Drug & supplement interaction

Thuja + abatacept

abatacept brand name: Orencia.

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

Thuja has a moderate interaction with abatacept. Thuja might stimulate immune function. Theoretically, taking thuja might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.

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

Thuja and abatacept

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to abatacept

abatacept falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Thuja interacts with.

Thuja might stimulate immune function. Theoretically, taking thuja might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy. Immunosuppressant drugs include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), and other corticosteroids (glucocorticoids).
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 idea with Thuja and Orencia (abatacept). Abatacept works by calming down an overactive immune system, which is exactly what helps quiet the joint pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. Thuja, on the other hand, has lab signs that it might do the opposite and rev the immune system up. So the worry is that the two could work against each other, and your arthritis symptoms (sore, stiff, swollen joints) might creep back.

I'll be honest: this is a theoretical concern based on how each one behaves in test-tube studies, not real-world cases. Still, since abatacept is doing a specific job, it's smart to run any Thuja product by your pharmacist or rheumatologist first rather than guessing.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gohla SH, Haubeck HD, Neth RD. Mitogenic activity of high molecular polysaccharide fractions isolated from the Cupressaceae Thuja occidentale L. I. Macrophage-dependent induction of CD-4-positive T-helper (Th+) lymphocytes. Leukemia 1988;2:528-33.

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

Thuja Also Interacts With Other Medications

Thuja has 575 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the abatacept one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 575 No known interaction 2,255 (incl. abatacept)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Thuja

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With abatacept

This page covers Thuja only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the abatacept page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the abatacept page

“Abatacept (Orencia) treats rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions by dialing down immune activity, so the supplements that matter here are the ones pulling in the opposite direction. All 53 ingredients on this list share that single theme: herbs and mushrooms with immune-stimulating properties, echinacea, ashwagandha, and astragal…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the abatacept interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 84 real supplement products containing Thuja, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Thuja. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with abatacept too, on top of Thuja — 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 Thuja and abatacept 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 Thuja
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication abatacept
Steady interest

#1,943 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 Thuja

What is Thuja?

  • Warts and skin growths
  • Respiratory and immune support
  • Cold and upper respiratory symptoms
  • Topical skin conditions
  • Traditional use as a diuretic or to bring on menstruation

Thuja, also called northern white cedar or arborvitae, is a tree whose leaf and oil have a long history in folk and homeopathic medicine, especially for warts and immune support. Solid human evidence for these uses is very limited, and the undiluted oil contains thujone, which can be toxic. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Thuja monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Abatacept Injection

What Is Abatacept Injection Used For?

Brand name: Orencia

Orencia is approved for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and adults and children 2 years and older with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) — a type of arthritis that affects multiple joints in children.

Orencia is also used, alongside two other medicines (a calcineurin inhibitor and methotrexate), to prevent acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) — a serious immune reaction — in adults and children 2 and older who receive a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor.

See full Abatacept Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Thuja

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

0Major
575Moderate
0Minor
2,254No known interaction
575 Moderate 2,254 No interaction
Moderate

575 interactions

Showing 60 of 575 moderate interactions — see all 575 on the Thuja page.

No interaction 2,254 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,254 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Thuja list.

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

Can you take Thuja with abatacept?
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 Thuja and abatacept 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 abatacept and Thuja?

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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.