Drug & supplement interaction

Picrorhiza + Guselkumab

Guselkumab brand name: Tremfya.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Picrorhiza has a moderate interaction with Guselkumab. Picrorhiza seems to have immunostimulating activity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Picrorhiza and Guselkumab

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Guselkumab

Guselkumab falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Picrorhiza interacts with.

Picrorhiza seems to have immunostimulating activity. Theoretically, picrorhiza may interfere with immunosuppressant therapy. Immunosuppressant drugs include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), and other corticosteroids (glucocorticoids).
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the basic idea with Tremfya (guselkumab). This is an injectable antibody that calms an overactive immune system to clear up plaque psoriasis and ease psoriatic arthritis. Picrorhiza, on the other hand, has shown signs in lab and animal work that it may stimulate the immune system, which is the opposite of what your medication is trying to do.

So in theory, picrorhiza could work against guselkumab and let your symptoms creep back, like more red, scaly skin patches or flaring joint pain. I want to be honest though, this concern comes only from test-tube and animal studies, not real patient data, so it's far from proven. Since it points the wrong way for your treatment, I'd run it by your pharmacist or doctor before adding picrorhiza.

References
  1. Sharma ML, Rao CS, Duda PL. Immunostimulatory activity of Picrorhiza kurroa leaf extract. J Ethnopharmacol 1994;41:185-92. PubMed
  2. Baruah CC, Gupta PP, Nath A, et al. Anti-allergic and anti-anaphylactic activity of picroliv--a standardised iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa. Pharmacol Res 1998;38:487-92.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Picrorhiza Also Interacts With Other Medications

Picrorhiza has 206 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Guselkumab one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Picrorhiza

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Guselkumab

This page covers Picrorhiza only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Guselkumab page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Guselkumab page

“Guselkumab (Tremfya) quiets an overactive branch of the immune system to control psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and all 53 supplements on this list interact the same way, by potentially revving that system back up. None is rated major, 52 are moderate and one is minor, so for most people this reads as a watch list rather than a sto…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Guselkumab interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 177 real supplement products containing Picrorhiza, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Picrorhiza. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Guselkumab too, on top of Picrorhiza — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Picrorhiza and Guselkumab 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 Picrorhiza
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Guselkumab
Top 10%

#186 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.

Supplement

About Picrorhiza

What is Picrorhiza?

  • Liver support
  • Digestive complaints
  • Asthma and breathing problems
  • Skin conditions
  • Fever
  • Immune support

Picrorhiza (Picrorhiza kurroa) is a bitter Himalayan herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, mainly for liver and digestive complaints. Early lab and small human studies suggest possible liver-protective and anti-inflammatory effects, but high-quality evidence is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Picrorhiza monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Guselkumab Injection

What Is Guselkumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Tremfya

Tremfya (guselkumab) injection is approved to treat adults and children 6 years of age and older who weigh at least 40 kg (about 88 lbs) with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis or active psoriatic arthritis. It is also approved for adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

For plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Tremfya is an option when systemic therapy or phototherapy is appropriate. For ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, Tremfya is approved for adult patients only — it has not been established as safe and effective for children with those conditions.

See full Guselkumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Picrorhiza

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

0Major
206Moderate
0Minor
2,623No known interaction
Moderate

206 interactions

Showing 60 of 206 moderate interactions — see all 206 on the Picrorhiza page.

No interaction 2,623 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Picrorhiza and Guselkumab Together: Common Questions

Can you take Picrorhiza with Guselkumab?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Picrorhiza and Guselkumab interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Guselkumab and Picrorhiza?

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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.