Drug & supplement interaction

Propolis + Levothyroxine

Levothyroxine brand names: Euthyrox, Levothroid, Unithroid, Synthroid, Levoxyl, and others.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Propolis and Levothyroxine 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 Levothyroxine 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

Propolis and Levothyroxine

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 Levothyroxine and Propolis 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.

Propolis safety at a glance

Propolis overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short term, but allergic reactions are possible, especially in people sensitive to bee products.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough reliable safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Possibly Safe When used orally and appropriately during lactation. Propolis 300 mg daily has been used for 4-10 months in one clinical study with no apparent adverse effects... 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.

Still wondering about combining Levothyroxine and Propolis? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Levothyroxine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Levothyroxine is filed under 3 classifications — including thyroid hormone, oral drugs. Propolis has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates (moderate) — and none of Levothyroxine’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

Propolis Does Interact With Other Medications

Propolis has 921 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Levothyroxine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 921 No known interaction 1,909 (incl. Levothyroxine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Propolis

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Propolis and Levothyroxine 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Propolis

    “In one case report, a 36-year-old female developed severe erythematous papules and patches with edema of the face, neck, arms, abdomen, and thighs after consuming propolis solution for a few weeks. After symptom resolution, a patch test showed an extreme positive reaction to propolis.”

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

    6 sources cited
    1. 106443. Cho E, Lee JD, Cho SH. Systemic contact dermatitis from propolis ingestion. Ann Dermatol. 2011;23(1):85-88. PubMed
    2. 70063. Hsu, C. Y., Chiang, W. C., Weng, T. I., Chen, W. J., and Yuan, A. Laryngeal edema and anaphalactic shock after topical propolis use for acute pharyngitis. Am J Emerg.Med 2004;22(5):432-433. PubMed
    3. 15647. Jensen CD, Andersen KE. Allergic contact dermatitis from cera alba (purified propolis) in a lip balm and candy. Contact Dermatitis 2006;55:312-3. PubMed
    4. 92796. Matos D, Serrano P, Brandao FM. A case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by propolis-enriched honey. Contact Dermatitis 2015;72(1):59-60. PubMed
    5. 92798. Nyman G, Hagvall L. A case of allergic contact cheilitis caused by propolis and honey. Contact Dermatitis 2016;74(3):186-7. PubMed
    6. 102517. Nyman GSA, Tang M, Inerot A, Osmancevic A, Malmberg P, Hagvall L. Contact allergy to beeswax and propolis among patients with cheilitis or facial dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 2019;81(2):110-6. PubMed

    Levothyroxine

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

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Propolis

    “Propolis can cause allergic reactions and acute oral mucositis with ulceration from the use of the propolis-containing lozenges.

    Topically, propolis-containing products, including some cosmetics, can cause eczematous contact dermatitis, erythema multiforme-like contact dermatitis, or allergic contact cheilitis.

    Patients allergic to bees or bee products may be more likely to experience allergic reactions to propolis.”

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

    6 sources cited
    1. 2632. Hay KD, Greig DE. Propolis allergy: a cause of oral mucositis with ulceration. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1990;70:584-6. PubMed
    2. 15647. Jensen CD, Andersen KE. Allergic contact dermatitis from cera alba (purified propolis) in a lip balm and candy. Contact Dermatitis 2006;55:312-3. PubMed
    3. 92796. Matos D, Serrano P, Brandao FM. A case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by propolis-enriched honey. Contact Dermatitis 2015;72(1):59-60. PubMed
    4. 92798. Nyman G, Hagvall L. A case of allergic contact cheilitis caused by propolis and honey. Contact Dermatitis 2016;74(3):186-7. PubMed
    5. 95878. Lamoureux A, Meharon M, Durand AL, Darrigade AS, Doutre MS, Milpied B. A first case of erythema multiforme-like contact dermatitis caused by propolis. Contact Dermatitis. 2017;77(4):263-264. PubMed
    6. 95882. Piredda M, Facchinetti G, Biagioli V, et al. Propolis in the prevention of oral mucositis in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2017;26(6). PubMed

    Levothyroxine

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Propolis

    Recorded for Propolis in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

    Levothyroxine

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Propolis

    “Orally, propolis may cause headache in some patients. In one clinical trial, around 7% of patients taking propolis 250 mg twice daily for 4 months reported mild headache.”

