Drug & supplement interaction

Peppermint + Erlotinib

Erlotinib brand name: Tarceva.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Peppermint and Erlotinib 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 Erlotinib 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

Peppermint and Erlotinib

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 Erlotinib and Peppermint 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.

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.

Peppermint safety at a glance

Peppermint overall Use caution Peppermint tea and culinary use are generally safe, but concentrated oil should be used carefully.

Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient information available about the safety of using peppermint in medicinal amounts durin... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient information available about the safety of using peppermint in medicinal amounts durin... 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.

Pharmacist analysis

Peppermint and peppermint oil have a number of theoretical interactions due to several lab and animal studies suggesting it can inhibit a variety of CYP metabolizing enzymes in the liver, including:

CYP2C9
CYP3A4
CYP2C19
CYP1A2

However, many of these interactions have not been seen in humans, and the likelihood of them being clinically significant is low. They are nevertheless important to be aware of.

There is no known interaction between peppermint and the drug in question here. They are considered safe to combine.

— Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS

Still wondering about combining Erlotinib and Peppermint? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Erlotinib

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Erlotinib is filed under 2 classifications — including oral drugs. Peppermint has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being cyclosporine (neoral, sandimmune) (moderate), cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) substrates (moderate) — and none of Erlotinib’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Peppermint Does Interact With Other Medications

Peppermint has 731 moderate, 65 minor known drug interactions in our database — Erlotinib isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 731 Minor 65 No known interaction 2,034 (incl. Erlotinib)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Peppermint

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Peppermint and Erlotinib 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. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

A severe skin reaction Worth acting on Additional detail
Peppermint
“Topically, peppermint oil can cause skin irritation, burning, erythema, and contact dermatitis. Also, a case of severe mucosal injury has been reported for a patient who misused an undiluted over the counter mouthwash that contained peppermint and arnica oil in 70% alcohol.

In large amounts, peppermint oil may cause chemical burns when used topically or orally.”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in burns.
6 sources cited

3802. Liu JH, Chen GH, Yeh HZ, et al. Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial. J Gastroenterol 1997;32:765-8. PubMed

11781. Davies SJ, Harding LM, Baranowski AP. A novel treatment of postherpetic neuralgia using peppermint oil. Clin J Pain 2002;18:200-2. PubMed

31528. Andersen, K. E. Contact allergy to toothpaste flavors. Contact Dermatitis 1978;4(4):195-198. PubMed

43338. Barnard, D. R. Repellency of essential oils to mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 1999;36(5):625-629. PubMed

68473. Vermaat, H., van Meurs, T., Rustemeyer, T., Bruynzeel, D. P., and Kirtschig, G. Vulval allergic contact dermatitis due to peppermint oil in herbal tea. Contact Dermatitis 2008;58(6):364-365. PubMed

68457. Kalavala, M., Hughes, T. M., Goodwin, R. G., Anstey, A. V., and Stone, N. M. Allergic contact dermatitis to peppermint foot spray. Contact Dermatitis 2007;57(1):57-58. PubMed
Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail
Peppermint
“One case of IgE-mediated anaphylaxis, characterized by sudden onset of lip and tongue swelling, tightness of throat, and shortness of breath, has been reported in a 69-year-old male who consumed peppermint candy. An allergic reaction after use of peppermint oil in combination with caraway oil has been reported in a patient with a history of bronchial asthma.”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.
2 sources cited

89479. Bayat R, Borici-Mazi R. A case of anaphylaxis to peppermint. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2014;10(1):6. PubMed

96344. Rich G, Shah A, Koloski N, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the effects of Menthacarin, a proprietary peppermint- and caraway-oil-preparation, on symptoms and quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2 PubMed
Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail
Peppermint
“One case of hepatocellular liver injury has been reported following the oral use of peppermint. Symptoms included elevated liver enzymes, fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, and signs of hypersensitivity. Details on the dosage and type of peppermint consumed were unavailable.”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fatigue.
1 source cited

96358. Douros A, Bronder E, Andersohn F, et al. Herb-Induced Liver Injury in the Berlin Case-Control Surveillance Study. Int J Mol Sci 2016;17(1). PubMed
Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Mouth irritation or sores Additional detail

Peppermint

Recorded for Peppermint in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A severe skin reaction above.

Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea reported in 10.8% of FDA reports for Erlotinib Additional detail
Peppermint

“Orally, topically, or rectally, peppermint oil is generally well tolerated. Inhaled,

peppermint oil seems to be well tolerated. Intranasally, no adverse effects have been reported. However, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.
“Orally, peppermint oil can cause heartburn, nausea and vomiting, anal or perianal burning, abdominal pain, belching, dry mouth, diarrhea, and increased appetite. Enteric-coated capsules might help to reduce the incidence of heartburn. However, in one clinical study, a specific enteric-coated formulation of peppermint oil (Pepogest;”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.
6 sources cited

3803. Pittler MH, Ernst E. Peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome: a critical review and metaanalysis. Am J Gastroenterol 1998;93:1131-5. PubMed

6740. Madisch A, Heydenreich CJ, Wieland V, et al. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a fixed peppermint oil and caraway oil combination preparation as compared to cisapride. A multicenter, reference-controlled, double-blind equivalence study. Arzneimittel

6741. May B, Kuntz HD, Kieser M, Kohler S. Efficacy of a fixed peppermint oil/caraway oil combination in non-ulcer dyspepsia. Arzneimittelforschung 1996;46:1149-53.

6742. Micklefield GH, Greving I, May B. Effects of peppermint oil and caraway oil on gastroduodenal motility. Phytother Res 2000;14:20-3. DOI

10075. May B, Kohler S, Schneider B. Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2000;14:1671-7. PubMed

11779. Rees WD, Evans BK, Rhodes J. Treating irritable bowel syndrome with peppermint oil. Br Med J 1979;2:835-6. PubMed
Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›
A skin rash reported in 10.6% of FDA reports for Erlotinib Additional detail

Peppermint

Recorded for Peppermint in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea above.

Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Tiredness reported in 5.8% of FDA reports for Erlotinib Additional detail

Peppermint

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

Erlotinib

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Erlotinib, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Headache Additional detail
Peppermint
“Orally, headache has been reported rarely.”

Peppermint · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.
1 source cited

102602. Weerts ZZRM, Masclee AAM, Witteman BJM, et al. Efficacy and safety of peppermint oil in a randomized, double-blind trial of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2020;158(1):123-136. PubMed
Erlotinib

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

Reported for Peppermint but not commonly for Erlotinib: heartburn, increased appetite, an allergic reaction and stomach pain.

Effects for Erlotinib come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Peppermint come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 12,442 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Erlotinib 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

Peppermint in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient information available about the safety of using peppermint in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or lactation; avoid using.

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 Erlotinib Products Have a Food Rule — Peppermint Should Not Break It

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

Recommended Dose – NSCLC The recommended daily dose of erlotinib tablets for NSCLC is 150 mg taken on an empty stomach, i.e., at least one hour before or two hours after the ingestion of food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Erlotinib — 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 Erlotinib

This page covers Peppermint only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Erlotinib page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Bilberry (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate) and Glucomannan (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 8 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Erlotinib page

“Activated charcoal is the entry I would flag first for anyone taking erlotinib (Tarceva), an oral targeted therapy for certain lung cancers. Charcoal can adsorb the drug in the gut and cut how much reaches the bloodstream, and with a cancer pill, less absorbed means less cancer fought.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Erlotinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,980 real supplement products containing Peppermint, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Peppermint. Even though Peppermint itself has no known interaction with Erlotinib, 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 Peppermint and Erlotinib 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 Peppermint

Top 10%

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

29 days ago today

Medication Erlotinib

Top half

#1,409 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 Peppermint reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Peppermint and Erlotinib 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Peppermint

What is Peppermint?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Indigestion and gas
Nausea
Tension headache (topical oil)
Colds and congestion
Freshening breath

Peppermint is a popular herb with the best evidence supporting enteric-coated peppermint oil for easing IBS symptoms. It is generally well tolerated for most adults, but it can cause heartburn and is not recommended in concentrated oil form for infants and young children. Check with your pharmacist or doctor before using it regularly, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Mentha x piperita · Lamiaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Tea, capsules (including enteric-coated peppermint oil), essential oil, tincture, topical creams

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

Peppermint: dosing

There is no single official dose for peppermint, and the right amount depends on the form and the reason you are using it. For IBS, products usually come as standardized enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules with directions on the label. Teas are made by steeping the dried leaves in hot water.Because product strength varies widely, the best approach is to follow the directions on your specific product and not to exceed the recommended amount. Concentrated essential oil should never be swallowed unless it is in a product made for that purpose.

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

Read the full Peppermint monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Erlotinib

What Is Erlotinib Used For?

