Drug & supplement interaction

Thunder God Vine + Lamotrigine

Lamotrigine brand name: Lamictal.

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 Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine 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

Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine

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 Lamotrigine and Thunder God Vine 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.

Thunder God Vine safety at a glance

Thunder God Vine overall Use caution Can be toxic and cause serious harm if prepared or dosed incorrectly; use only under professional guidance.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Thunder god vine is thought to be teratogenic; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Avoid while breastfeeding due to lack of safety data and potential toxicity.

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 Lamotrigine and Thunder God Vine? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Lamotrigine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Lamotrigine is filed under 5 classifications — including anticonvulsants, glucuronidated drugs, cns depressants. Thunder God Vine has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate), cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inhibitors (moderate) and cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates (moderate) — and none of Lamotrigine’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

Thunder God Vine Does Interact With Other Medications

Thunder God Vine has 849 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Lamotrigine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 849 No known interaction 1,981 (incl. Lamotrigine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Thunder God Vine

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    “Orally, hyperkalemia has occurred in patients with diabetes taking thunder god vine. However, it is unclear whether this was related to the thunder god vine, diabetes, or conventional medications. Deaths related to aplastic anemia associated with the use of non-standardized forms of thunder god vine have been reported.”

    Thunder God Vine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 97685. Ge Y, Xie H, Li S, et al. Treatment of diabetic nephropathy with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F extract: a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. J Transl Med. 2013;11:134. PubMed
    2. 97684. Chen Y, Gong Z, Chen X, et al. Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (a traditional Chinese medicine) for primary nephrotic syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(8):CD008568.
    3. 112872. Zhang W, Liu X, Xia C, et al. Case report: A rare case of death due to end-stage renal disease caused by Tripterygium wilfordii-induced myelosuppression. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022;9:1036422. PubMed

    Lamotrigine

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

  • Changes to your period Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    “Orally, thunder god vine has been reported to cause menstrual changes and amenorrhea. A meta-analysis of Chinese studies found that amenorrhea was reported in around 10% of females taking thunder god vine extract.

    Thunder god vine has also been reported to induce infertility in males.”

    Thunder God Vine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in amenorrhea.

    6 sources cited
    1. 4046. Tao XL, Sun Y, Dong Y, et al. A prospective, controlled, double-blind, cross-over study of tripterygium wilfodii hook F in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Chin Med J 1989;102:327-32.
    2. 10675. Tao X, Younger J, Fan FZ, et al. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:1735-43..
    3. 10676. Tao X, Cush JJ, Garret M, Lipsky PE. A phase I study of ethyl acetate extract of the chinese antirheumatic herb Tripterygium wilfordii hook F in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2001;28:2160-7..
    4. 11009. Jiang L, Zhao N, Ni L. Retrospective study of adverse events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with second-line drugs. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2002;23:213-7..
    5. 97681. Liu S, Li X, Li H, Liang Q, Chen J, Chen J. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycosides and tacrolimus in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a prospective cohort study. BMC Nephrol. 2015;16:200. PubMed
    6. 97682. Lv QW, Zhang W, Shi Q, et al. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (TRIFRA): a randomised, controlled clinical trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015;74(6):1078-86.

    Lamotrigine

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

  • Stomach upset / Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    “Orally, thunder god vine can cause gastrointestinal upset, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. A meta-analysis of Chinese studies found that gastrointestinal upset was reported in around 14% of patients taking thunder god vine extract.”

    Thunder God Vine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    6 sources cited
    1. 10675. Tao X, Younger J, Fan FZ, et al. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:1735-43..
    2. 10676. Tao X, Cush JJ, Garret M, Lipsky PE. A phase I study of ethyl acetate extract of the chinese antirheumatic herb Tripterygium wilfordii hook F in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2001;28:2160-7..
    3. 77869. Li, L. F. Treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with oral Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside. J Dermatol. 2000;27(7):478-481.
    4. 97681. Liu S, Li X, Li H, Liang Q, Chen J, Chen J. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycosides and tacrolimus in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a prospective cohort study. BMC Nephrol. 2015;16:200. PubMed
    5. 97682. Lv QW, Zhang W, Shi Q, et al. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (TRIFRA): a randomised, controlled clinical trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015;74(6):1078-86.
    6. 97683. Wu C, Jin HZ, Shu D, et al. Efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii hook F versus acitretin in moderate to severe psoriasis vulgaris: a randomized clinical trial. Chin Med J (Engl). 2015;128(4):443-9. PubMed

    Lamotrigine

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

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    “Orally, thunder god vine can cause dizziness and headache.”

