Drug & supplement interaction

Japanese Mint + Interferon Beta-1a

Interferon Beta-1a brand names: Rebif, Avonex.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a 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.

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Interaction report

Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a

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 Interferon Beta-1a and Japanese Mint 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 Japanese Mint at all — not against Interferon Beta-1a, 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.

Japanese Mint safety at a glance

Japanese Mint overall Use caution Generally fine in small culinary or diluted amounts, but the concentrated essential oil can be irritating or toxic if misused.

Pregnancy Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but avoid concentrated oil or supplements unless cleared by your doctor.

Breastfeeding Use caution Limited safety data; avoid concentrated oil and keep it off the chest area while nursing.

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

Still wondering about combining Interferon Beta-1a and Japanese Mint? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

What to actually watch for

What Japanese Mint Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Beta-1a. It is the side-effect record for Japanese Mint on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Japanese Mint, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Wheezing Worth acting on Additional detail
“Topically, use of Japanese mint oil on the face in children can trigger glottal or bronchial spasm, asthma-like attacks, or respiratory failure (18). When inhaled, the vapor from Japanese mint oil can cause flushing, headache, or worsening bronchial asthma spasms (11,18).”

Japanese Mint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.
2 sources cited

18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

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.
Flushing / Headache Additional detail

Recorded for Japanese Mint in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Wheezing above.
A skin rash Additional detail
“Topically, Japanese mint may cause contact dermatitis (11,18).”

Japanese Mint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.
2 sources cited

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.

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 Japanese Mint — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Beta-1a to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Interferon Beta-1a.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1a

This page covers Japanese Mint only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Beta-1a page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Beta-1a page

“Siberian cocklebur, an herb tied to documented cases of liver failure, is the first name to know for anyone injecting interferon beta-1a (Rebif, Avonex) for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta-1a can strain the liver on its own, which is why prescribers order routine liver blood tests, and 38 of the 57 supplements on file carry that sa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Beta-1a interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 157 real supplement products containing Japanese Mint, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Japanese Mint. Even though Japanese Mint itself has no known interaction with Interferon Beta-1a, 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 Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Japanese Mint

Steady interest

#1,036 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Medication Interferon Beta-1a

Steady interest

#2,614 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 Japanese Mint reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Japanese Mint

What is Japanese Mint?

Digestive upset
Headache relief (topical)
Cold and congestion
Muscle and joint aches
Itchy skin and minor pain

Japanese mint is a menthol-rich plant used mainly for its essential oil in topical rubs, inhalants, and digestive remedies. There is some support for menthol's soothing and cooling effects, but high-quality studies on Japanese mint itself are limited, and the concentrated oil can be irritating or harmful if misused. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially in children or if pregnant.

Mentha arvensis · Lamiaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Essential oil, topical balms and rubs, tea, capsules, inhalants, lozenges

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

Japanese Mint: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for Japanese mint. The right amount depends heavily on the form — tea, capsule, balm, or essential oil — and on the menthol concentration.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the specific product label and not exceed them. Essential oils should be diluted as directed and are not meant to be swallowed unless a product is specifically made for that use.

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

Read the full Japanese Mint monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection

What Is Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebif, Avonex

Interferon beta-1a intramuscular injection is used to treat adults with various forms of multiple sclerosis (MS; a disease in which the nerves do not function properly and people may experience weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control) including:
- clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; nerve symptom episodes that last at least 24 hours),
- relapsing-remitting forms (course of disease where symptoms flare up from time to time), or
- secondary progressive forms (course of disease where relapses occur more often).
Interferon beta-1a is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. It works by decreasing inflammation and preventing nerve damage that may cause symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Interferon Beta-1a

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (192,069 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Multiple sclerosis relapse 15,851 reports

Influenza like illness 13,253 reports

Fatigue 11,554 reports

Fall 10,604 reports

Multiple sclerosis 9,358 reports

See full Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Japanese Mint

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

See the full Japanese Mint interactions page

See every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Japanese Mint References

The 2 references that drive our Japanese Mint 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.

Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
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 Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Japanese Mint with Interferon Beta-1a?

We do not list a known interaction between Japanese Mint and Interferon Beta-1a. 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.

Does Interferon Beta-1a interact with any supplements?

Yes. Interferon Beta-1a has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Japanese Mint is not one of them. The Interferon Beta-1a 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

Japanese Mint monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Beta-1a supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Interferon Beta-1a and Japanese Mint?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.