Drug & supplement interaction

Rhubarb + Interferon Alfa-2b

Interferon Alfa-2b brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Rhubarb has a moderate interaction with Interferon Alfa-2b. Theoretically, concomitant use of rhubarb with potentially hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of developing liver damage.

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

Rhubarb and Interferon Alfa-2b

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Interferon Alfa-2b

Interferon Alfa-2b falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Rhubarb interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of rhubarb with potentially hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of developing liver damage.
Some animal research suggests that anthraquinones in rhubarb might have hepatotoxic effects. Also, rhubarb use has been linked to at least 24 cases of liver injury, although details on the dose of rhubarb and duration of use in these cases is unclear.
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 concern with pairing rhubarb root supplements and Interferon Alfa-2b. This interferon can already be tough on the liver, and doctors keep a close eye on your liver enzymes while you're on it. Rhubarb root contains compounds called anthraquinones, and in animal studies these have shown signs of being hard on the liver too. There have also been a handful of human reports linking rhubarb to liver injury. So in theory, stacking the two could add extra strain on your liver.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical worry based on lab and animal data, not proven in people taking both together. Eating rhubarb stalks in a pie is very different from taking concentrated root supplements. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding any rhubarb product.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Byeon JH, Kil JH, Ahn YC, Son CG. Systematic review of published data on herb induced liver injury. J Ethnopharmacol 2019;233:190-6. PubMed
  2. Zhao D, Feng SX, Zhang HJ, et al. Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of five rhubarb anthraquinones in rats after oral administration of effective fraction of anthraquinones from rheum officinale. Xenobiotica. 2021;51(8):916-925. PubMed

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

Rhubarb Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rhubarb has 657 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Interferon Alfa-2b one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 657 No known interaction 2,173 (incl. Interferon Alfa-2b)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rhubarb

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Rhubarb or Interferon Alfa-2b

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Rhubarb or Interferon Alfa-2b, 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 Interferon Alfa-2b

This page covers Rhubarb only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Alfa-2b page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Alfa-2b page

“People taking interferon alfa-2b (Intron A, Rebetron) are usually treating hepatitis or a cancer, so the liver may already be under strain, and that is exactly where most of this list points. Of the 57 supplements on file, 38 can add to liver stress, and all three major-rated interactions sit in that group: Siberian cocklebur, which ha…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Alfa-2b interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 133 real supplement products containing Rhubarb, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rhubarb. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Interferon Alfa-2b too, on top of Rhubarb — 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 Rhubarb and Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Rhubarb
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Alfa-2b
Top half

#1,352 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 Rhubarb

What is Rhubarb?

Rhubarb
  • Constipation
  • Digestive upset
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Kidney and liver conditions (traditional)
  • Pancreatitis (hospital/traditional use)

Rhubarb root has a long history of use as a laxative and in traditional Chinese medicine, and its edible stalks are a common food. Most medicinal claims are backed by limited or low-quality evidence, and the root can cause cramping and diarrhea. The leaves are toxic and should never be eaten, and rhubarb supplements are best avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Rhubarb monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Alfa-2b Injection

What Is Interferon Alfa-2b Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used to treat a number of conditions.

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used

    • alone or in combination with ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere) to treat chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat chronic hepatitis B infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat hairy cell leukemia (a white blood cell cancer),

    • to treat genital warts,

    • to treat Kaposi's sarcoma (a type of cancer that causes abnormal tissue to grow on different parts of the body) related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),

    • to treat malignant melanoma (a cancer that begins in certain skin cells) in certain people who have had surgery to remove the cancer,

    • along with another medication to treat follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; a slow-growing blood cancer).

  • Interferon alfa-2b is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. Interferon alfa-2b works to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) by decreasing the amount virus in the body. Interferon alfa-2b may not cure hepatitis B or hepatitis C or prevent you from developing complications from these infections such as cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer. It also may not prevent the spread of hepatitis B or C to other people. It is not known exactly how interferon alfa-2b works to treat cancer or genital warts.

See full Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rhubarb

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

0Major
657Moderate
0Minor
2,172No known interaction
657 Moderate 2,172 No interaction
Moderate

657 interactions

Showing 60 of 657 moderate interactions — see all 657 on the Rhubarb page.

No interaction 2,172 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,172 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rhubarb list.

See the full Rhubarb interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Rhubarb monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Alfa-2b supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, ranked by severity Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Rhubarb and Interferon Alfa-2b Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rhubarb with Interferon Alfa-2b?
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 Rhubarb and Interferon Alfa-2b 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

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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.