Drug & supplement interaction

Mace + Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen

Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen brand name: Advil Dual Action.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Mace has a moderate interaction with Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen. Animal research suggests that intraperitoneal injections of myristicin, a constituent of mace, can induce cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) enzyme system.

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

Mace and Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen

Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Mace interacts with.

Animal research suggests that intraperitoneal injections of myristicin, a constituent of mace, can induce cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) enzyme system. Theoretically, concomitant use of mace with drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 may increase the clearance of these drugs and reduce their effects. Some substrates of CYP1A2 include clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), theophylline, zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.
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 short version: this concern is mostly theoretical. The idea is that myristicin, a compound in mace, might speed up an enzyme called CYP1A2. If a drug is cleared by that enzyme, faster clearance could mean it leaves your body sooner and works a little less well. But the evidence here comes from animal studies using injected myristicin, not people eating mace, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

For your Advil Dual Action (ibuprofen plus acetaminophen), neither ingredient relies much on CYP1A2 to do its job, and neither is a prodrug. So even if mace nudged that enzyme, I wouldn't expect a meaningful change in pain relief. Normal cooking amounts of mace are not a worry. If you're considering concentrated mace supplements, just run it by your pharmacist first.

References
  1. Jeong HG, Yun CH. Induction of rat hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes by myristicin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995;217:966-71. 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

Mace Also Interacts With Other Medications

Mace has 499 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen 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 Mace

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen

This page covers Mace only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen page lists 342 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), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 290 moderate · 45 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen page

“Advil Dual Action pairs ibuprofen, an NSAID with built-in stomach-bleeding risk, and acetaminophen, which the liver processes, so this interaction list deserves a careful read, not a skim. Most of the entries can add to bleeding risk, while smaller clusters put extra strain on the liver or kidneys.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 38 real supplement products containing Mace, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Mace. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen too, on top of Mace — 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 Mace and Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen 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 Mace
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen
Top 25%

#436 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 Mace

What is Mace?

  • Digestive upset and gas
  • Flavoring and culinary spice
  • Nausea
  • Appetite stimulation
  • Traditional pain or muscle relief

Mace is the lacy red covering of the nutmeg seed and comes from the same tree as nutmeg. It is mostly used as a cooking spice and in traditional medicine for digestion, but there is little solid human research to support its health uses. In normal food amounts it is generally safe, but large doses can be toxic, so use it as a spice and check with your pharmacist before taking concentrated supplements.

Read the full Mace monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Mace

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

0Major
499Moderate
0Minor
2,330No known interaction
Moderate

499 interactions

Showing 60 of 499 moderate interactions — see all 499 on the Mace page.

No interaction 2,330 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 Mace and Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Mace with Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen?
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 Mace and Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen 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

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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.