    Thunder God Vine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 10675. Tao X, Younger J, Fan FZ, et al. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:1735-43..
    2. 106278. Guo YL, Gao F, Dong TW, et al. Meta-Analysis of clinical efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides tablets in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021;2021:6640594. PubMed

    Lamotrigine

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    “Orally, thunder god vine can cause hair loss and skin conditions, such as rash and redness. A meta-analysis of Chinese studies found that hair loss and skin reactions were reported in less than 5% of patients taking thunder god vine extract.”

    Thunder God Vine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in alopecia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 4046. Tao XL, Sun Y, Dong Y, et al. A prospective, controlled, double-blind, cross-over study of tripterygium wilfodii hook F in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Chin Med J 1989;102:327-32.
    2. 10675. Tao X, Younger J, Fan FZ, et al. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:1735-43..
    3. 10676. Tao X, Cush JJ, Garret M, Lipsky PE. A phase I study of ethyl acetate extract of the chinese antirheumatic herb Tripterygium wilfordii hook F in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2001;28:2160-7..
    4. 77931. Tao, X., Sun, Y., and Zhang, N. [Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with low doses of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii]. Zhong.Xi.Yi.Jie.He.Za Zhi. 1990;10(5):289-2.
    5. 97684. Chen Y, Gong Z, Chen X, et al. Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (a traditional Chinese medicine) for primary nephrotic syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(8):CD008568.
    6. 104137. Ru Y, Luo Y, Zhou Y, et al. Adverse events associated with treatment of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F: a quantitative evidence synthesis. Front Pharmacol 2019;10:1250. PubMed

    Lamotrigine

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

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Thunder God Vine

    Recorded for Thunder God Vine in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Stomach upset / Diarrhea / Nausea above.

    Lamotrigine

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

Reported for Thunder God Vine but not commonly for Lamotrigine: kidney problems, erection problems, raised blood pressure and high potassium.

Effects for Lamotrigine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Thunder God Vine come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Thunder God Vine in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Thunder god vine is thought to be teratogenic; avoid using.

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Thunder God Vine or Lamotrigine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Thunder God Vine or Lamotrigine, 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 Lamotrigine

This page covers Thunder God Vine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lamotrigine page lists 116 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 92 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lamotrigine page

“Alcohol, ordinary beer or wine, sits at the top of the interaction list for lamotrigine (Lamictal), with well-documented added sedation, and it sets the tone for a list I would treat with real care. Of the 116 supplements and herbs on file, 78 have sedative effects of their own, so the biggest theme by far is stacked drowsiness and slo…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lamotrigine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine 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 Thunder God Vine
Steady interest

#1,029 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lamotrigine
Top 5%

#32 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 Thunder God Vine reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Thunder God Vine

What is Thunder God Vine?

Thunder God Vine
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Lupus and autoimmune conditions
  • Inflammation
  • Skin conditions like psoriasis
  • Immune-related disorders

Thunder God Vine is a Chinese herb studied mainly for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, with some promising but limited evidence. It can be toxic if prepared or dosed improperly, and may cause serious side effects, so it should only be used under medical supervision. Avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Tripterygium wilfordii · Celastraceae · Root (the inner root and root bark), prepared to remove toxic outer layers · Capsules, tablets, extracts, and topical preparations (often standardized root extracts)

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

Thunder God Vine: dosing

There is no single agreed-upon safe dose for Thunder God Vine, and products differ a lot in how they are made and how strong they are. Because the herb can be toxic, the difference between a helpful amount and a harmful amount may be small.If a healthcare provider recommends it, follow the product label and your provider's directions exactly. Do not use homemade preparations or raw plant material.

From our Thunder God Vine monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Thunder God Vine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lamotrigine

What Is Lamotrigine Used For?

Brand name: Lamictal

Lamotrigine is used to treat several types of seizures in adults and children aged 2 and older — including partial-onset seizures, generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, and seizures related to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In older teens and adults, it can also be used alone (monotherapy) after transitioning off another seizure medicine.

