Drug & supplement interaction

Orris + Tocilizumab

Tocilizumab brand name: Actemra.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Orris and Tocilizumab 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 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

Orris and Tocilizumab

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 Tocilizumab and Orris 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 Orris at all — not against Tocilizumab, 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.

Orris safety at a glance

Orris overall Use caution Mostly used as a fragrance; the fresh root can irritate the skin and gut and human safety data for internal use are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid medicinal use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid medicinal use while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Orris and Tocilizumab 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.

  • A skin rash reported in 12.1% of FDA reports for Tocilizumab Additional detail

    Orris

    “Topically, the fresh plant juice or root can cause severe skin and mucosal irritation (12,18). A case of allergic contact dermatitis has been reported in a 45-year-old atopic patient using a facial cream containing an extract of orris root.”

    Orris · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources 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.
    2. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    3. 106685. Baudy A, Samaran Q, Dereure O, Raison-Peyron N. Allergic contact dermatitis to Iris germanica root in a "natural" cosmetic. Contact Dermatitis 2021;85(1):111-112.

    Tocilizumab

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

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea Additional detail

    Orris

    “Orally, the fresh plant juice or root can cause severe mucosal irritation, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea (18).”

    Orris · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Tocilizumab

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

Reported for Orris but not commonly for Tocilizumab: vomiting.

Effects for Tocilizumab come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Orris come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 112,048 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tocilizumab 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.

Overlapping uses

What Tocilizumab Is Prescribed For, and What Orris Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Tocilizumab is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Orris is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Tocilizumab is prescribed for: Tocilizumab injection is used to treat several serious inflammatory and immune-related conditions. Actemra (tocilizumab) is indicated for moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in adults who haven't responded well to other disease-modifying drugs, giant cell arteritis in adults, systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) to slow lung function decline, polyarticular and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients 2 years and older, and severe or life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS) caused by CAR T-cell therapy in adults and children 2 and older. Actemra is also approved for hospitalized adults and children aged 2 and older with COVID-19 who are on corticosteroids and need supplemental oxygen or mechanical breathing support. Not every brand or route is approved for every use — your prescriber will choose the right form for your specific condition.

Orris has been studied for:

  • Joint pain studied, not established Orris has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Orris for joint pain

    Although there has been interest in oral orris root for joint pain, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of orris for this purpose.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Tocilizumab on your own; if you are taking Orris for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tocilizumab

This page covers Orris only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tocilizumab page lists 89 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 3 major · 85 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tocilizumab page

“Tocilizumab (Actemra) calms an overactive immune system in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and it is also known to strain the liver, which is exactly where its supplement interactions concentrate. This page deserves genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tocilizumab interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 36 real supplement products containing Orris, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Orris. Even though Orris itself has no known interaction with Tocilizumab, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Orris and Tocilizumab 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 Orris
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tocilizumab
Steady interest

#1,716 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 Orris reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Orris and Tocilizumab 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 Orris

What is Orris?

  • Fragrance and flavoring (perfumes, gin, cosmetics)
  • Traditional remedy for coughs and congestion
  • Skin and breath freshening
  • Teething soothers for infants (traditional, not recommended)
  • Digestive complaints (traditional use)

Orris is the dried, aged rhizome of certain iris species, valued mainly for its violet-like scent in perfumes, cosmetics, and flavorings rather than for proven health benefits. There is very little reliable human evidence that it treats any medical condition, and the fresh root can be irritating, so it is best thought of as a fragrance ingredient rather than a remedy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it for any health purpose.

Iris germanica · Iridaceae · Dried rhizome (orris root) and its essential oil/extract (orris butter) · Dried root pieces, powder, essential oil (orris butter), tinctures, and as a flavoring or fragrance ingredient

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

Orris: dosing

There is no established or standardized medicinal dose for orris root. Its main everyday uses—as a perfume ingredient or a flavoring—involve very small amounts and are not the same as taking it as a supplement.If you are considering a product that contains orris, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

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

Read the full Orris monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tocilizumab Injection

What Is Tocilizumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Actemra

Tocilizumab injection is used to treat several serious inflammatory and immune-related conditions. Actemra (tocilizumab) is indicated for moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in adults who haven't responded well to other disease-modifying drugs, giant cell arteritis in adults, systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) to slow lung function decline, polyarticular and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients 2 years and older, and severe or life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS) caused by CAR T-cell therapy in adults and children 2 and older.

Actemra is also approved for hospitalized adults and children aged 2 and older with COVID-19 who are on corticosteroids and need supplemental oxygen or mechanical breathing support. Not every brand or route is approved for every use — your prescriber will choose the right form for your specific condition.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Tocilizumab

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (113,819 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Rheumatoid arthritis 22,747 reports
Arthralgia 17,322 reports
Joint swelling 16,327 reports
Fatigue 15,391 reports
Rash 13,781 reports
See full Tocilizumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Orris

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Orris — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Orris list.

See the full Orris interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tocilizumab, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Orris References

The 3 references that drive our Orris 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  3. Baudy A, Samaran Q, Dereure O, Raison-Peyron N. Allergic contact dermatitis to Iris germanica root in a "natural" cosmetic. Contact Dermatitis 2021;85(1):111-112.

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 Orris and Tocilizumab Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Orris with Tocilizumab?
We do not list a known interaction between Orris and Tocilizumab. 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 Orris and Tocilizumab have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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.
Are Orris and Tocilizumab used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Orris in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Tocilizumab is being adjusted to a target.
Does Tocilizumab interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tocilizumab has documented interactions with 89 supplements in our database — Orris is not one of them. The Tocilizumab interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Orris monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Tocilizumab Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Tocilizumab supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Tocilizumab, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Tocilizumab and Orris?

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.