Drug & supplement interaction

Patchouli Oil + Interferon Alfa-2b

Interferon Alfa-2b brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b 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.

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Interaction report

Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b

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 Interferon Alfa-2b and Patchouli Oil 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 Patchouli Oil at all — not against Interferon Alfa-2b, 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.

Patchouli Oil safety at a glance

Patchouli Oil overall Use caution Generally considered safe for topical and aromatherapy use when diluted, but can irritate skin and should not be swallowed.
Pregnancy Avoid Safety is not established, so avoid use during pregnancy unless cleared by your doctor.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information exists, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Interferon Alfa-2b and Patchouli Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Alfa-2b

This page covers Patchouli Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Alfa-2b page lists 57 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), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Alfa-2b page

“People taking interferon alfa-2b (Intron A, Rebetron) are usually treating hepatitis or a cancer, so the liver may already be under strain, and that is exactly where most of this list points. Of the 57 supplements on file, 38 can add to liver stress, and all three major-rated interactions sit in that group: Siberian cocklebur, which ha…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Alfa-2b interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Patchouli Oil
Steady interest

#1,061 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Alfa-2b
Steady interest

#1,754 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 Patchouli Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Patchouli Oil

What is Patchouli Oil?

  • Aromatherapy and relaxation
  • Skin care
  • Insect repellent
  • Fragrance and perfume
  • Antimicrobial use
  • Mood support

Patchouli oil is an essential oil pressed from the leaves of the patchouli plant, used mainly for its strong, earthy scent in aromatherapy, skin products, and perfumes. Most claimed health benefits come from laboratory studies rather than solid human trials, so its real-world value remains unproven. Like all essential oils, it should be diluted before skin use and never swallowed unless directed by a qualified professional.

Pogostemon cablin · Lamiaceae · Leaves (dried and steam-distilled essential oil) · Essential oil, diluted oil blends, soaps, lotions, perfumes, incense

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

Patchouli Oil: dosing

There is no established standard dose for patchouli oil, and it is not meant to be taken by mouth. For topical use, it is typically diluted to a small percentage in a carrier oil before being applied to the skin.For aromatherapy, a few drops may be added to a diffuser according to the product directions.

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

Read the full Patchouli Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Alfa-2b Injection

What Is Interferon Alfa-2b Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used to treat a number of conditions.

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used

    • alone or in combination with ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere) to treat chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat chronic hepatitis B infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat hairy cell leukemia (a white blood cell cancer),

    • to treat genital warts,

    • to treat Kaposi's sarcoma (a type of cancer that causes abnormal tissue to grow on different parts of the body) related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),

    • to treat malignant melanoma (a cancer that begins in certain skin cells) in certain people who have had surgery to remove the cancer,

    • along with another medication to treat follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; a slow-growing blood cancer).

  • Interferon alfa-2b is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. Interferon alfa-2b works to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) by decreasing the amount virus in the body. Interferon alfa-2b may not cure hepatitis B or hepatitis C or prevent you from developing complications from these infections such as cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer. It also may not prevent the spread of hepatitis B or C to other people. It is not known exactly how interferon alfa-2b works to treat cancer or genital warts.

See full Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Patchouli Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Patchouli Oil — 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

Patchouli Oil References

The 2 references that drive our Patchouli Oil 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. Das NG, Dhiman S, Talukdar PK, Rabha B, Goswami D, Veer V. Synergistic mosquito-repellent activity of Curcuma longa, Pogostemon heyneanus and Zanthoxylum limonella essential oils. J Infect Public Health. 2015 Jul-Aug;8(4):323-8. PubMed
  2. Shin YK, Lee SY, Lee JM, Kang P, Seol GH. Effects of short-term inhalation of patchouli oil on professional quality of life and stress levels in emergency nurses: A randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Nov;26(11):1032-1038. 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 Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Patchouli Oil with Interferon Alfa-2b?
We do not list a known interaction between Patchouli Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b. 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.
Does Interferon Alfa-2b interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Alfa-2b has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Patchouli Oil is not one of them. The Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Interferon Alfa-2b and Patchouli Oil?

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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.