Drug & supplement interaction

Neem + 6-Mercaptopurine

6-Mercaptopurine brand name: Purinethol.

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

Neem has a moderate interaction with 6-Mercaptopurine. Theoretically, neem might decrease the effectiveness of immunosuppressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Neem and 6-Mercaptopurine

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to 6-Mercaptopurine

6-Mercaptopurine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Neem interacts with.

Theoretically, neem might decrease the effectiveness of immunosuppressants.
Animal research suggests that neem might have immunostimulant effects.
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 basic idea with neem and your mercaptopurine (Purinethol). This drug works in part by quieting down your immune system and slowing the growth of certain cells. Neem, on the other hand, has shown immune-stimulating effects in animal studies, meaning it might nudge the immune system in the opposite direction. In theory, that could work against what your medicine is trying to do and make it less effective.

I want to be honest about the strength of this: it's based only on lab and animal research, not real patients, so we don't truly know how much it matters in people. Still, since mercaptopurine treats a serious illness like leukemia, this isn't a combination I'd guess about. Please check with your oncology team or pharmacist before adding any neem product.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Upadhyay SN, Dhawan S, Garg S, Talwar GP. Immunomodulatory effects of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil. Int J Immunopharmacol 1992;14:1187-93. 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

Neem Also Interacts With Other Medications

Neem has 1,012 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the 6-Mercaptopurine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,012 No known interaction 1,818 (incl. 6-Mercaptopurine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Neem

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Neem or 6-Mercaptopurine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Neem or 6-Mercaptopurine, 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 6-Mercaptopurine

This page covers Neem only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the 6-Mercaptopurine page lists 106 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 92 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the 6-Mercaptopurine page

“6-Mercaptopurine (Purinethol) works by dialing down your immune system, whether for leukemia or inflammatory bowel disease, and that makes this a list to check with real care. The four major-rated entries come first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the 6-Mercaptopurine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 288 real supplement products containing Neem, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Neem. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with 6-Mercaptopurine too, on top of Neem — 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 Neem and 6-Mercaptopurine 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 Neem
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication 6-Mercaptopurine
Steady interest

#1,654 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 Neem

What is Neem?

Neem
  • Skin conditions
  • Dental and gum health
  • Antimicrobial and antiparasitic
  • Digestive upset
  • Blood sugar support
  • Insect repellent/pesticide

Neem is a tree from India used for centuries in traditional medicine, especially for skin, dental, and antimicrobial purposes. Some small studies are promising for oral health and skin, but high-quality human evidence is limited for most uses. Neem oil and seed extracts can be toxic if swallowed, especially in children, so use with caution and talk to your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Neem monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Mercaptopurine

What Is Mercaptopurine Used For?

Brand name: Purinethol

Mercaptopurine — available as a tablet and as an oral suspension — is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. It is given as part of a combination chemotherapy maintenance regimen, meaning it works alongside other cancer medicines to keep leukemia in remission.

Both the tablet form and the oral suspension form carry this indication for adult and pediatric patients. The oral suspension is particularly useful for patients who cannot swallow tablets.

See full Mercaptopurine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Neem

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

0Major
1,012Moderate
0Minor
1,817No known interaction
1,012 Moderate 1,817 No interaction
Moderate

1,012 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,012 moderate interactions — see all 1,012 on the Neem page.

No interaction 1,817 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,817 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Neem list.

See the full Neem interactions page
See every supplement checked against 6-Mercaptopurine, 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
Neem monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place 6-Mercaptopurine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against 6-Mercaptopurine, ranked by severity Mercaptopurine 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 Neem and 6-Mercaptopurine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Neem with 6-Mercaptopurine?
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 Neem and 6-Mercaptopurine 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 6-Mercaptopurine and Neem?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.