Drug & supplement interaction

Syrian Rue + Lomustine

Lomustine brand name: Ceenu.

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 Syrian Rue and Lomustine 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

Syrian Rue and Lomustine

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 Lomustine and Syrian Rue 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.

Syrian Rue safety at a glance

Syrian Rue overall Avoid It contains potent alkaloids that can cause serious toxicity, especially at higher doses.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Syrian rue can induce labor. Fetal death has also been reported in patients taking Syrian rue to induce an abortion. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally. Syrian rue can induce labor. Fetal death has also been reported in patients taking Syrian rue to induce an abortion. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Lomustine and Syrian Rue? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Lomustine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Lomustine is filed under 3 classifications — alkylating agents, antineoplastics, oral drugs. Syrian Rue has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — the most serious being anticholinergic drugs (moderate), caffeine (moderate) and cholinergic drugs (moderate) — and none of Lomustine’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

Syrian Rue Does Interact With Other Medications

Syrian Rue has 1,122 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Lomustine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,122 No known interaction 1,708 (incl. Lomustine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Syrian Rue

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Syrian Rue and Lomustine 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. 3 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Unsteadiness Worth acting on Additional detail

    Syrian Rue

    “Orally, Syrian rue may be unsafe, especially at high doses. Topically, Syrian rue seems to be well tolerated.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Acute kidney failure, bradycardia, cerebellar ataxia, cerebral ischemia, hallucinations, hepatic failure, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, and tachycardia, especially at high doses.”

    Syrian Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cerebellar ataxia.

    “Orally, intake of Syrian rue seeds 3-4 grams can cause stimulant effects. Intake of larger amounts of Syrian rue seeds can cause more severe neurologic effects. Cases of neurotoxicity, involving disturbances of consciousness, somnolence, cerebellar ataxia, cerebral ischemia, severe peripheral polyneuropathy, diffuse tremors, and coma have been reported in patients who took a large amount of Syrian rue seeds.”

    Syrian Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cerebellar ataxia.

    5 sources cited
    1. 28229. Yuruktumen, A., Karaduman, S., Bengi, F., and Fowler, J. Syrian rue tea: a recipe for disaster. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(8):749-752. PubMed
    2. 28513. Frison, G., Favretto, D., Zancanaro, F., Fazzin, G., and Ferrara, S. D. A case of beta-carboline alkaloid intoxication following ingestion of Peganum harmala seed extract. Forensic Sci Int 2008;179(2-3):e37-e43.
    3. 29977. Berdai MA, Labib S, Harandou M. Peganum harmala L. Intoxication in a Pregnant Woman. Case Rep Emerg Med 2014;2014:783236.
    4. 107441. Ghizlane EA, Manal M, Ines HA, et al. Fatal poisoning of pregnant women by peganum harmala L.: a case reports. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021;68:102649. PubMed
    5. 107442. Durmaz Çelik N, Ger Akarsu F, Ozkan S, Özdemir AÖ, Aykac Ö, Memmedova F. Herbal teas can be harmful: a case of Peganum harmala induced coma in a patient with Parkinson's disease. Neurocase 2021;27(2):117-119.

    Lomustine

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

  • Kidney problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Syrian Rue

    “Orally, abnormal kidney function tests and acute kidney failure have been reported in patients taking high doses of Syrian rue seeds. In one case, the amount of seeds consumed was 100 grams.”

    Syrian Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in kidney failure.

    3 sources cited
    1. 28229. Yuruktumen, A., Karaduman, S., Bengi, F., and Fowler, J. Syrian rue tea: a recipe for disaster. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(8):749-752. PubMed
    2. 29977. Berdai MA, Labib S, Harandou M. Peganum harmala L. Intoxication in a Pregnant Woman. Case Rep Emerg Med 2014;2014:783236.
    3. 107441. Ghizlane EA, Manal M, Ines HA, et al. Fatal poisoning of pregnant women by peganum harmala L.: a case reports. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021;68:102649. PubMed

    Lomustine

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

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Syrian Rue

    Recorded for Syrian Rue in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Unsteadiness above.

    Lomustine

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

  • Nausea / Vomiting reported in 9.0% of FDA reports for Lomustine Additional detail

    Syrian Rue

    “Orally, Syrian rue seeds can cause nausea and vomiting at high doses.”

