Drug & supplement interaction

Ficin + Liothyronine

Liothyronine brand name: Cytomel.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Ficin and Liothyronine 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

Ficin and Liothyronine

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 Liothyronine and Ficin 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 Ficin at all — not against Liothyronine, 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.

Ficin safety at a glance

Ficin overall Use caution Human safety data are limited, and the crude latex can irritate skin and the digestive tract.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults... 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 Liothyronine and Ficin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Ficin and Liothyronine 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.

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Ficin

    “Orally, taking large amounts of crude ficin (latex) can cause nausea, vomiting, psychomotor excitation, coma, seizures, diarrhea, headache, abdominal discomfort, somnolence, mydriasis, cerebral edema, and even death (11,100608).

    Topically, crude ficin (latex) is corrosive to skin and can cause bleeding with prolonged contact. Ficin can also cause contact allergies (11).”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
    2. 100608. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed

    “Orally, taking large amounts of crude ficin (latex) can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort (11,100608). In a retrospective chart review, 63% of children and 69% of adults admitted to a hospital in Peru after taking a traditional crude ficin (latex) preparation had gastrointestinal adverse effects, the most common being nausea and vomiting.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
    2. 100608. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed

    Liothyronine

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Ficin

    “Orally, taking large amounts of crude ficin (latex) can cause psychomotor excitation, coma, seizures, headache, somnolence, cerebral edema, and even death. In a retrospective chart review, 94% of children and 85% of adults admitted to a hospital in Peru after taking a traditional crude ficin (latex) preparation had CNS-related adverse effects, the most common being psychomotor excitation, coma, and seizures.”

    Ficin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 100608. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed

    Liothyronine

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

Reported for Ficin but not commonly for Liothyronine: stomach upset, drowsiness, seizures and bleeding or bruising.

Effects for Liothyronine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Ficin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Ficin in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults taking traditional ficin preparations orally at a dose of 1.5 cm3/kg or higher. Theoretically, taking crude ficin orally might cause harm to pregnant women, nursing infants, or unborn fetuses, 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

From our Q&A

Questions About Ficin or Liothyronine

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

This page covers Ficin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Liothyronine page lists 38 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 26 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Liothyronine page

“Liothyronine (Cytomel) is the active thyroid hormone T3, and it does not tolerate interference well. Of the 38 supplements and herbs on file, 21 act on thyroid function itself, some amplifying the hormone and others blunting it, iodine-rich seaweeds able to swing either way.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Liothyronine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4 real supplement products containing Ficin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ficin. Even though Ficin itself has no known interaction with Liothyronine, 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 Ficin and Liothyronine 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 Ficin
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Liothyronine
Top half

#893 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 Ficin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Ficin and Liothyronine 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 Ficin

What is Ficin?

Ficin
  • Intestinal worms (helminth infections)
  • Digestive aid (protein digestion)
  • Anti-inflammatory uses
  • Wound and skin applications (traditional)
  • As a meat tenderizer and food preservative

Ficin is a protein-digesting enzyme from the latex of the tropical fig tree Ficus insipida. It has a long history of traditional use for intestinal worms and is studied in labs for breaking down proteins and bacterial biofilms, but solid human evidence for any health use is limited. The crude latex can be irritating and is not well-studied for safety, so talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Ficus insipida · Moraceae · Latex (milky sap) from the trunk; purified enzyme extracted from the latex · Crude latex, purified enzyme preparations (powders), and as an ingredient in some research or industrial products

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

Ficin: dosing

There is no established standard dose for Ficin. Traditional preparations of the latex vary widely, and there is no agreed-upon safe and effective amount for any health use.If you are considering a commercial product that contains ficin, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

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

Read the full Ficin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Liothyronine

What Is Liothyronine Used For?

Brand name: Cytomel

Liothyronine (available as tablets under the brand names Cytomel, Liomny, and Liothyronine Sodium, and as an injection under Liothyronine Sodium and Triostat) is primarily used to treat hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) across all its forms — whether the cause is in the thyroid itself, the pituitary gland, or the hypothalamus, and whether it was present at birth or developed over time.

The oral tablets are also used alongside surgery and radioiodine therapy to suppress TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) in people with well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and as a diagnostic agent in thyroid suppression tests. Liothyronine sodium injection is specifically indicated for myxedema coma (a life-threatening form of severe hypothyroidism) and may be used in patients who are allergic to thyroid products derived from pork or beef.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Liothyronine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Headache 885 reports
Fatigue 849 reports
Nausea 585 reports
Dyspnea 559 reports
Hypertension 467 reports
See full Liothyronine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ficin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Ficin — 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 Ficin 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 Ficin list.

See the full Ficin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Liothyronine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Ficin References

The 3 references that drive our Ficin 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. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  2. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed
  3. Ma JW, Hung JL, Takeuchi M, Shieh PC, Horng CT. A New Pharmacological Vitreolysis through the Supplement of Mixed Fruit Enzymes for Patients with Ocular Floaters or Vitreous Hemorrhage-Induced Floaters. J Clin Med 2022;11(22):6710. 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 Ficin and Liothyronine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Ficin with Liothyronine?
We do not list a known interaction between Ficin and Liothyronine. 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 Ficin and Liothyronine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 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.
Does Liothyronine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Liothyronine has documented interactions with 38 supplements in our database — Ficin is not one of them. The Liothyronine 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

Ficin monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Liothyronine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Liothyronine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Liothyronine, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Liothyronine and Ficin?

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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.