Drug & supplement interaction

Jequirity + Norethindrone

Norethindrone brand names: Aygestin, Norlutin, Nor-QD, Micronor, Norlutate, and others.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Jequirity has a minor interaction with Norethindrone. In vitro research shows that jequirity extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes.

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

Jequirity and Norethindrone

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Norethindrone

Norethindrone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Jequirity interacts with.

In vitro research shows that jequirity extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. Theoretically, taking jequirity may inhibit the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

First things first: jequirity seeds aren't something you should ever take as a supplement. They contain abrin, a toxin in the same family as ricin, and even a small amount can be deadly. That alone is the real concern here, not any drug interaction.

On the interaction itself, this is very theoretical. Lab studies suggest jequirity extract can slow down CYP3A4, one of the enzymes your body uses to clear norethindrone. If that happened, norethindrone could build up a bit and you might notice more of its usual effects, like spotting, breast tenderness, headache, or mood changes. But this is only test-tube data (rated minor and unlikely), so it's far from proven. The bottom line stays the same: avoid jequirity entirely, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding any new supplement.

References
  1. Ai C, Miao X, Wang L, He J. Discovery and Activity Evaluation of the Inhibitory Effect of Four Kinds Traditional Chinese Medicine Extracts on the CYP3A4 Enzyme. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2022.

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

Jequirity Also Interacts With Other Medications

Jequirity has 208 moderate, 602 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Norethindrone 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 Jequirity

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Jequirity or Norethindrone

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

This page covers Jequirity only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Norethindrone page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 108 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Norethindrone page

“Norethindrone is a progestin used for birth control and for heavy or irregular periods, which means a supplement that quietly weakens it can end in an unplanned pregnancy, so I read this list with genuine caution. Three of the 152 ingredients on it rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Norethindrone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Jequirity and Norethindrone 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 Jequirity
Steady interest

#1,178 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Norethindrone
Top 25%

#330 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 Jequirity

What is Jequirity?

Jequirity
  • Asthma and cough
  • Fever
  • Sore throat and bronchitis
  • Liver complaints (hepatitis)
  • Constipation
  • Traditional infectious-disease remedies

Jequirity (Abrus precatorius) is a tropical plant whose bright red, black-tipped seeds contain abrin, one of the most toxic plant proteins known. Despite a long history in traditional medicine, the seeds are dangerously poisonous and there is no reliable evidence that it is safe or effective. It should not be used as a supplement or medicine.

Read the full Jequirity monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Norethindrone

What Is Norethindrone Used For?

Brand names: Aygestin, Norlutin, Nor-QD, Micronor, Norlutate, Camila, Errin, Jolivette, Nora-BE

Norethindrone is a progestin-only oral contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy. It is taken every day, continuously, without hormone-free breaks — unlike combination birth control pills.

Gallifrey (norethindrone acetate tablets, 5 mg) is a different, higher-dose formulation approved for three additional conditions: secondary amenorrhea (periods that have stopped), endometriosis, and abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance when no structural cause such as fibroids or uterine cancer is present. Gallifrey is not approved or recommended for use alongside estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women for endometrial protection.

See full Norethindrone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Jequirity

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

0Major
208Moderate
602Minor
2,019No known interaction
Moderate

208 interactions

Showing 60 of 208 moderate interactions — see all 208 on the Jequirity page.

Minor

602 interactions

Showing 60 of 602 minor interactions — see all 602 on the Jequirity page.

No interaction 2,019 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 Jequirity and Norethindrone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Jequirity with Norethindrone?
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 Jequirity and Norethindrone 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 Norethindrone and Jequirity?

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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.