Drug & supplement interaction

Lime + Nabumetone

Nabumetone brand names: Relafen, Nabumetone.

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

Lime has a moderate interaction with Nabumetone. Theoretically, concomitant use of lime oil with photosensitizing drugs may increase the risk of phototoxicity.

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

Lime and Nabumetone

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

Moderate

PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS

Why this applies to Nabumetone

Nabumetone falls under PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS — the group Lime interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of lime oil with photosensitizing drugs may increase the risk of phototoxicity.
Severity Moderate 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 with lime and nabumetone. Nabumetone is an anti-inflammatory (an NSAID) that can already make some people a little more sensitive to sunlight. Lime, especially the concentrated oils on the peel, contains compounds that can react with sunlight on your skin too. So the worry is that pairing the two could add up and make a sunburn-like reaction (redness, blistering) more likely on skin that gets sun.

I'll be straight with you: this concern is theoretical and comes mostly from lab studies, not real patient reports. Eating or drinking lime is very unlikely to cause trouble. The bigger flag is getting lime oil or juice on your skin and then sitting in the sun. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, a little sunscreen goes a long way. Any new rash, run it by your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Naganuma M, Hirose S, Nakayama Y, et al. A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Arch Dermatol Res 1985;278:31-6. . 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

Lime Also Interacts With Other Medications

Lime has 885 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Nabumetone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 885 No known interaction 1,945 (incl. Nabumetone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lime

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Lime or Nabumetone

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

This page covers Lime only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nabumetone page lists 52 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 35 moderate · 12 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nabumetone page

“Five of the 52 supplement and herbal ingredients on file for nabumetone (Relafen) rate major, and those five are where real vigilance belongs. Nabumetone is an NSAID taken for arthritis and joint pain, and NSAIDs already stress the stomach and the kidneys, so the worst pairings hit exactly those weak spots.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nabumetone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 322 real supplement products containing Lime, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lime. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Nabumetone too, on top of Lime — 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 Lime and Nabumetone 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 Lime
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nabumetone
Steady interest

#1,500 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 Lime

What is Lime?

Lime
  • Source of vitamin C
  • Digestive upset
  • Skin care
  • Mood and aromatherapy
  • Flavoring and food preservation

Lime is a common citrus fruit and a good natural source of vitamin C and plant antioxidants. As a food it is generally safe and enjoyed by most people, but evidence that lime treats any specific health condition is limited. Use the essential oil with care, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated lime products for health reasons.

Read the full Lime monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nabumetone

What Is Nabumetone Used For?

Brand names: Relafen, Nabumetone

Nabumetone tablets — available as generic nabumetone and as the brand Relafen DS — are used to relieve pain, swelling, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is meant to be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time needed. It is not approved for pain relief around coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) heart surgery.

See full Nabumetone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lime

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

0Major
885Moderate
0Minor
1,944No known interaction
885 Moderate 1,944 No interaction
Moderate

885 interactions

Showing 60 of 885 moderate interactions — see all 885 on the Lime page.

No interaction 1,944 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,944 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lime list.

See the full Lime interactions page
See every supplement checked against Nabumetone, 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
Lime monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Nabumetone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Nabumetone, ranked by severity Nabumetone drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Lime and Nabumetone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lime with Nabumetone?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Lime and Nabumetone interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Nabumetone and Lime?

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.