For adults with bipolar I disorder, lamotrigine is used as a maintenance treatment — meaning it helps delay the return of mood episodes like depression, mania, or mixed states. It is not approved to treat an active manic or mixed episode that's happening right now.

See full Lamotrigine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Thunder God Vine

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

0Major
849Moderate
0Minor
1,980No known interaction
849 Moderate 1,980 No interaction
Moderate

849 interactions

Showing 60 of 849 moderate interactions — see all 849 on the Thunder God Vine page.

No interaction 1,980 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,980 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Thunder God Vine list.

See the full Thunder God Vine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lamotrigine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Thunder God Vine References

The 33 references that drive our Thunder God Vine 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. Tao XL, Sun Y, Dong Y, et al. A prospective, controlled, double-blind, cross-over study of tripterygium wilfodii hook F in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Chin Med J 1989;102:327-32.
  2. Takei A, Nagashima G, Suzuki R, et al. Meningoencephalocele associated with Tripterygium wilfordii treatment. Pediatr Neurosurg 1997;27:45-8. PubMed
  3. Zhen QS, Ye X, Wei ZJ. Recent progress in research on Tripterygium: a male antifertility plant. Contraception 1995;51:121-9.. PubMed
  4. Tao X, Younger J, Fan FZ, et al. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:1735-43..
  5. Tao X, Cush JJ, Garret M, Lipsky PE. A phase I study of ethyl acetate extract of the chinese antirheumatic herb Tripterygium wilfordii hook F in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2001;28:2160-7..
  6. Jiang L, Zhao N, Ni L. Retrospective study of adverse events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with second-line drugs. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2002;23:213-7..
  7. Qian SZ, Hu YZ, Wang SM, et al. Effects of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch on male fertility. Adv Contracept 1988;4:307-10..
  8. Li, L. F. Treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with oral Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside. J Dermatol. 2000;27(7):478-481.
  9. Huang, H. H., Yen, D. H., Wu, M. L., Deng, J. F., Huang, C. I., and Lee, C. H. Acute Erycibe henryi Prain ("Ting Kung Teng") poisoning. Clin.Toxicol.(Phila) 2006;44(1):71-75. PubMed
  10. Tao, X., Sun, Y., and Zhang, N. [Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with low doses of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii]. Zhong.Xi.Yi.Jie.He.Za Zhi. 1990;10(5):289-2.
  11. Wang, B. X. and Yuan, Z. Z. [A tablet of Tripterygium wilfordii in treating lupus erythematosus]. Zhong.Xi.Yi.Jie.He.Za Zhi. 1989;9(7):407-8, 389.
  12. Jia, T. H., Sun, H. C., Wang, X. X., Xiu, H. M., Ding, W. D., Hao, X. D., Wu, L., Wang, G. X., and Lei, J. Z. Ultrastructural observation on macrophage-lymphocyte interactions in semen from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f. takers. Chin Med J (Engl.) 1994;1
  13. Wang Z, Yu C, Zhou LN, Chen X. Effects of Tripterygium wilfordii induction therapy to IgA nephropathy patients with heavy proteinuria. Biol Pharm Bull. 2017;40(11):1833-1838.
  14. Zhang Q, Chen X, Chen S, Liu Z, Wan R, Li J. Fatal honey poisoning caused by Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F in southwest China: A case series. Wilderness Environ Med. 2016;27(2):271-3.
  15. Liu S, Li X, Li H, Liang Q, Chen J, Chen J. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycosides and tacrolimus in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a prospective cohort study. BMC Nephrol. 2015;16:200. 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 Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Thunder God Vine with Lamotrigine?
We do not list a known interaction between Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine. 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 Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 9 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.
How was the Thunder God Vine and Lamotrigine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Lamotrigine is filed under 5 classifications, and Thunder God Vine has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Lamotrigine'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 Thunder God Vine interact with any other medications?
Yes. Thunder God Vine has 849 documented drug interactions in our database — Lamotrigine 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 Lamotrigine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Lamotrigine has documented interactions with 116 supplements in our database — Thunder God Vine is not one of them. The Lamotrigine 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

Thunder God Vine monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Lamotrigine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Lamotrigine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Lamotrigine, 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 33 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Lamotrigine and Thunder God Vine?

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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.