    Propolis · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 105786. Soleimani D, Rezaie M, Rajabzadeh F, et al. Protective effects of propolis on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) evaluated by real-time two-dimensional shear wave elastography: a randomized clinical

    Levothyroxine

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

Reported for Propolis but not commonly for Levothyroxine: a severe skin reaction, kidney problems, sore throat and swelling.

Effects for Levothyroxine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Propolis come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Propolis in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lactation Possibly Safe

When used orally and appropriately during lactation. Propolis 300 mg daily has been used for 4-10 months in one clinical study with no apparent adverse effects to nursing infants.

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 Levothyroxine Products Have a Food Rule — Propolis Should Not Break It

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

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.

Overlapping uses

What Levothyroxine Is Prescribed For, and What Propolis Has Been Studied For

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

Levothyroxine is prescribed for: Levothyroxine replaces or supplements the thyroid hormone your body isn't making enough of. It's used for hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid — in adults, children, and even newborns, whether the cause is the thyroid gland itself, the pituitary gland, or the hypothalamus in the brain. It's also used alongside surgery and radioiodine treatment in people with certain types of thyroid cancer, to help suppress the hormone that can stimulate cancer growth. It is not meant for weight loss, treating benign thyroid nodules in people who have enough iodine, or for hypothyroidism during recovery from a temporary condition called subacute thyroiditis.

Propolis has been studied for:

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

    Propolis for depression

    It is unclear if oral propolis is beneficial as adjunct therapy in patients with depression.

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 Levothyroxine on your own; if you are taking Propolis for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Propolis or Levothyroxine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Propolis or Levothyroxine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levothyroxine

This page covers Propolis only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levothyroxine page lists 50 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 39 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levothyroxine page

“Levothyroxine replaces a hormone your body measures in tiny amounts, so small shifts in its blood level show up in how you feel, and I treat this list with genuine care. Nearly everything on it does one of two things: blocks the pill from being absorbed in the gut, the way everyday minerals like calcium do by binding it into complexes,…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levothyroxine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 723 real supplement products containing Propolis, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Propolis. Even though Propolis itself has no known interaction with Levothyroxine, 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 Propolis and Levothyroxine 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 Propolis
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levothyroxine
Top 10

#2 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 Propolis reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Propolis and Levothyroxine records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Propolis

What is Propolis?

Propolis
  • Cold sores and herpes lesions (topical)
  • Sore throat and mouth sores
  • Wound and skin healing
  • Immune support
  • Oral and gum health

Propolis is a natural, resin-like substance made by bees that has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in lab studies. Early research suggests it may help with cold sores, mouth sores, and minor wounds, but high-quality evidence is limited for most uses. It is generally well tolerated, but allergic reactions can occur, especially in people allergic to bee products.

Resinous hive material collected by bees from tree buds and bark · Capsules, tablets, lozenges, throat sprays, tinctures, liquid extracts, mouthwash, creams, ointments, and toothpaste

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

Propolis: dosing

There is no standard, well-established dose for propolis. Products vary widely in strength and in the actual amount of active compounds they contain, partly because propolis composition depends on where the bees collected it.Because of this, the best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Propolis monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Levothyroxine

What Is Levothyroxine Used For?

Brand names: Euthyrox, Levothroid, Unithroid, Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levo-T, Eltroxin, Estre, Levothyroxine, Novothyrox, Levolet

Levothyroxine replaces or supplements the thyroid hormone your body isn't making enough of. It's used for hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid — in adults, children, and even newborns, whether the cause is the thyroid gland itself, the pituitary gland, or the hypothalamus in the brain.

It's also used alongside surgery and radioiodine treatment in people with certain types of thyroid cancer, to help suppress the hormone that can stimulate cancer growth. It is not meant for weight loss, treating benign thyroid nodules in people who have enough iodine, or for hypothyroidism during recovery from a temporary condition called subacute thyroiditis.

See full Levothyroxine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Propolis

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

0Major
921Moderate
0Minor
1,908No known interaction
921 Moderate 1,908 No interaction
Moderate

921 interactions

Showing 60 of 921 moderate interactions — see all 921 on the Propolis page.