    Syrian Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 28513. Frison, G., Favretto, D., Zancanaro, F., Fazzin, G., and Ferrara, S. D. A case of beta-carboline alkaloid intoxication following ingestion of Peganum harmala seed extract. Forensic Sci Int 2008;179(2-3):e37-e43.
    2. 107441. Ghizlane EA, Manal M, Ines HA, et al. Fatal poisoning of pregnant women by peganum harmala L.: a case reports. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021;68:102649. PubMed

    Lomustine

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

Reported for Syrian Rue but not commonly for Lomustine: numbness or tingling, hallucinations, raised blood pressure and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Lomustine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Syrian Rue come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 2,533 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Lomustine 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.

Special populations

Syrian Rue in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Syrian rue can induce labor. Fetal death has also been reported in patients taking Syrian rue to induce an abortion.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Lomustine Is Prescribed For, and What Syrian Rue Has Been Studied For

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

Lomustine is prescribed for: Lomustine capsules are used to treat primary and metastatic brain tumors, typically after surgery and/or radiation therapy. Both Gleostine and Lomustine branded capsules share these approved uses. Lomustine capsules are also used as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen for Hodgkin's lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system) in patients whose disease has continued to progress after initial chemotherapy.

Syrian Rue has been studied for:

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

    Syrian Rue for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral Syrian rue for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of Syrian rue 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 Lomustine on your own; if you are taking Syrian Rue 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 Lomustine

This page covers Syrian Rue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lomustine page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Coenzyme Q10 (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 14 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lomustine page

“One capsule of lomustine (Ceenu) often carries a whole chemotherapy cycle, so supplements that keep it from being absorbed, or that blunt its cancer-fighting action, deserve more respect here than with most drugs. The lone major-rated interaction, activated charcoal, can bind lomustine in the gut and sharply cut how much reaches the body.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lomustine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Syrian Rue and Lomustine 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 Syrian Rue
Steady interest

#1,037 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lomustine
Top 25%

#382 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 Syrian Rue reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Syrian Rue and Lomustine 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 Syrian Rue

What is Syrian Rue?

  • Traditional remedy for digestive complaints
  • Used as a sedative or for mood
  • Antimicrobial and antiparasitic folk use
  • Used as a dye and incense
  • Recreational psychoactive use

Syrian Rue (Peganum harmala) is a traditional plant whose seeds contain potent compounds called harmala alkaloids, including MAO-inhibiting harmine and harmaline. There is little reliable human evidence that it safely treats any condition, and it carries real risks of toxicity, so it is not recommended for self-treatment. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before considering it.

Peganum harmala · Nitrariaceae · Seeds (and sometimes roots) · Dried seeds, powder, extracts, and traditional dye or incense preparations

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

Syrian Rue: dosing

There is no established safe or standardized dose of Syrian Rue for any health condition. Because the plant is potent and potentially toxic, even small differences in amount can be the difference between an effect and poisoning.Given the lack of reliable dosing and the real risk of harm, we do not recommend a dose.

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

Read the full Syrian Rue monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lomustine

What Is Lomustine Used For?

Brand name: Ceenu

Lomustine capsules are used to treat primary and metastatic brain tumors, typically after surgery and/or radiation therapy. Both Gleostine and Lomustine branded capsules share these approved uses.

Lomustine capsules are also used as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen for Hodgkin's lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system) in patients whose disease has continued to progress after initial chemotherapy.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Lomustine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (2,533 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 228 reports
Fatigue 211 reports
Thrombocytopenia 180 reports
Disease progression 141 reports
Neutropenia 130 reports
See full Lomustine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Syrian Rue

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

0Major
1,122Moderate
0Minor
1,707No known interaction
1,122 Moderate 1,707 No interaction
Moderate

1,122 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,122 moderate interactions — see all 1,122 on the Syrian Rue page.

No interaction 1,707 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,707 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Syrian Rue list.