Brand name: Tarceva

Erlotinib tablets are used to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors carry specific gene changes — EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations — confirmed by an FDA-approved test. It can be used as a first-line treatment, as maintenance therapy, or after at least one prior chemotherapy has stopped working.

Erlotinib tablets are also used for the first-line treatment of locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic pancreatic cancer — but only in combination with another chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine. Erlotinib is not recommended alongside platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Erlotinib

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (12,442 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Diarrhea 1,341 reports

Rash 1,316 reports

Malignant neoplasm progression 891 reports

Fatigue 719 reports

Nausea 696 reports

See full Erlotinib drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Peppermint

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

0Major

731Moderate

65Minor

2,033No known interaction

731 Moderate 65 Minor 2,033 No interaction

Moderate

731 interactions

Showing 60 of 731 moderate interactions — see all 731 on the Peppermint page.

Minor

65 interactions

Showing 60 of 65 minor interactions — see all 65 on the Peppermint page.

No interaction 2,033 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,033 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Peppermint list.

See the full Peppermint interactions page

See every supplement checked against Erlotinib, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Peppermint References

The 41 references that drive our Peppermint 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.

Liu JH, Chen GH, Yeh HZ, et al. Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial. J Gastroenterol 1997;32:765-8. PubMed
Pittler MH, Ernst E. Peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome: a critical review and metaanalysis. Am J Gastroenterol 1998;93:1131-5. PubMed
Kline RM, Kline JJ, Di Palma J, Barbero GJ. Enteric-coated, pH-dependent peppermint oil capsules for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome in children. J Pediatr 2001;138:125-8. PubMed
Madisch A, Heydenreich CJ, Wieland V, et al. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a fixed peppermint oil and caraway oil combination preparation as compared to cisapride. A multicenter, reference-controlled, double-blind equivalence study. Arzneimittel
May B, Kuntz HD, Kieser M, Kohler S. Efficacy of a fixed peppermint oil/caraway oil combination in non-ulcer dyspepsia. Arzneimittelforschung 1996;46:1149-53.
Micklefield GH, Greving I, May B. Effects of peppermint oil and caraway oil on gastroduodenal motility. Phytother Res 2000;14:20-3. DOI
Morton CA, Garioch J, Todd P, et al. Contact sensitivity to menthol and peppermint in patients with intra-oral symptoms. Contact Dermatitis 1995;32:281-4. PubMed
May B, Kohler S, Schneider B. Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2000;14:1671-7. PubMed
Nash P, Gould SR, Bernardo DE. Peppermint oil does not relieve the pain of irritable bowel syndrome. Br J Clin Pract 1986;40:292-3. DOI
Rees WD, Evans BK, Rhodes J. Treating irritable bowel syndrome with peppermint oil. Br Med J 1979;2:835-6. PubMed
Davies SJ, Harding LM, Baranowski AP. A novel treatment of postherpetic neuralgia using peppermint oil. Clin J Pain 2002;18:200-2. PubMed
Weston CF. Anal burning and peppermint oil. Postgrad Med J 1987;63:717. PubMed
Dresser GK, Wacher V, Wong S, et al. Evaluation of peppermint oil and ascorbyl palmitate as inhibitors of cytochrome P4503A4 activity in vitro and in vivo. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2002;72:247-55. PubMed
Wacher VJ, Wong S, Wong HT. Peppermint oil enhances cyclosporine oral bioavailability in rats: comparison with D-alpha-tocopheryl poly(ethylene glycol 1000) succinate (TPGS) and ketoconazole. J Pharm Sci 2002;91:77-90.
Lawson MJ, Knight RE, Tran K, et al. Failure of enteric-coated peppermint oil in the irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized double-blind crossover study. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1988;3:235-8. DOI
Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
Maliakal PP, Wanwimolruk S. Effect of herbal teas on hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2001;53:1323-9. PubMed
Rogers SN, Pahor AL. A form of stomatitis induced by excessive peppermint consumption. Dent Update 1995;22:36-7.
Cappello G, Spezzaferro M, Grossi L, et al. Peppermint oil (Mintoil) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Dig Liver Dis 2007;39:530-6. PubMed
Moghadam BK, Gier R, and Thurlow T. Extensive oral mucosal ulcerations caused by misuse of a commercial mouthwash. Cutis 1999;64:131-134.
Andersen, K. E. Contact allergy to toothpaste flavors. Contact Dermatitis 1978;4(4):195-198. PubMed
Barnard, D. R. Repellency of essential oils to mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 1999;36(5):625-629. PubMed
