Drug & supplement interaction

Tolu Balsam + Gefitinib

Gefitinib brand name: Iressa.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated June 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 27, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib 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

Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib

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 Gefitinib and Tolu Balsam 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 Tolu Balsam at all — not against Gefitinib, 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.

Tolu Balsam safety at a glance

Tolu Balsam overall Use caution Generally used in small amounts in foods and cough products, but it can cause allergic reactions and lacks strong safety data.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety during breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid medicinal use.

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

Still wondering about combining Gefitinib and Tolu Balsam? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Gefitinib’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Tolu Balsam. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Gefitinib’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Dehydration Worth acting on
  • Blood clots Worth acting on
  • Pancreatitis Worth acting on
  • A severe skin reaction Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on
  • Hives Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on
  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 27 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gefitinib. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 8,974 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gefitinib that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Tolu Balsam’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Tolu Balsam side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Tolu Balsam has no side effects.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gefitinib

This page covers Tolu Balsam only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gefitinib page lists 168 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 124 moderate · 38 minor.

Open the Gefitinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 3 real supplement products containing Tolu Balsam, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Tolu Balsam. Even though Tolu Balsam itself has no known interaction with Gefitinib, 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 Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib 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 Tolu Balsam
Steady interest

#1,432 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Gefitinib
Steady interest

#2,134 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.
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Tolu Balsam

What is Tolu Balsam?

  • Cough and sore throat
  • Chest congestion
  • Wound and skin care (topical)
  • Flavoring and fragrance
  • Mild expectorant

Tolu balsam is a fragrant resin from a South American tree that has long been used as a flavoring and as an ingredient in cough syrups and throat lozenges. Good-quality human studies are lacking, so its real effectiveness is uncertain, and it can cause allergic skin reactions in some people. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have allergies.

Myroxylon balsamum · Fabaceae · Resinous balsam (oleoresin) collected from the tree trunk · Syrups, cough lozenges, throat preparations, tinctures, and as a flavoring or fragrance ingredient

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

Tolu Balsam: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for tolu balsam. It is most often found as a minor ingredient in cough syrups, lozenges, and tinctures rather than taken on its own.If you use a product that contains tolu balsam, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Tolu Balsam monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gefitinib

What Is Gefitinib Used For?

Brand name: Iressa

Gefitinib tablets — sold under the brand name Iressa — are used as a first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This treatment is only for patients whose tumors carry specific changes (mutations) in the EGFR gene: either an exon 19 deletion or an exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutation, confirmed by an FDA-approved test.

This medicine is not established as safe or effective for NSCLC patients with other types of EGFR mutations. Your doctor will use a genetic test on your tumor or blood to confirm whether gefitinib is right for you.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gefitinib

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (8,974 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Malignant neoplasm progression 1,821 reports
Drug resistance 1,251 reports
Diarrhea 904 reports
Rash 643 reports
Disease progression 461 reports
See full Gefitinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tolu Balsam

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Tolu Balsam — 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 Tolu Balsam 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 Tolu Balsam list.

See the full Tolu Balsam interactions page
See every supplement checked against Gefitinib, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

We checked Tolu Balsam against Gefitinib in the Natural Medicines interaction database and found no documented interaction on file. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus, and supplement label details from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

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
Tolu Balsam monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Gefitinib supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Gefitinib, ranked by severity Gefitinib 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 Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Tolu Balsam with Gefitinib?
We do not list a known interaction between Tolu Balsam and Gefitinib. 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.
Does Gefitinib interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gefitinib has documented interactions with 168 supplements in our database — Tolu Balsam is not one of them. The Gefitinib interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Gefitinib and Tolu Balsam?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.