Drug & supplement interaction

Prickly Pear Cactus + Sarilumab

Sarilumab brand name: Kevzara.

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 Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab 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

Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab

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 Sarilumab and Prickly Pear Cactus 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.

Prickly Pear Cactus safety at a glance

Prickly Pear Cactu... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated as food, but supplement safety is less studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so avoid supplement amounts during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so avoid supplement amounts while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Sarilumab and Prickly Pear Cactus? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sarilumab

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sarilumab is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers, immunosuppressants. Prickly Pear Cactus has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Sarilumab’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

Prickly Pear Cactus Does Interact With Other Medications

Prickly Pear Cactus has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sarilumab isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Sarilumab)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Prickly Pear Cactus

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab May Share a Side Effect

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.

  • Itching Additional detail

    Prickly Pear Cactus

    “Orally, prickly pear cactus has been linked to rare cases of urticaria and pruritus. In a clinical study of 41 patients taking prickly pear cactus pad ethanolic extract, three patients experienced pruritus and one patient experienced urticaria.”

    Prickly Pear Cactus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in peripheral arterial disease (pad).

    1 source cited
    1. 105903. Han EH, Lim MK, Lee S, et al. Efficacy of Ethanolic Extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Stems for Improving Cognitive Function in Elderly Subjects 55-85 Years of Age: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. J Med Food 2020;23(11):11

    Sarilumab

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

Reported for Prickly Pear Cactus but not commonly for Sarilumab: stomach upset, dizziness, hives and diarrhea.

Effects for Sarilumab come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Prickly Pear Cactus come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 24,738 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sarilumab 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sarilumab

This page covers Prickly Pear Cactus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sarilumab page lists 72 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), Alkanna (moderate), Alpine Ragwort (moderate) and American Ginseng (moderate).

By severity: 71 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sarilumab page

“Sarilumab (Kevzara) works by quieting an overactive immune system in rheumatoid arthritis, and most of the supplements on this page push the other way. Immune stimulants such as ashwagandha, astragalus, and American ginseng could in theory blunt the drug's benefit and let joint symptoms creep back.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sarilumab interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Prickly Pear Cactus as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 432 real supplement products containing Prickly Pear Cactus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Prickly Pear Cactus. Even though Prickly Pear Cactus itself has no known interaction with Sarilumab, 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 Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab 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 Prickly Pear Cactus
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sarilumab
Steady interest

#2,756 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 Prickly Pear Cactus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab 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 Prickly Pear Cactus

What is Prickly Pear Cactus?

  • Blood sugar control
  • High cholesterol
  • Hangover symptoms
  • Digestive health
  • Antioxidant support

Prickly pear cactus is a desert plant whose pads and fruit are eaten as food and taken as a supplement, mainly for blood sugar, cholesterol, and hangover symptoms. Some small studies suggest modest benefits, but the evidence is limited and not strong enough to rely on it as a treatment. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take medication for diabetes.

Opuntia ficus-indica · Cactaceae · Pads (cladodes), fruit, and flowers · Capsules, powder, juice, dried fruit, fresh pads, and extracts

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

Prickly Pear Cactus: dosing

There is no standardized, official dose for prickly pear cactus supplements. The right amount depends on the product, the form (capsule, powder, juice, or extract), and how it is being used.Because doses are not well established, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed them. A pharmacist can help you review a specific product and decide whether it is appropriate for you, especially if you have diabetes or take other medicines.

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

Read the full Prickly Pear Cactus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sarilumab Injection

What Is Sarilumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Kevzara

Kevzara (sarilumab) injection is approved for three conditions. In adults, it treats moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when at least one other disease-modifying drug hasn't worked well enough or caused intolerance. It also treats polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in adults who haven't responded adequately to corticosteroids or who can't tolerate tapering them.

Kevzara is also approved for polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) — a form of childhood arthritis — but only in patients who weigh 63 kg (about 139 lbs) or more. It is not approved for pediatric patients below that weight due to the lack of an appropriate dosage form.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sarilumab

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (26,260 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Arthralgia 5,168 reports
Rheumatoid arthritis 4,646 reports
Joint swelling 4,578 reports
Fatigue 3,555 reports
Rash 3,349 reports
See full Sarilumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Prickly Pear Cactus

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Prickly Pear Cactus page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Prickly Pear Cactus list.

See the full Prickly Pear Cactus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sarilumab, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Prickly Pear Cactus References

The 9 references that drive our Prickly Pear Cactus 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. Meckes-Lozyoa M, Roman-Ramos R. Opuntia streptacantha; a coadjutor in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Am J Chin Med 1986;14:116-8.
  2. Rayburn K, Martinez R, Escobedo M, et al. Glycemic effects of various species of nopal (Opuntia sp.) in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Texas J Rural Health 1998;26:68-76.
  3. Bush TM, Rayburn KS, Holloway SW, et al. Adverse interactions between herbal and dietary substances and prescription medications: a clinical survey. Altern Ther Health Med 2007;13:30-5.
  4. Sobieraj DM, Freyer CW. Probable hypoglycemic adverse drug reaction associated with prickly pear cactus, glipizide, and metformin in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann Pharmacother 2010;44:1334-7. PubMed
  5. Kleiner, O., Cohen, Z., and Mares, A. J. Low colonic obstruction due to Opuntia ficus indica seeds: the aftermath of enjoying delicious cactus fruits. Acta Paediatr. 2002;91(5):606-607.
  6. Steinberg, J. M. and Eitan, A. Prickly pear fruit bezoar presenting as rectal perforation in an elderly patient. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2003;18(4):365-367. PubMed
  7. Meckes-Lozyoa, M. and Roman-Ramos, R. Opuntia streptacantha: a coadjutor in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Am J Chin Med 1986;14(3-4):116-118.
  8. Onakpoya IJ, O'Sullivan J, Heneghan CJ. The effect of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition. 2015;31(5):640-6. PubMed
  9. Han EH, Lim MK, Lee S, et al. Efficacy of Ethanolic Extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Stems for Improving Cognitive Function in Elderly Subjects 55-85 Years of Age: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. J Med Food 2020;23(11):11

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 Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Prickly Pear Cactus with Sarilumab?
We do not list a known interaction between Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab. 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 Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
How was the Prickly Pear Cactus and Sarilumab combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sarilumab is filed under 2 classifications, and Prickly Pear Cactus has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Sarilumab'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 Prickly Pear Cactus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Prickly Pear Cactus has 86 documented drug interactions in our database — Sarilumab 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 Sarilumab interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sarilumab has documented interactions with 72 supplements in our database — Prickly Pear Cactus is not one of them. The Sarilumab 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

Prickly Pear Cactus monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sarilumab Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Sarilumab supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sarilumab, 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 9 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sarilumab and Prickly Pear Cactus?

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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.