Drug & supplement interaction

Oak Moss + Penicillamine

Penicillamine brand names: Cuprimine, Depen Titratable.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Oak Moss and Penicillamine 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Penicillamine states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Oak Moss and Penicillamine

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 Penicillamine and Oak Moss 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 Oak Moss at all — not against Penicillamine, 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.

Oak Moss safety at a glance

Oak Moss overall Use caution Oak moss is a recognized skin allergen and is not well studied as an oral supplement.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. The constituent thujone shows evidence of uterine stimulant activity. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally. The constituent thujone shows evidence of uterine stimulant activity. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Penicillamine and Oak Moss? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Oak Moss and Penicillamine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Kidney problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    “Orally, oak moss seems to be well tolerated when taken in small amounts, short-term. However, a high-quality assessment of safety has not been conducted. When oak moss is used long-term, in large amounts of tea, or as a hot alcoholic extract, it may be unsafe due to various constituents, including thujone and usnic acid.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Topically: Oak moss may cause contact sensitivity and allergic react…”

    Oak Moss · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    “Orally, usnic acid, a constituent of oak moss, has been associated with reports of hepatotoxicity. From July to December 2000 there were at least seven cases of acute hepatotoxicity in patients taking LipoKinetix, a product containing usnic acid as sodium usniate.”

    Oak Moss · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fatigue.

    6 sources cited
    1. 7091. Favreau JT, Ryu Ml, Braunstein G, et al. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with the dietary supplement LipoKinetix. Ann Intern Med 2002;136:590-5. PubMed
    2. 81595. Durazo, F. A., Lassman, C., Han, S. H., Saab, S., Lee, N. P., Kawano, M., Saggi, B., Gordon, S., Farmer, D. G., Yersiz, H., Goldstein, R. L., Ghobrial, M., and Busuttil, R. W. Fulminant liver failure due to usnic acid for weight loss. Am.J Gastroenterol. PubMed
    3. 81600. Neff, G. W., Reddy, K. R., Durazo, F. A., Meyer, D., Marrero, R., and Kaplowitz, N. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with the use of weight loss diet supplements containing ma huang or usnic acid. J Hepatol. 2004;41(6):1062-1064. PubMed
    4. 81607. Hsu, L. M., Huang, Y. S., Chang, F. Y., and Lee, S. D. 'Fat burner' herb, usnic Acid, induced acute hepatitis in a family. J Gastroenterol.Hepatol. 2005;20(7):1138-1139. PubMed
    5. 81612. Arneborn, P., Jansson, A., and Bottiger, Y. [Acute hepatitis in a woman after intake of slimming pills bought via Internet]. Lakartidningen 7-11-2005;102(28-29):2071-2072.
    6. 81619. Sanchez, W., Maple, J. T., Burgart, L. J., and Kamath, P. S. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with use of a dietary supplement containing usnic acid. Mayo Clin Proc 2006;81(4):541-544. PubMed

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Anxiety or restlessness Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    “Orally, large amounts or long-term use of thujone-containing products, such as oak moss, may cause convulsions, restlessness, tremors, and vertigo (12).”

    Oak Moss · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in vertigo.

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea reported in 10.5% of FDA reports for Penicillamine Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    Recorded for Oak Moss in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Liver problems above.

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    “Topically, use of oak moss may cause contact sensitivity and allergic reactions in people with lichen and moss allergy. In patch testing, very late reactions have occurred, some as late as 27 days after application. Usnic acid, a constituent of oak moss, also can cause allergic contact dermatitis with respiratory symptoms.”

    Oak Moss · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    6 sources cited
    1. 4023. Dahlquist I, Fregert S. Contact allergy to atranorin in lichens and perfumes. Contact Dermatitis 1980;6:111-9. PubMed
    2. 4033. Goncalo S. Contact sensitivity to lichens and compositae in Frullania dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1987;16:84-6. PubMed
    3. 4034. Goncalo S, Cabral F, Goncalo M. Contact sensitivity to oak moss. Contact Dermatitis 1988;19:355-7. PubMed
    4. 4039. Thune P, Solberg Y, McFadden N, et al. Perfume allergy due to oak moss and other lichens. Contact Dermatitis 1982;8:396-400. PubMed
    5. 108403. Schubert S, Schnuch A, Bauer A, et al. Very late reactions in the patch test with fragrance mix I and oak moss absolute (Evernia prunastri, INCI): Data of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK). Contact Dermatitis 2022;86(1):54-57.
    6. 11720. Ingolfsdottir K. Usnic acid. Phytochemistry 2002;61:729-36.

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Oak Moss

    “Orally, large amounts or long-term use of thujone-containing products may cause vomiting (12).”

    Oak Moss · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

    Penicillamine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Penicillamine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Oak Moss but not commonly for Penicillamine: yellowing of the skin or eyes, an allergic reaction, stomach pain and seizures.

