Drug & supplement interaction

Pumpkin + Tofacitinib

Tofacitinib brand names: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Pumpkin and Tofacitinib 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

Pumpkin and Tofacitinib

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 Tofacitinib and Pumpkin 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.

Pumpkin safety at a glance

Pumpkin overall Generally safe Pumpkin as food is well tolerated; concentrated seed-oil supplements are generally safe for most adults.
Pregnancy Use caution Pumpkin as a food is fine, but there is not enough data on concentrated seed supplements, so avoid them unless your doctor approves.
Breastfeeding Use caution Pumpkin as a food is fine, but safety of concentrated supplements during breastfeeding is not well studied.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Tofacitinib

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Tofacitinib is filed under 4 classifications — including cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates, immunosuppressants, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. Pumpkin has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being lithium (moderate) — and none of Tofacitinib’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

Pumpkin Does Interact With Other Medications

Pumpkin has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — Tofacitinib isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Pumpkin

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Pumpkin and Tofacitinib 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Pumpkin

    “Orally, pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin pulp have been reported to cause anaphylactic reactions in children and adults. A case review highlights 4 cases of anaphylaxis in children (3 from pumpkin pulp, 1 from pumpkin seeds), and 7 cases in adults (1 from pumpkin flesh, 6 from pumpkin seeds).”

    Pumpkin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    1 source cited
    1. 107843. Gawryjolek J, Ludwig H, Zbikowska-Götz M, Bartuzi Z, Krogulska A. Anaphylaxis after consumption of pumpkin seeds in a 2-y-old child tolerant to its pulp: A case study. Nutrition 2021;89:111272. PubMed

    Tofacitinib

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

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Pumpkin

    “Orally, pumpkin seed oil has been reported to cause mild abdominal discomfort in clinical trials. There are also two case reports of adults developing severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea following consumption of a meal containing either bitter-tasting pumpkin or undefined squash. These adverse effects were attributed to a high concentration of cucurbitacin, which is commonly found in wild pumpkins.”

    Pumpkin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 5093. Marks L, Partin AW, Epstein JI, et al. Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 2000;163:1451-6. DOI
    2. 92378. Cho YH, Lee SY, Jeong DW, et al. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014;2014:549721. PubMed
    3. 104535. Assouly P. Hair loss associated with cucurbit poisoning. JAMA Dermatol. 2018 May 1;154(5):617-618. PubMed

    Tofacitinib

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

Reported for Pumpkin but not commonly for Tofacitinib: stomach upset, a severe allergic reaction, trouble swallowing and hives.

Effects for Tofacitinib come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Pumpkin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 185,980 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tofacitinib 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 Tofacitinib

This page covers Pumpkin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tofacitinib page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 143 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tofacitinib page

“Supplements deserve genuine care alongside tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR), a medicine that deliberately dials down the immune system to control conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Most of the interactions on this page run through the liver enzymes that clear the drug, meaning an herb can push its blood level…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tofacitinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,055 real supplement products containing Pumpkin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pumpkin. Even though Pumpkin itself has no known interaction with Tofacitinib, 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 Pumpkin and Tofacitinib 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 Pumpkin
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tofacitinib
Steady interest

#1,782 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 Pumpkin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Pumpkin and Tofacitinib 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 Pumpkin

What is Pumpkin?

Pumpkin
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms
  • Overactive bladder
  • Eye and skin health (vitamin A source)
  • General nutrition and fiber
  • Hair health

Pumpkin is a nutritious squash, and its seeds and seed oil are the parts most often used as supplements, mainly for urinary and prostate symptoms. The evidence for these uses is limited and mostly preliminary, though eating pumpkin as a food is safe and a good source of vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated pumpkin seed supplements.

Cucurbita pepo · Cucurbitaceae · Fruit flesh, seeds, and seed oil · Whole food, capsules, softgels (seed oil), powders, raw or roasted seeds

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

Pumpkin: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for pumpkin supplements. Studies have used different forms and amounts of seed or seed oil, so it is hard to recommend one exact dose.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Pumpkin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tofacitinib

What Is Tofacitinib Used For?

Brand names: Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR

  • Tofacitinib is used alone or with other medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis (condition in which the body attacks its own joints causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) in adults who are unable to take or did not respond to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor medication(s). It is also used to treat psoriatic arthritis (a condition that causes joint pain and swelling and scales on the skin) in adults who are unable to take or did not respond to or tolerate one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). Tofacitinib is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) in adults who are unable to take or who did not respond to one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). It is also used to treat polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (PJIA; a type of childhood arthritis that affects five or more joints during the first six months of the condition, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) in children 2 years and older who are unable to take or who did not respond to one or more TNF inhibitor medication(s). Tofacitinib is in a class of medications called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. It works by decreasing the activity of the immune system.

See full Tofacitinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pumpkin

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

0Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,828No known interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Pumpkin References

The 5 references that drive our Pumpkin 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. Marks L, Partin AW, Epstein JI, et al. Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 2000;163:1451-6. DOI
  2. Cho YH, Lee SY, Jeong DW, et al. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014;2014:549721. PubMed
  3. Vahlensieck W, Theurer C, Pfitzer E, Patz B, Banik N, Engelmann U. Effects of pumpkin seed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in the one-year, randomized, placebo-controlled GRANU study. Urol Int 2015;94(3):286-95 PubMed
  4. Assouly P. Hair loss associated with cucurbit poisoning. JAMA Dermatol. 2018 May 1;154(5):617-618. PubMed
  5. Gawryjolek J, Ludwig H, Zbikowska-Götz M, Bartuzi Z, Krogulska A. Anaphylaxis after consumption of pumpkin seeds in a 2-y-old child tolerant to its pulp: A case study. Nutrition 2021;89:111272. 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 Pumpkin and Tofacitinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Pumpkin with Tofacitinib?
We do not list a known interaction between Pumpkin and Tofacitinib. 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 Pumpkin and Tofacitinib have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Pumpkin and Tofacitinib combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Tofacitinib is filed under 4 classifications, and Pumpkin has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Tofacitinib'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 Pumpkin interact with any other medications?
Yes. Pumpkin has 1 documented drug interaction in our database — Tofacitinib 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 Tofacitinib interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tofacitinib has documented interactions with 184 supplements in our database — Pumpkin is not one of them. The Tofacitinib 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 Tofacitinib and Pumpkin?

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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.