Drug & supplement interaction

Tinospora Cordifolia + Azathioprine

Azathioprine brand names: Imuran, Azamune.

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

Tinospora Cordifolia has a moderate interaction with Azathioprine. Theoretically, Tinospora cordifolia might reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressants.

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

Tinospora Cordifolia and Azathioprine

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Azathioprine

Azathioprine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Tinospora Cordifolia interacts with.

Theoretically, Tinospora cordifolia might reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressants.
In vitro and animal research shows that Tinospora cordifolia has immunostimulant effects.
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 concern with pairing these two. Azathioprine works by quieting down your immune system, which is exactly what you want when you're protecting a transplanted kidney or calming overactive joints in rheumatoid arthritis. Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), on the other hand, has shown immune-boosting activity in lab and animal studies. So in theory, the supplement could push your immune system in the opposite direction and work against what the azathioprine is trying to do.

If that happened, it could mean weaker protection, more joint flare-ups, or in a transplant setting, a higher risk of rejection. I'll be honest though: this is theoretical, based on how these compounds behave, not on real patient outcomes. Giloy has also been linked to liver injury, and azathioprine can stress the liver too. Please loop in your doctor or pharmacist before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Manjrekar PN, Jolly CI, Narayanan S. Comparative studies of the immunomodulatory activity of Tinospora cordifolia and Tinospora sinensis. Fitoterapia 2000;71:254-7. PubMed
  2. Kapil A, Sharma S. Immunopotentiating compounds from Tinospora cordifolia. J Ethnopharmacol 1997;58:89-95. PubMed
  3. Nair PK, Rodriguez S, Ramachandran R, et al. Immune stimulating properties of a novel polysaccharide from the medicinal plant Tinospora cordifolia. Int Immunopharmacol 2004;4:1645-59. 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

Tinospora Cordifolia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Tinospora Cordifolia has 613 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Azathioprine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 613 No known interaction 2,217 (incl. Azathioprine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Tinospora Cordifolia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Azathioprine

This page covers Tinospora Cordifolia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Azathioprine page lists 106 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 92 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Azathioprine page

“Azathioprine (Imuran) quiets an overactive immune system, which is why people take it after a transplant or for autoimmune disease, and it is also why I read this interaction list with real caution. Fully half of the 106 supplements on file, 53 of them, appear because they stimulate immunity and could blunt the very effect you depend on.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Azathioprine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 393 real supplement products containing Tinospora Cordifolia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Tinospora Cordifolia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Azathioprine too, on top of Tinospora Cordifolia — 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 Tinospora Cordifolia and Azathioprine 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 Tinospora Cordifolia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Azathioprine
Top 25%

#640 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 Tinospora Cordifolia

What is Tinospora Cordifolia?

  • Immune support
  • Fever
  • Blood sugar support
  • General wellness and 'rejuvenation'
  • Allergic rhinitis
  • Inflammation

Tinospora cordifolia, known as Guduchi or Giloy in Ayurvedic medicine, is a climbing plant traditionally used to support immunity and treat fevers. Early laboratory and small human studies suggest possible immune and blood sugar effects, but high-quality evidence is limited, and there have been reports of liver injury. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Tinospora Cordifolia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Azathioprine

What Is Azathioprine Used For?

Brand names: Imuran, Azamune

Azathioprine is used as an add-on medicine to help prevent rejection after a kidney transplant (renal homotransplantation). It is also used to reduce the signs and symptoms of active rheumatoid arthritis.

These uses are listed for azathioprine tablets (Imuran, Azasan and generic azathioprine) and for Azathioprine Sodium for Injection given into a vein.

See full Azathioprine drug information Azathioprine NDC codes and packages
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tinospora Cordifolia

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

0Major
613Moderate
0Minor
2,216No known interaction
613 Moderate 2,216 No interaction
Moderate

613 interactions

Showing 60 of 613 moderate interactions — see all 613 on the Tinospora Cordifolia page.

No interaction 2,216 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,216 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Tinospora Cordifolia list.

See the full Tinospora Cordifolia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Azathioprine, 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
Tinospora Cordifolia monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Azathioprine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Azathioprine, ranked by severity Azathioprine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Azathioprine NDC codes and packages › Every package, labeler and price in the FDA directory 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 Tinospora Cordifolia and Azathioprine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Tinospora Cordifolia with Azathioprine?
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 Tinospora Cordifolia and Azathioprine 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 Azathioprine and Tinospora Cordifolia?

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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.