liver-related lab values.

I want to be honest though: this is only a theoretical concern from test-tube data, not from real patients, so we don't actually know if it matters in everyday life. Still, with a cancer treatment, I wouldn't take chances. Please check with your oncologist or pharmacist before adding false unicorn, and don't change your rucaparib on your own.

References
  1. Ho SH, Singh M, Holloway AC, Crankshaw DJ. The effects of commercial preparations of herbal supplements commonly used by women on the biotransformation of fluorogenic substrates by human cytochromes P450. Phytother Res. 2011;25(7):983-9. 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

False Unicorn Also Interacts With Other Medications

False Unicorn has 739 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Rucaparib Camsylate 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 False Unicorn

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Rucaparib Camsylate

This page covers False Unicorn only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Rucaparib Camsylate page lists 105 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), 1,3-dmaa (moderate), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 78 moderate · 25 minor.

Open the Rucaparib Camsylate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 32 real supplement products containing False Unicorn, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides False Unicorn. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Rucaparib Camsylate too, on top of False Unicorn — 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 False Unicorn and Rucaparib Camsylate 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 False Unicorn
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Rucaparib Camsylate
Top half

#818 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 False Unicorn

What is False Unicorn?

False Unicorn
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Female infertility support
  • Irregular periods
  • Digestive complaints

False Unicorn is a North American plant whose root has long been used in traditional medicine for women's reproductive and menstrual concerns. There is very little reliable human research to show it actually works, and safety has not been well studied, so it should be used with caution and never during pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Read the full False Unicorn monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Rucaparib

What Is Rucaparib Used For?

Brand name: Rubraca

Rubraca (rucaparib) is used for two types of cancer in adults who carry a harmful BRCA gene mutation (either inherited or found in the tumor). First, it is used as maintenance treatment — meaning ongoing treatment to keep cancer from coming back — in people with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, or primary peritoneal cancer who responded (fully or partially) to platinum-based chemotherapy.

Second, Rubraca treats metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (advanced prostate cancer that has stopped responding to hormone-lowering treatment) in adults who have already received androgen receptor-directed therapy. Patients must be tested with an FDA-approved companion diagnostic to confirm the BRCA mutation before starting Rubraca for prostate cancer.

See full Rucaparib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & False Unicorn

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

0Major
739Moderate
0Minor
2,090No known interaction
Moderate

739 interactions

Showing 60 of 739 moderate interactions — see all 739 on the False Unicorn page.

No interaction 2,090 drugs checked — show the 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 False Unicorn and Rucaparib Camsylate Together: Common Questions

Can you take False Unicorn with Rucaparib Camsylate?
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 False Unicorn and Rucaparib Camsylate 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 Rucaparib Camsylate and False Unicorn?

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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.