See the full Syrian Rue interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lomustine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Syrian Rue References

The 17 references that drive our Syrian Rue 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. Yuruktumen, A., Karaduman, S., Bengi, F., and Fowler, J. Syrian rue tea: a recipe for disaster. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(8):749-752. PubMed
  2. Kawanishi, K., Hashimoto, Y., Fujiwara, M., Kataoka, Y., and Ueki, S. Pharmacological characteristics of abnormal behavior induced by harmine with special reference to tremor in mice. J Pharmacobiodyn 1981;4(7):520-527. PubMed
  3. Herraiz, T., Gonzalez, D., Ancin-Azpilicueta, C., Aran, V. J., and Guillen, H. beta-Carboline alkaloids in Peganum harmala and inhibition of human monoamine oxidase (MAO). Food Chem Toxicol 2010;48(3):839-845. PubMed
  4. Frison, G., Favretto, D., Zancanaro, F., Fazzin, G., and Ferrara, S. D. A case of beta-carboline alkaloid intoxication following ingestion of Peganum harmala seed extract. Forensic Sci Int 2008;179(2-3):e37-e43.
  5. Slotkin, T. A. and DiStefano, V. Cardiovascular and respiratory effects of harmine. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1970;133(2):662-664. PubMed
  6. Iurlo, M., Leone, G., Schilstrom, B., Linner, L., Nomikos, G., Hertel, P., Silvestrini, B., and Svensson, H. Effects of harmine on dopamine output and metabolism in rat striatum: role of monoamine oxidase-A inhibition. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2001;159(1 PubMed
  7. Javoy, F., Euvrard, C., Herbet, A., Bockaert, J., Enjalbert, A., Agid, Y., and Glowinski, J. Lack of involvement of dopaminergic and GABA neurones in the inhbitory effect of harmaline on the activity of striatal cholinergic neurones in the rat. Naunyn Sch
  8. Fuller, R. W., Wong, C. J., and Hemrick-Luecke, S. K. MD 240928 and harmaline: opposite selectivity in antagonism of the inactivation of types A and B monoamine oxidase by pargyline in mice. Life Sci 1986;38(5):409-412. PubMed
  9. Al-Deeb, S., Al-Moutaery, K., Arshaduddin, M., Biary, N., and Tariq, M. Effect of acute caffeine on severity of harmaline induced tremor in rats. Neurosci Lett 2002;325(3):216-218. PubMed
  10. Zhao, T., He, Y. Q., Wang, J., Ding, K. M., Wang, C. H., and Wang, Z. T. Inhibition of human cytochrome P450 enzymes 3A4 and 2D6 by β-carboline alkaloids, harmine derivatives. Phytother Res 2011;25(11):1671-1677.
  11. Abdel-Fattah, A. F., Matsumoto, K., Murakami, Y., Adel-Khalek, Gammaz H., Mohamed, M. F., and Watanabe, H. Central serotonin level-dependent changes in body temperature following administration of tryptophan to pargyline- and harmaline-pretreated rats. Ge PubMed
  12. Bergstrom, M., Westerberg, G., and Langstrom, B. 11C-harmine as a tracer for monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A): in vitro and in vivo studies. Nucl Med Biol 1997;24(4):287-293. PubMed
  13. Gerardy, J. Effect of moclobemide on rat brain monoamine oxidase A and B: comparison with harmaline and clorgyline. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1994;18(4):793-802.
  14. Sacher, J., Houle, S., Parkes, J., Rusjan, P., Sagrati, S., Wilson, A. A., and Meyer, J. H. Monoamine oxidase A inhibitor occupancy during treatment of major depressive episodes with moclobemide or St. John's wort: an [11C]-harmine PET study. J Psychiatry
  15. Berdai MA, Labib S, Harandou M. Peganum harmala L. Intoxication in a Pregnant Woman. Case Rep Emerg Med 2014;2014:783236.

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 Syrian Rue and Lomustine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Syrian Rue with Lomustine?
We do not list a known interaction between Syrian Rue and Lomustine. 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 Syrian Rue and Lomustine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 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.
Are Syrian Rue and Lomustine 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 Syrian Rue in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Lomustine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Syrian Rue and Lomustine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Lomustine is filed under 3 classifications, and Syrian Rue has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — none of Lomustine'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 Syrian Rue interact with any other medications?
Yes. Syrian Rue has 1,122 documented drug interactions in our database — Lomustine 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 Lomustine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Lomustine has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — Syrian Rue is not one of them. The Lomustine 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

Syrian Rue monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Lomustine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Lomustine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Lomustine, 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 17 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Lomustine and Syrian Rue?

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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.