No interaction 1,908 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,908 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Propolis list.

See the full Propolis interactions page
See every supplement checked against Levothyroxine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Propolis References

The 21 references that drive our Propolis 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. Hay KD, Greig DE. Propolis allergy: a cause of oral mucositis with ulceration. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1990;70:584-6. PubMed
  2. Li YJ, Lin JL, Yang CW, Yu CC. Acute renal failure induced by a Brazilian variety of propolis. Am J Kidney Dis 2005;46:e125-9. PubMed
  3. Jensen CD, Andersen KE. Allergic contact dermatitis from cera alba (purified propolis) in a lip balm and candy. Contact Dermatitis 2006;55:312-3. PubMed
  4. Chen, T. G., Lee, J. J., Lin, K. H., Shen, C. H., Chou, D. S., and Sheu, J. R. Antiplatelet activity of caffeic acid phenethyl ester is mediated through a cyclic GMP-dependent pathway in human platelets. Chin J Physiol 6-30-2007;50(3):121-126.
  5. Hsu, C. Y., Chiang, W. C., Weng, T. I., Chen, W. J., and Yuan, A. Laryngeal edema and anaphalactic shock after topical propolis use for acute pharyngitis. Am J Emerg.Med 2004;22(5):432-433. PubMed
  6. Black, R. J. Vulval eczema associated with propolis sensitization from topical therapies treated successfully with pimecrolimus cream. Clin Exp.Dermatol. 2005;30(1):91-92. PubMed
  7. Matos D, Serrano P, Brandao FM. A case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by propolis-enriched honey. Contact Dermatitis 2015;72(1):59-60. PubMed
  8. Naramoto K, Kato M, Ichihara K. Effects of an ethanol extract of Brazilian green propolis on human cytochrome P450 enzyme activities in vitro. J Agric Food Chem 2014;62(46):11296-302. PubMed
  9. Nyman G, Hagvall L. A case of allergic contact cheilitis caused by propolis and honey. Contact Dermatitis 2016;74(3):186-7. PubMed
  10. Ryu CS, Oh SJ, Oh JM, et al. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 by propolis in human liver microsomes. Toxicol Res 2016;32(3):207-13. PubMed
  11. Akbay E, Özenirler Ç, Çelemli ÖG, Durukan AB, Onur MA, Sorkun K. Effects of propolis on warfarin efficacy. Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2017;14(1):43-46. PubMed
  12. Lamoureux A, Meharon M, Durand AL, Darrigade AS, Doutre MS, Milpied B. A first case of erythema multiforme-like contact dermatitis caused by propolis. Contact Dermatitis. 2017;77(4):263-264. PubMed
  13. Piredda M, Facchinetti G, Biagioli V, et al. Propolis in the prevention of oral mucositis in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2017;26(6). PubMed
  14. Zhang YX, Yang TT, Xia L, Zhang WF, Wang JF, Wu YP. Inhibitory Effect of Propolis on Platelet Aggregation In Vitro. J Healthc Eng. 2017;2017:3050895. PubMed
  15. Nyman GSA, Tang M, Inerot A, Osmancevic A, Malmberg P, Hagvall L. Contact allergy to beeswax and propolis among patients with cheilitis or facial dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 2019;81(2):110-6. 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 Propolis and Levothyroxine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Propolis with Levothyroxine?
We do not list a known interaction between Propolis and Levothyroxine. 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 Propolis and Levothyroxine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 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 Propolis and Levothyroxine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Levothyroxine 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 Levothyroxine on its own and move Propolis 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.
Are Propolis and Levothyroxine 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 Propolis in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Levothyroxine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Propolis and Levothyroxine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Levothyroxine is filed under 3 classifications, and Propolis has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — none of Levothyroxine'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 Propolis interact with any other medications?
Yes. Propolis has 921 documented drug interactions in our database — Levothyroxine 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 Levothyroxine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Levothyroxine has documented interactions with 50 supplements in our database — Propolis is not one of them. The Levothyroxine 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

Propolis monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Levothyroxine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Levothyroxine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Levothyroxine, 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 21 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Levothyroxine and Propolis?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.