Drug & supplement interaction

Ginger + Budesonide, Formoterol

Budesonide, Formoterol brand name: Symbicort.

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

Ginger has a minor interaction with Budesonide, Formoterol. Theoretically, ginger might increase the levels of CYP2C9 substrates.

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

Ginger and Budesonide, Formoterol

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Budesonide, Formoterol

Budesonide, Formoterol falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Ginger interacts with.

Theoretically, ginger might increase the levels of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that ginger inhibits CYP2C9 activity. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 gist for your Symbicort, which combines budesonide (an inhaled steroid) and formoterol (a long-acting bronchodilator). The note on file is about ginger possibly slowing down a liver enzyme called CYP2C9 that helps clear certain medicines. In theory, if that enzyme is blocked, a drug it processes could build up a bit and cause stronger effects.

But here's the honest part: this is based only on lab dish research, not real people, and it's rated as minor. On top of that, Symbicort is inhaled and acts mostly in your lungs, so very little reaches the bloodstream to be processed this way. For most folks, normal ginger in food or supplements isn't likely to cause trouble. If you ever notice jitteriness, a racing heart, or shakiness, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Husain I, Dale OR, Idrisi M, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction (HDI) Potential of Zingiber officinale and Its Major Phytoconstituents. J Agric Food Chem. 2023;71(19):7521-7534.

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

Ginger Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ginger has 874 moderate, 132 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Budesonide, Formoterol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 874 Minor 132 No known interaction 1,824 (incl. Budesonide, Formoterol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ginger

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Ginger or Budesonide, Formoterol

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

This page covers Ginger only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Budesonide, Formoterol page lists 120 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), 1,3-dmaa (moderate), Acacia Rigidula (moderate), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 91 moderate · 28 minor.

Open the Budesonide, Formoterol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 9,640 real supplement products containing Ginger, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ginger. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Budesonide, Formoterol too, on top of Ginger — 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 Ginger and Budesonide, Formoterol 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 Ginger
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Budesonide, Formoterol
Steady interest

#2,360 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 Ginger

What is Ginger?

Ginger
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Motion sickness
  • Morning sickness in pregnancy
  • Digestive upset
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Joint pain and inflammation

Ginger is a widely used culinary spice with a long history in traditional medicine, and it has the strongest evidence for helping with nausea and vomiting, including from motion sickness, pregnancy, and chemotherapy. It is generally safe in food and supplement amounts for most people, though it may cause mild stomach upset. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using ginger supplements, especially if you are pregnant, have a bleeding disorder, or take other medicines.

Read the full Ginger monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ginger

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

0Major
874Moderate
132Minor
1,823No known interaction
874 Moderate 132 Minor 1,823 No interaction
Moderate

874 interactions

Showing 60 of 874 moderate interactions — see all 874 on the Ginger page.

Minor

132 interactions

Showing 60 of 132 minor interactions — see all 132 on the Ginger page.

No interaction 1,823 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,823 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ginger list.

See the full Ginger interactions page
See every supplement checked against Budesonide, Formoterol, 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
Ginger monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Budesonide, Formoterol supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Budesonide, Formoterol, 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 Ginger and Budesonide, Formoterol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Ginger with Budesonide, Formoterol?
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 Ginger and Budesonide, Formoterol 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 Budesonide, Formoterol and Ginger?

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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.