Drug & supplement interaction

Shark Liver Oil + Interferon Alfa-2b

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

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 Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b 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.

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Interaction report

Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b

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 Interferon Alfa-2b and Shark Liver Oil 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 Shark Liver Oil at all — not against Interferon Alfa-2b, 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.

Shark Liver Oil safety at a glance

Shark Liver Oil overall Use caution Generally tolerated short-term but human safety data are limited and product quality varies.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Interferon Alfa-2b and Shark Liver Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Shark Liver Oil Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Alfa-2b. It is the side-effect record for Shark Liver Oil on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Shark Liver Oil, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, a case of severe acute hepatitis probably related to use of shark liver oil twice daily for 2 weeks has been reported. The patient presented with abdominal discomfort, jaundice, malaise, pruritus, and elevated levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes. Other potential causes were ruled out.”

    Shark Liver Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 94285. Kilincalp S, Deveci M, Basar O, Ekiz F, Coban S, Yuksel O. Shark liver oil: hidden dangers. Ann Hepatol. 2012 Sep-Oct;11(5):728-30. DOI
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Both shark liver oil and the constituent squalene have been associated with cases of aspiration and subsequent lipoid pneumonia.”

    Shark Liver Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pneumonia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2546. Lee JY, Lee KS, Kim TS, et al. Squalene-induced extrinsic lipoid pneumonia: serial radiologic findings in nine patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1999;23:730-5. PubMed
    2. 2547. Lee JS, Im JG, Song KS, et al. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: high-resolution CT findings. Eur Radiol 1999;9:287-91. PubMed
    3. 2548. Asnis DS, Saltzman HP, Melchert A. Shark oil pneumonia. An overlooked entity. Chest 1993;103:976-7.
  • Stomach upset / Itching / Tiredness Additional detail

    Recorded for Shark Liver Oil in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Liver problems above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Shark Liver Oil — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Alfa-2b to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Interferon Alfa-2b.

Overlapping uses

What Interferon Alfa-2b Is Prescribed For, and What Shark Liver Oil Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Interferon Alfa-2b is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Shark Liver Oil is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Shark Liver Oil has been studied for:

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

    Shark Liver Oil for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral shark liver oil for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of shark liver oil for this purpose.

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 Interferon Alfa-2b on your own; if you are taking Shark Liver Oil for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Alfa-2b

This page covers Shark Liver Oil 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 Shark Liver Oil as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Shark Liver Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Shark Liver Oil. Even though Shark Liver Oil itself has no known interaction with Interferon Alfa-2b, 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 Shark Liver Oil 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 Shark Liver Oil
Steady interest

#1,074 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

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

#1,393 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 Shark Liver Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Shark Liver Oil

What is Shark Liver Oil?

  • Immune support
  • Skin conditions and wound healing
  • Cancer support (unproven)
  • Hemorrhoid relief (topical)
  • Cold and flu prevention
  • General wellness tonic

Shark liver oil is taken from the livers of deep-sea sharks and is rich in compounds called alkylglycerols and squalene. People use it for immune support, skin healing, and other conditions, but strong human evidence is largely lacking. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially since sustainability and contamination are concerns.

Liver oil from deep-sea sharks · Capsules, softgels, liquid oil, topical creams and ointments

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

Shark Liver Oil: dosing

There is no official or well-established dose for shark liver oil. Products differ in how much alkylglycerol or squalene they contain, so amounts on labels vary.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended.

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

Read the full Shark Liver Oil 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 & Shark Liver Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Shark Liver Oil — 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 Shark Liver Oil 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 Shark Liver Oil list.

See the full Shark Liver Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Shark Liver Oil References

The 6 references that drive our Shark Liver Oil 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. Lee JY, Lee KS, Kim TS, et al. Squalene-induced extrinsic lipoid pneumonia: serial radiologic findings in nine patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1999;23:730-5. PubMed
  2. Lee JS, Im JG, Song KS, et al. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: high-resolution CT findings. Eur Radiol 1999;9:287-91. PubMed
  3. Asnis DS, Saltzman HP, Melchert A. Shark oil pneumonia. An overlooked entity. Chest 1993;103:976-7.
  4. Deniau AL, Mosset P, Pédrono F, Mitre R, Le Bot D, Legrand AB. Multiple beneficial health effects of natural alkylglycerols from shark liver oil. Mar Drugs. 2010 Jul 19;8(7):2175-84. PubMed
  5. Kilincalp S, Deveci M, Basar O, Ekiz F, Coban S, Yuksel O. Shark liver oil: hidden dangers. Ann Hepatol. 2012 Sep-Oct;11(5):728-30. DOI
  6. Hamadate N, Matsumoto Y, Seto K, Yamamoto T, Yamaguchi H, Nakagawa T, Yamamoto E, Fukagawa M, Yazawa K. Vascular effects and safety of supplementation with shark liver oil in middle-aged and elderly males. Exp Ther Med. 2015 Aug;10(2):641-646. Epub 2015 J 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 Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Shark Liver Oil with Interferon Alfa-2b?
We do not list a known interaction between Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b. 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.
Are Shark Liver Oil and Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Shark Liver Oil in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Interferon Alfa-2b is being adjusted to a target.
Does Interferon Alfa-2b interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Alfa-2b has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Shark Liver Oil is not one of them. The Interferon Alfa-2b 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

Shark Liver Oil monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Alfa-2b supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, 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 6 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

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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.