Drug & supplement interaction

Perilla + Carmustine

Carmustine brand names: Gliadel, BiCNU, Gliadel Wafer.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Perilla and Carmustine 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

Perilla and Carmustine

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 Carmustine and Perilla 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 Perilla at all — not against Carmustine, 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.

Perilla safety at a glance

Perilla overall Use caution Generally well tolerated as a food, but supplement-strength products are not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid medicinal amounts during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid medicinal amounts while breastfeeding.

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

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

What Perilla Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Carmustine. It is the side-effect record for Perilla on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Perilla, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Wheezing Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Occupational asthma has been reported from breathing in smoke from roasted perilla seeds.”

    Perilla · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.

    1 source cited
    1. 94313. Yu H, Qiu JF, Ma LJ, Hu YJ, Li P, Wan JB. Phytochemical and phytopharmacological review of Perilla frutescens L. (Labiatae), a traditional edible-medicinal herb in China. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;108(Pt B):375-91. PubMed
  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, many cases of anaphylaxis have been reported in adults and children who consumed perilla seeds. Some research suggests that oleosin is the major constituent responsible for perilla allergies.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 94313. Yu H, Qiu JF, Ma LJ, Hu YJ, Li P, Wan JB. Phytochemical and phytopharmacological review of Perilla frutescens L. (Labiatae), a traditional edible-medicinal herb in China. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;108(Pt B):375-91. PubMed
    2. 110611. Jeong K, Lee SY, Jeon SA, et al. Clinical and immunological characterization of perilla seed allergy in children. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2021. PubMed
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Topically, perilla may cause contact dermatitis (6,68664,94313).”

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

    3 sources cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
    2. 68664. Kanzaki, T. and Kimura, S. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from Perilla frutescens (shiso). Contact Dermatitis 1992;26(1):55-56.
    3. 94313. Yu H, Qiu JF, Ma LJ, Hu YJ, Li P, Wan JB. Phytochemical and phytopharmacological review of Perilla frutescens L. (Labiatae), a traditional edible-medicinal herb in China. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;108(Pt B):375-91. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Perilla — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Carmustine’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Carmustine column appears here.

Overlapping uses

What Carmustine Is Prescribed For, and What Perilla Has Been Studied For

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

Carmustine is prescribed for: Carmustine injection is used as palliative therapy — either alone or combined with other chemotherapy drugs — for several brain tumors, including glioblastoma, brainstem glioma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, ependymoma, and metastatic brain tumors. It is also used for multiple myeloma (in combination with prednisone), and for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (in combination with other approved drugs). Gliadel — a dissolving wafer form of carmustine placed directly into the brain during surgery — is specifically indicated for newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (as an addition to surgery and radiation) and for recurrent glioblastoma (as an addition to surgery).

Perilla has been studied for:

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

    Perilla for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral perilla for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of perilla 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 Carmustine on your own; if you are taking Perilla 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 Carmustine

This page covers Perilla only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Carmustine page lists 24 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Coenzyme Q10 (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 14 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Carmustine page

“Activated charcoal is the entry to understand first. It holds the only major rating among the 24 ingredients on file for carmustine, and because it can trap drugs that recirculate through the gut, it may lower carmustine levels even when the chemotherapy arrives by IV or as an implanted Gliadel wafer.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Carmustine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 199 real supplement products containing Perilla, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Perilla. Even though Perilla itself has no known interaction with Carmustine, 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 Perilla and Carmustine 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 Perilla
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Carmustine
Top 25%

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

What is Perilla?

Perilla
  • Seasonal and food allergies
  • Asthma and airway inflammation
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Digestive upset
  • General anti-inflammatory support

Perilla is an Asian mint-family plant used in cooking and traditional medicine, mainly for allergy, breathing, and digestive complaints. Most human evidence is limited or preliminary, so it should not replace proven treatments. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Perilla frutescens · Lamiaceae · Leaves, seeds, stem, and seed oil · Tea, capsules, seed oil, essential oil, dried leaf, culinary herb

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

Perilla: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for perilla supplements. Products vary widely in their form and strength, from leaf teas to seed oil softgels to standardized extracts.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not to exceed them.

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

Read the full Perilla monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Carmustine

What Is Carmustine Used For?

Brand names: Gliadel, BiCNU, Gliadel Wafer

Carmustine injection is used as palliative therapy — either alone or combined with other chemotherapy drugs — for several brain tumors, including glioblastoma, brainstem glioma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, ependymoma, and metastatic brain tumors. It is also used for multiple myeloma (in combination with prednisone), and for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (in combination with other approved drugs).

Gliadel — a dissolving wafer form of carmustine placed directly into the brain during surgery — is specifically indicated for newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (as an addition to surgery and radiation) and for recurrent glioblastoma (as an addition to surgery).

Most-Reported Side Effects for Carmustine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Febrile neutropenia 391 reports
Myelodysplastic syndrome 296 reports
Disease progression 292 reports
Thrombocytopenia 250 reports
Fever 238 reports
See full Carmustine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Perilla

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Perilla — 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

Perilla References

The 4 references that drive our Perilla 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Kanzaki, T. and Kimura, S. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from Perilla frutescens (shiso). Contact Dermatitis 1992;26(1):55-56.
  3. Yu H, Qiu JF, Ma LJ, Hu YJ, Li P, Wan JB. Phytochemical and phytopharmacological review of Perilla frutescens L. (Labiatae), a traditional edible-medicinal herb in China. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;108(Pt B):375-91. PubMed
  4. Jeong K, Lee SY, Jeon SA, et al. Clinical and immunological characterization of perilla seed allergy in children. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2021. 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 Perilla and Carmustine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Perilla with Carmustine?
We do not list a known interaction between Perilla and Carmustine. 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.
Are Perilla and Carmustine 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 Perilla in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Carmustine is being adjusted to a target.
Does Carmustine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Carmustine has documented interactions with 24 supplements in our database — Perilla is not one of them. The Carmustine 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 Carmustine and Perilla?

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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.