Drug & supplement interaction

Rose Hip + Retapamulin

Retapamulin brand names: Altabax, Altargo.

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

Rose Hip has a moderate interaction with Retapamulin. Theoretically, the antioxidant effects of rose hip might reduce the effectiveness of antitumor antibiotics.

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

Rose Hip and Retapamulin

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

Moderate

ANTITUMOR ANTIBIOTICS

Why this applies to Retapamulin

Retapamulin falls under ANTITUMOR ANTIBIOTICS — the group Rose Hip interacts with.

Theoretically, the antioxidant effects of rose hip might reduce the effectiveness of antitumor antibiotics.
Rose hip contains the antioxidant vitamin C. There is concern that antioxidants might reduce the activity of chemotherapy drugs that generate free radicals, such as antitumor antibiotics. In contrast, other researchers theorize that antioxidants might make antitumor antibiotic chemotherapy more effective by reducing oxidative stress that could interfere with apoptosis (cell death) of cancer cells. More evidence is needed to determine what effects, if any, antioxidants such as vitamin C have on antitumor antibiotic chemotherapy.
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 some reassuring news. The interaction in our database is really about antitumor antibiotics, which are cancer chemotherapy drugs that work partly by creating free radicals to kill tumor cells. The worry is that the antioxidants in rose hip (like vitamin C) could blunt that free-radical activity. But Retapamulin (Altabax) doesn't work that way at all.

Retapamulin is a topical antibiotic ointment you spread on the skin to treat impetigo. It isn't a chemotherapy drug, it isn't activated into something else, and very little of it gets into your bloodstream. So a rose hip supplement is very unlikely to change how well it clears your skin infection. This concern is theoretical and doesn't really apply here, but if you have questions, your pharmacist is happy to confirm.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Labriola D, Livingston R. Possible interactions between dietary antioxidants and chemotherapy. Oncology 1999;13:1003-8.
  2. Prasad KN. Rationale for using high-dose multiple dietary antioxidants as an adjunct to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. J Nutr 2004;134:3182S-3S. PubMed
  3. Conklin KA. Cancer chemotherapy and antioxidants. J Nutr 2004;134:3201S-3204S. 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

Rose Hip Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rose Hip has 212 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Retapamulin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 212 No known interaction 2,618 (incl. Retapamulin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rose Hip

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Retapamulin

This page covers Rose Hip only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Retapamulin page lists 81 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Oleander (major), Para-aminobenzoic Acid (paba) (major), Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Bacillus Coagulans (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 71 moderate · 8 minor.

Open the Retapamulin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 273 real supplement products containing Rose Hip, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rose Hip. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Retapamulin too, on top of Rose Hip — 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 Rose Hip and Retapamulin 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 Rose Hip
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Retapamulin
Steady interest

#1,981 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 Rose Hip

What is Rose Hip?

Rose Hip
  • Joint pain and osteoarthritis
  • Colds and flu
  • Source of vitamin C
  • Digestive complaints
  • Anti-inflammatory support

Rose hip is the vitamin C–rich fruit of the wild rose, used traditionally for colds and joint pain. A standardized rose hip powder has some research support for easing osteoarthritis symptoms, but evidence for most other uses is limited. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it as a supplement.

Read the full Rose Hip monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Retapamulin

What Is Retapamulin Used For?

Brand names: Altabax, Altargo

  • Retapamulin is used to treat impetigo (a skin infection caused by bacteria) in children and adults. Retapamulin is in a class of medications called antibacterials. It works by killing and stopping the growth of bacteria on the skin.

See full Retapamulin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rose Hip

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

0Major
212Moderate
0Minor
2,617No known interaction
212 Moderate 2,617 No interaction
Moderate

212 interactions

Showing 60 of 212 moderate interactions — see all 212 on the Rose Hip page.

No interaction 2,617 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,617 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rose Hip list.

See the full Rose Hip interactions page
See every supplement checked against Retapamulin, 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
Rose Hip monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Retapamulin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Retapamulin, ranked by severity Retapamulin 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 Rose Hip and Retapamulin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rose Hip with Retapamulin?
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 Rose Hip and Retapamulin 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

Still Have a Question About Retapamulin and Rose Hip?

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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.