Drug & supplement interaction

Pyrethrum + Cefoxitin

Cefoxitin brand name: Mefoxin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 27, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin 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

Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin

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 Cefoxitin and Pyrethrum 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 Pyrethrum at all — not against Cefoxitin, 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.

Pyrethrum safety at a glance

Pyrethrum overall Use caution Pyrethrum is an insecticide, not a dietary supplement, and should not be taken internally.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid internal use and limit exposure to insecticide products during pregnancy due to lack of safety data.
Breastfeeding Avoid Avoid internal use while breastfeeding because safety has not been established.

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

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin 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

    Pyrethrum

    “Pyrethrum has limited toxicity. The symptoms of overdose include headache, tinnitus, nausea, tingling of fingers and toes, respiratory disturbances, and other symptoms of neurotoxicity (18). The pyrethrum flower or derivatives of it might cause an allergic reaction in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Cefoxitin

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

  • Nausea reported in 5.8% of FDA reports for Cefoxitin Additional detail

    Pyrethrum

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

    Cefoxitin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cefoxitin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Pyrethrum but not commonly for Cefoxitin: headache, numbness or tingling and ringing in the ears.

Effects for Cefoxitin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Pyrethrum come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 1,373 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cefoxitin 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 Cefoxitin

This page covers Pyrethrum only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cefoxitin page lists 43 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Aristolochia (moderate) and Bacillus Coagulans (moderate).

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

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cefoxitin page

“Cefoxitin (Mefoxin) is an injectable antibiotic, usually given in a hospital or clinic for serious infections, and its supplement list deserves genuine care rather than a quick skim. The two entries to understand first are Siberian cocklebur and asarabacca, herbs that can damage the kidneys, adding to a strain cefoxitin can itself plac…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cefoxitin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin 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 Pyrethrum
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cefoxitin
Top half

#1,153 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 Pyrethrum reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin 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 Pyrethrum

What is Pyrethrum?

  • Natural insect repellent
  • Killing fleas, lice, and other pests
  • Garden and household insecticide
  • Traditional use against parasites

Pyrethrum is a daisy-like flower whose extracts (called pyrethrins) are widely used as a natural insecticide for plants, pets, and lice. It is not a supplement meant to be taken by mouth, and there is no good evidence supporting any internal health use. If you use pyrethrum products, treat them as pesticides and follow label directions carefully.

Tanacetum cinerariifolium · Asteraceae · Dried flower heads · Insecticide powders, sprays, and extracts (pyrethrins); rarely used internally

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

Pyrethrum: dosing

There is no established or recommended internal dose for pyrethrum, and it should not be taken as a supplement. For insecticide, lice, or flea products, the correct amount depends entirely on the specific product.Always follow the directions on the product label exactly, and do not use more or more often than directed.

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

Read the full Pyrethrum monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cefoxitin Injection

What Is Cefoxitin Injection Used For?

Brand name: Mefoxin

Cefoxitin for Injection and Dextrose Injection is used to treat bacterial infections in many parts of the body, including the lungs (pneumonia), urinary tract, abdomen, female reproductive system, bloodstream (septicemia), bones and joints, and skin. It works only against bacteria — not viruses.

Cefoxitin for Injection and Dextrose Injection is also used to prevent infection in people having certain surgeries, including gastrointestinal surgery, vaginal hysterectomy, abdominal hysterectomy, or cesarean section. It does not have activity against Chlamydia trachomatis, so additional medication may be needed when that germ is suspected.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cefoxitin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (1,373 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Drug resistance 90 reports
Nausea 80 reports
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms 79 reports
Rash 77 reports
Thrombocytopenia 62 reports
See full Cefoxitin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pyrethrum

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Pyrethrum — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Pyrethrum list.

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

Pyrethrum References

The 3 references that drive our Pyrethrum 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
  3. Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 4th ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1994.

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 Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Pyrethrum with Cefoxitin?
We do not list a known interaction between Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin. 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 Pyrethrum and Cefoxitin 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.
Does Cefoxitin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cefoxitin has documented interactions with 43 supplements in our database — Pyrethrum is not one of them. The Cefoxitin 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

Pyrethrum monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Cefoxitin Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Cefoxitin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Cefoxitin, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cefoxitin and Pyrethrum?

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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.