Effects for Penicillamine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Oak Moss come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 917 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Penicillamine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Oak Moss in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. The constituent thujone shows evidence of uterine stimulant activity.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Penicillamine Products Have a Food Rule — Oak Moss Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Penicillamine says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Oak Moss included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Penicillamine on its own and move Oak Moss to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Penicillamine products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION In all patients receiving penicillamine, it is important that CUPRIMINE be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before meals or two hours after meals, and at least one hour apart from any other drug, food, or milk.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Penicillamine — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Penicillamine

This page covers Oak Moss only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Penicillamine page lists 26 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Aristolochia (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 13 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Penicillamine page

“People take penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen) for demanding conditions, Wilson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cystinuria, and its 26 supplement interactions are not a list to skim, three of them rated major. Seventeen ingredients can keep an oral dose from being fully absorbed, activated charcoal chief among them, and six more can str…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Penicillamine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Oak Moss and Penicillamine 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 Oak Moss
Steady interest

#1,058 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Penicillamine
Steady interest

#2,400 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 Oak Moss reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Oak Moss and Penicillamine 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 .
Supplement

About Oak Moss

What is Oak Moss?

Oak Moss
  • Perfume base note and scent fixative
  • Aromatherapy and fragrance
  • Traditional antimicrobial use
  • Soaps and cosmetics fragrance

Oak moss is a lichen that grows on oak and other trees and is best known as a perfume ingredient prized for its earthy, woody scent. There is very little human evidence to support taking it for any health condition, and it is a well-known skin allergen, so it is mainly used externally in fragrances rather than as a dietary supplement.

Evernia prunastri · Parmeliaceae · Whole lichen (thallus) and its extract/absolute · Essential oil, absolute, extract, fragrance ingredient; occasionally tinctures

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

Oak Moss: dosing

There is no established safe or effective oral dose for oak moss. It is not a standard dietary supplement, and reliable dosing information from human studies does not exist.If you come across an oak moss product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them. Given the lack of safety data, oral use is generally not recommended.

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

Read the full Oak Moss monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Penicillamine

What Is Penicillamine Used For?

Brand names: Cuprimine, Depen Titratable

Penicillamine is used for three distinct conditions. It treats Wilson's disease — a rare genetic disorder in which the body accumulates dangerous levels of copper — by binding to the excess copper and helping the body remove it. It also treats cystinuria, a condition where the amino acid cystine builds up and forms painful kidney stones, by converting cystine into a more soluble form that the body can excrete more easily.

For patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis who have not responded adequately to conventional therapies, penicillamine (available as Aagylur, Cuprimine, Depen, and other products) may be used to help suppress disease activity and reduce joint pain, tenderness, and swelling.

See full Penicillamine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Oak Moss

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Oak Moss — 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
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Oak Moss References

The 16 references that drive our Oak Moss 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.

  1. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  3. Dahlquist I, Fregert S. Contact allergy to atranorin in lichens and perfumes. Contact Dermatitis 1980;6:111-9. PubMed
  4. Goncalo S. Contact sensitivity to lichens and compositae in Frullania dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1987;16:84-6. PubMed
  5. Goncalo S, Cabral F, Goncalo M. Contact sensitivity to oak moss. Contact Dermatitis 1988;19:355-7. PubMed
  6. Thune P, Solberg Y, McFadden N, et al. Perfume allergy due to oak moss and other lichens. Contact Dermatitis 1982;8:396-400. PubMed
  7. Favreau JT, Ryu Ml, Braunstein G, et al. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with the dietary supplement LipoKinetix. Ann Intern Med 2002;136:590-5. PubMed
  8. Ingolfsdottir K. Usnic acid. Phytochemistry 2002;61:729-36.
  9. Mitchell, J. C. Allergy to lichens. Allergic contact dermatitis from usnic acid produced by lichenized fungi. Arch Dermatol 1965;92(2):142-146.
  10. Durazo, F. A., Lassman, C., Han, S. H., Saab, S., Lee, N. P., Kawano, M., Saggi, B., Gordon, S., Farmer, D. G., Yersiz, H., Goldstein, R. L., Ghobrial, M., and Busuttil, R. W. Fulminant liver failure due to usnic acid for weight loss. Am.J Gastroenterol. PubMed
  11. Neff, G. W., Reddy, K. R., Durazo, F. A., Meyer, D., Marrero, R., and Kaplowitz, N. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with the use of weight loss diet supplements containing ma huang or usnic acid. J Hepatol. 2004;41(6):1062-1064. PubMed
  12. Hsu, L. M., Huang, Y. S., Chang, F. Y., and Lee, S. D. 'Fat burner' herb, usnic Acid, induced acute hepatitis in a family. J Gastroenterol.Hepatol. 2005;20(7):1138-1139. PubMed
  13. Arneborn, P., Jansson, A., and Bottiger, Y. [Acute hepatitis in a woman after intake of slimming pills bought via Internet]. Lakartidningen 7-11-2005;102(28-29):2071-2072.
  14. Sanchez, W., Maple, J. T., Burgart, L. J., and Kamath, P. S. Severe hepatotoxicity associated with use of a dietary supplement containing usnic acid. Mayo Clin Proc 2006;81(4):541-544. PubMed
  15. Rafanelli, S., Bacchilega, R., Stanganelli, I., and Rafanelli, A. Contact dermatitis from usnic acid in vaginal ovules. Contact Dermatitis 1995;33(4):271-272. PubMed

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 Oak Moss and Penicillamine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Oak Moss with Penicillamine?
We do not list a known interaction between Oak Moss and Penicillamine. 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.
Do Oak Moss and Penicillamine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Oak Moss and Penicillamine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Penicillamine says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Penicillamine on its own and move Oak Moss to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Penicillamine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Penicillamine has documented interactions with 26 supplements in our database — Oak Moss is not one of them. The Penicillamine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Penicillamine and Oak Moss?

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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.