Drug & supplement interaction

Gumweed + Ethambutol

Ethambutol brand names: Myambutol, Etibi.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Gumweed and Ethambutol 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 label for Ethambutol states a food rule worth keeping to.

Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Gumweed and Ethambutol

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 Ethambutol and Gumweed 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 Gumweed at all — not against Ethambutol, 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.

Gumweed safety at a glance

Gumweed overall Use caution Generally used in small amounts traditionally, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid use.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Ethambutol and Gumweed? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Gumweed Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Ethambutol. It is the side-effect record for Gumweed on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Gumweed, this list is the first place to look.

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    “Orally, gumweed seems to be well tolerated. It can cause gastric mucosal irritation (2,12), diarrhea (18), and kidney irritation (12).”

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

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    “Orally, gumweed can cause gastric mucosal irritation (2,12) and diarrhea (18).”

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

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Gumweed — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Ethambutol’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Ethambutol column appears here.

How to take them

Some Ethambutol Products Have a Food Rule — Gumweed Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Ethambutol says to take it with food. If you take Gumweed on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Ethambutol with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Ethambutol products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Absorption is not significantly altered by administration with food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Ethambutol — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Ethambutol drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ethambutol

This page covers Gumweed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethambutol page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

Open the Ethambutol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 18 real supplement products containing Gumweed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Gumweed. Even though Gumweed itself has no known interaction with Ethambutol, 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 Gumweed and Ethambutol 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 Gumweed
Steady interest

#1,122 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ethambutol
Steady interest

#2,344 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 Gumweed reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Gumweed and Ethambutol 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 Gumweed

What is Gumweed?

  • Cough and bronchitis
  • Asthma-related breathing problems
  • Skin irritation from poison ivy or poison oak
  • Minor wounds and rashes
  • Upper respiratory congestion

Gumweed is a traditional North American plant used mostly for coughs, chest congestion, and skin irritation such as poison ivy rashes. Good-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits are not well proven, and it should be used cautiously and avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Grindelia robusta · Asteraceae · Dried leaves and flowering tops · Tea, tincture, liquid extract, capsules, topical preparations

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

Gumweed: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for gumweed. Traditional preparations include teas, tinctures, and liquid extracts, but the strength of commercial products varies widely.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the suggested amount.

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

Read the full Gumweed monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ethambutol

What Is Ethambutol Used For?

Brand names: Myambutol, Etibi

Ethambutol hydrochloride tablets are used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis — TB that affects the lungs. It must always be taken with at least one other anti-TB medication, never on its own.

For people being treated for TB for the first time, ethambutol is commonly paired with isoniazid, or with isoniazid and streptomycin. For people who have been treated for TB before, it is combined with other second-line anti-TB drugs chosen based on which medicines the bacteria are still sensitive to.

See full Ethambutol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gumweed

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Gumweed — 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
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Gumweed References

The 3 references that drive our Gumweed 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. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

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 Gumweed and Ethambutol Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gumweed with Ethambutol?
We do not list a known interaction between Gumweed and Ethambutol. 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.
Should I take Gumweed and Ethambutol at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Ethambutol says to take it with food. If you take Gumweed on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Ethambutol with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Ethambutol products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Ethambutol interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ethambutol has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Gumweed is not one of them. The Ethambutol interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Ethambutol and Gumweed?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.