Tamir, S., Davidovich, Z., Attal, P., and Eliashar, R. Peppermint oil chemical burn. Otolaryngol.Head Neck Surg. 2005;133(5):801-802. PubMed
Kalavala, M., Hughes, T. M., Goodwin, R. G., Anstey, A. V., and Stone, N. M. Allergic contact dermatitis to peppermint foot spray. Contact Dermatitis 2007;57(1):57-58. PubMed
Vermaat, H., van Meurs, T., Rustemeyer, T., Bruynzeel, D. P., and Kirtschig, G. Vulval allergic contact dermatitis due to peppermint oil in herbal tea. Contact Dermatitis 2008;58(6):364-365. PubMed
Merat, S., Khalili, S., Mostajabi, P., Ghorbani, A., Ansari, R., and Malekzadeh, R. The effect of enteric-coated, delayed-release peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome. Dig.Dis.Sci. 2010;55(5):1385-1390. PubMed
Tran, A., Pratt, M., and DeKoven, J. Acute allergic contact dermatitis of the lips from peppermint oil in a lip balm. Dermatitis 2010;21(2):111-115. DOI
Hitz, Lindenmuller, I and Lambrecht, J. T. Oral care. Curr Probl.Dermatol 2011;40:107-115.
Shavakhi, A., Ardestani, S. K., Taki, M., Goli, M., and Keshteli, A. H. Premedication with peppermint oil capsules in colonoscopy: a double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial study. Acta Gastroenterol Belg 2012;75(3):349-353.
Lech, Y., Olesen, K. M., Hey, H., Rask-Pedersen, E., Vilien, M., and Ostergaard, O. [Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with peppermint oil. A double- blind study with a placebo]. Ugeskr.Laeger 10-3-1988;150(40):2388-2389.
Parys, B. T. Chemical burns resulting from contact with peppermint oil mar: a case report. Burns Incl.Therm.Inj. 1983;9(5):374-375. PubMed
Bayat R, Borici-Mazi R. A case of anaphylaxis to peppermint. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2014;10(1):6. PubMed
Rich G, Shah A, Koloski N, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the effects of Menthacarin, a proprietary peppermint- and caraway-oil-preparation, on symptoms and quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2 PubMed
Douros A, Bronder E, Andersohn F, et al. Herb-Induced Liver Injury in the Berlin Case-Control Surveillance Study. Int J Mol Sci 2016;17(1). PubMed
Begas E, Tsioutsiouliti A, Kouvaras E, et al. Effects of peppermint tea consumption on the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2A6, Xanthine Oxidase, N-acetyltranferase-2 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases-1A1/1A6 in healthy volunteers. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;100:80-9 PubMed
Cash BD, Epstein MS, Shah SM. A Novel Delivery System of Peppermint Oil Is an Effective Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms. Dig Dis Sci 2016;61(2):560-71. PubMed
Elsaie LT, El Mohsen AM, Ibrahim IM, Mohey-Eddin MH, Elsaie ML. Effectiveness of topical peppermint oil on symptomatic treatment of chronic pruritus. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2016;9:333-8. PubMed
Wu J, Xu R, Zhan R, et al. Effective symptomatic treatment for severe and intractable pruritus associated with severe burn-induced hypertrophic scars: A prospective, multicenter, controlled trial. Burns 2016;42(5):1059-66. PubMed
Weerts ZZRM, Masclee AAM, Witteman BJM, et al. Efficacy and safety of peppermint oil in a randomized, double-blind trial of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2020;158(1):123-136. PubMed
Nee J, Ballou S, Kelley JM, et al. Peppermint Oil Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Am J Gastroenterol 2021;116(11):2279-2285. PubMed
Ingrosso MR, Ianiro G, Nee J, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2022;56(6):932-41. 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 Peppermint and Erlotinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Peppermint with Erlotinib?

We do not list a known interaction between Peppermint and Erlotinib. 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 Peppermint and Erlotinib have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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 Peppermint and Erlotinib at the same time of day?

At least one FDA label for a product containing Erlotinib 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 Erlotinib on its own and move Peppermint 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.

How was the Peppermint and Erlotinib combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Erlotinib is filed under 2 classifications, and Peppermint has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Erlotinib's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Peppermint interact with any other medications?

Yes. Peppermint has 796 documented drug interactions in our database — Erlotinib is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Erlotinib interact with any supplements?

Yes. Erlotinib has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Peppermint is not one of them. The Erlotinib interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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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.