Drug & supplement interaction

Garlic + Isoniazid, Rifampin

Isoniazid, Rifampin brand name: Rifamate.

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

Garlic has a moderate interaction with Isoniazid, Rifampin. Theoretically, garlic might decrease levels of isoniazid.

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

Garlic and Isoniazid, Rifampin

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

Moderate

ISONIAZID

Theoretically, garlic might decrease levels of isoniazid.
Animal research suggests that an aqueous extract of garlic reduces isoniazid levels by about 65%. Garlic reduced the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC), but not the half-life, of isoniazid. This suggests that garlic extract might inhibit isoniazid absorption across the intestinal mucosa; however, the exact mechanism of this potential interaction is not known.
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 with garlic and the isoniazid part of Rifamate. In one animal study, a water-based garlic extract lowered the amount of isoniazid that got absorbed, cutting blood levels by roughly 65 percent. The thinking is that garlic may block how well your gut takes the drug in. Less isoniazid in your system could mean it works less well against the TB it's treating, and with infections you really don't want a weaker dose.

I'll be honest though, this is only lab and animal data, so we don't truly know if it plays out in people. The garlic you cook with is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated garlic capsules are the bigger question mark. Since staying on top of TB treatment is so important, please run any garlic supplement past your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Dhamija P, Malhotra S, Pandhi P. Effect of oral administration of crude aqueous extract of garlic on pharmacokinetic parameters of isoniazid and rifampicin in rabbits. Pharmacology 2006;77:100-4. 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

Garlic Also Interacts With Other Medications

Garlic has 988 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Isoniazid, Rifampin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 988 No known interaction 1,842 (incl. Isoniazid, Rifampin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Garlic

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Garlic or Isoniazid, Rifampin

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

This page covers Garlic only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Isoniazid, Rifampin page lists 145 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 8 major · 117 moderate · 20 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Isoniazid, Rifampin page

“Rifamate combines isoniazid and rifampin, the backbone of tuberculosis treatment, and both drugs are hard on the liver, which is why this list of 145 supplement and herbal interactions deserves genuine respect. Eight entries rate major, and the largest cluster, 38 ingredients, adds to that same liver strain, with alcohol in beer or win…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Isoniazid, Rifampin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,118 real supplement products containing Garlic, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Garlic. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Isoniazid, Rifampin too, on top of Garlic — 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 Garlic and Isoniazid, Rifampin 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 Garlic
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Isoniazid, Rifampin
Top 5%

#114 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 Garlic

What is Garlic?

Garlic
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart health
  • Immune support and common cold
  • Antimicrobial uses

Garlic is a common food and supplement that may modestly help with blood pressure and cholesterol, though the evidence is mixed and effects are usually small. It is generally safe in food amounts, but concentrated supplements can cause stomach upset, breath and body odor, and a higher risk of bleeding. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before taking garlic supplements, especially if you take other medicines.

Read the full Garlic monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Garlic

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

0Major
988Moderate
0Minor
1,841No known interaction
988 Moderate 1,841 No interaction
Moderate

988 interactions

Showing 60 of 988 moderate interactions — see all 988 on the Garlic page.

No interaction 1,841 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,841 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Garlic list.

See the full Garlic interactions page
See every supplement checked against Isoniazid, Rifampin, 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
Garlic monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Isoniazid, Rifampin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Isoniazid, Rifampin, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Garlic and Isoniazid, Rifampin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Garlic with Isoniazid, Rifampin?
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 Garlic and Isoniazid, Rifampin 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 Isoniazid, Rifampin and Garlic?

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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.