Drug & supplement interaction

Honey + Ixazomib Citrate

Ixazomib Citrate brand name: Ninlaro.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Honey has a minor interaction with Ixazomib Citrate. Theoretically, honey might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, but research is conflicting.

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

Honey and Ixazomib Citrate

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Ixazomib Citrate

Ixazomib Citrate falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Honey interacts with.

Theoretically, honey might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, but research is conflicting.
Some clinical research shows that honey induces CYP3A4. However, other clinical studies found no effect on CYP3A4 activity. Different honey preparations may have different effects on CYP3A4.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 anyone on Ninlaro (ixazomib) who enjoys honey. Your body clears ixazomib partly through a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Some studies suggest honey might gently speed that enzyme up, which in theory could clear ixazomib a little faster and make it slightly less effective against your myeloma. Ixazomib is the active drug itself, not a prodrug, so faster breakdown means less benefit, not more side effects.

Honestly, the evidence here is weak and conflicting, and the everyday amount of honey you'd drizzle on toast or stir into tea is very unlikely to matter. Still, since this is cancer therapy, it's smart to mention any regular, concentrated honey supplements to your oncology pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on things.

References
  1. Tushar, T., Vinod, T., Rajan, S., Shashindran, C., and Adithan, C. Effect of honey on CYP3A4, CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 enzyme activity in healthy human volunteers. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2007;100(4):269-272. PubMed
  2. Fetzner, L., Burhenne, J., Weiss, J., Völker, M., Unger, M., Mikus, G., and Haefeli, W. E. Daily honey consumption does not change CYP3A activity in humans. J Clin Pharmacol 2011;51(8):1223-1232. 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

Honey Also Interacts With Other Medications

Honey has 5 moderate, 730 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ixazomib Citrate 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 Honey

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ixazomib Citrate

This page covers Honey only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ixazomib Citrate page lists 168 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 124 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ixazomib Citrate page

“Anyone taking ixazomib citrate (Ninlaro) for multiple myeloma should give this list real weight, because a supplement that shifts this chemotherapy's blood level can shift how well it works against the cancer. Of the 168 ingredients on file, 121 act on CYP3A4, the enzyme that clears ixazomib.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ixazomib Citrate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 298 real supplement products containing Honey, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Honey. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ixazomib Citrate too, on top of Honey — 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 Honey and Ixazomib Citrate 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 Honey
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ixazomib Citrate
Top 25%

#493 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 Honey

What is Honey?

Honey
  • Cough and sore throat
  • Wound and burn care
  • Soothing minor skin irritation
  • Sweetener and home remedy
  • Digestive upset

Honey is a natural food with some real, modest evidence for easing coughs and helping certain wounds, especially when special medical-grade or Manuka honey is used. It is generally safe for most adults and children over 1 year, but should never be given to infants under 12 months because of the risk of botulism.

Read the full Honey monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ixazomib

What Is Ixazomib Used For?

Brand name: Ninlaro

Ninlaro (ixazomib) is used to treat multiple myeloma — a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is always used together with two other medicines, lenalidomide and dexamethasone, and is approved for adults who have already tried at least one other treatment.

Ninlaro is not recommended as maintenance therapy or for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone outside of controlled clinical trials.

See full Ixazomib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Honey

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

0Major
5Moderate
730Minor
2,094No known interaction
Moderate

5 interactions

Minor

730 interactions

Showing 60 of 730 minor interactions — see all 730 on the Honey page.

No interaction 2,094 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 Honey and Ixazomib Citrate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Honey with Ixazomib Citrate?
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 Honey and Ixazomib Citrate 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 Ixazomib Citrate and Honey?

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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.