Drug & supplement interaction

Transfer Factor + Citalopram

Citalopram brand name: Celexa.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Transfer Factor and Citalopram 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

Transfer Factor and Citalopram

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 Citalopram and Transfer Factor 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 Transfer Factor at all — not against Citalopram, 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.

Transfer Factor safety at a glance

Transfer Factor overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studies, but long-term safety and product quality are not well established.

Pregnancy Avoid Safety has not been established, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information exists, so avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Citalopram and Transfer Factor? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Transfer Factor and Citalopram May Share a Side Effect

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.

Tiredness reported in 6.6% of FDA reports for Citalopram Additional detail
Transfer Factor
“Orally or parenterally, transfer factor seems to be well tolerated. Adverse effects may include fever. Parenterally, transfer factor can cause nausea, fatigue, and tenderness, pain, and swelling at the injection site.”

Transfer Factor · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in acne.
6 sources cited

350. Jones JF, Minnich LL, Jeter WS, et al. Treatment of childhood combined Epstein-Barr virus/cytomegalovirus infection with oral bovine transfer factor. Lancet 1981;2:122-4. PubMed

1445. Louie E, Borkowsky W, Klesius PH, et al. Treatment of cryptosporidiosis with oral bovine transfer factor. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 1987;44:329-34. PubMed

1507. Fudenberg HH. Transfer factor: past, present and future. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 1989;29:475-516. PubMed

3062. Miller LL, Spitler LE, Allen RE, Minor DR. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of transfer factor as adjuvant therapy for malignant melanoma. Cancer 1988;61:1543-9. PubMed

3063. Bukowski RM, Deodhar S, Hewlett JS, Greenstreet R. Randomized controlled trial of transfer factor in Stage II malignant melanoma. Cancer 1983;51:269-72. PubMed

7562. Lloyd AR, Hickie I, Brockman A, et al. Immunologic and psychologic therapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Med 1993;94:197-203. PubMed
“Parenterally, fatigue has been reported for up to 4 hours in a patient using transfer factor.”

Transfer Factor · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fatigue.
1 source cited

78789. Thestrup-Pedersen, K., Grunnet, E., and Zachariae, H. Transfer factor therapy in mycosis fungoides: a double-blind study. Acta Derm.Venereol. 1982;62(1):47-53. DOI
Citalopram

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

Reported for Transfer Factor but not commonly for Citalopram: swelling, nausea, fever and acne.

Effects for Citalopram come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Transfer Factor come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 106,559 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Citalopram 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Transfer Factor or Citalopram

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Transfer Factor or Citalopram, 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 Citalopram

This page covers Transfer Factor only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Citalopram page lists 191 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lithium (major), St. John's Wort (major) and 5-htp (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 144 moderate · 43 minor.

Open the Citalopram interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Transfer Factor and Citalopram 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 Transfer Factor

Steady interest

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

29 days ago today

Medication Citalopram

Top 5%

#51 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 Transfer Factor reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Transfer Factor and Citalopram 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Transfer Factor

What is Transfer Factor?

Immune support
Preventing colds and infections
Allergies
General wellness
Chronic viral conditions

Transfer factors are small immune molecules taken from cow colostrum or egg yolk and sold as supplements meant to boost or 'train' the immune system. Solid human evidence for the supplement products is limited, and quality varies widely between brands. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using one, especially if you have an immune condition.

Small immune molecules (peptides) extracted from sources such as cow colostrum or hen egg yolk · Capsules, tablets, powders

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

Transfer Factor: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for transfer factor supplements. Because products differ in how they are made and how concentrated they are, the right amount is hard to define.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. They can help you decide if a product is appropriate and reasonable.

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

Read the full Transfer Factor monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Citalopram

What Is Citalopram Used For?

Brand name: Celexa

Citalopram — available as tablets (including brand Celexa), oral solution, and capsules — is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This includes depression that causes persistent low mood, loss of interest in everyday activities, changes in sleep or appetite, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Citalopram capsules are specifically indicated for adults with MDD but are not intended for starting or stopping treatment — another citalopram product must be used for dose titration. All forms are indicated for adults only; citalopram tablets are not approved for use in children.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Citalopram

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (106,559 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 6,992 reports

Nausea 6,019 reports

Headache 5,146 reports

Toxicity to various agents 5,100 reports

Diarrhea 4,832 reports

See full Citalopram drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Transfer Factor

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Transfer Factor — 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 Transfer Factor 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 Transfer Factor list.

See the full Transfer Factor interactions page

See every supplement checked against Citalopram, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Transfer Factor References

The 49 references that drive our Transfer Factor 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.

Jones JF, Minnich LL, Jeter WS, et al. Treatment of childhood combined Epstein-Barr virus/cytomegalovirus infection with oral bovine transfer factor. Lancet 1981;2:122-4. PubMed
Steele RW, Myers MG, Vincent MM. Transfer factor for the prevention of varicella-zoster infection in childhood leukemia. N Engl J Med 1980;303:355-9. PubMed
Louie E, Borkowsky W, Klesius PH, et al. Treatment of cryptosporidiosis with oral bovine transfer factor. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 1987;44:329-34. PubMed
McMeeking A, Borkowsky W, Klesius PH, et al. A controlled trial of bovine dialyzable leukocyte extract for cryptosporidiosis in patients with AIDS. J Infect Dis 1990;161:108-12. PubMed
Fudenberg HH. Transfer factor: past, present and future. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 1989;29:475-516. PubMed
Lewis CJ. Letter to reiterate certain public health and safety concerns to firms manufacturing or importing dietary supplements that contain specific bovine tissues. FDA. Available at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dspltr05.html.
Miller LL, Spitler LE, Allen RE, Minor DR. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of transfer factor as adjuvant therapy for malignant melanoma. Cancer 1988;61:1543-9. PubMed
Bukowski RM, Deodhar S, Hewlett JS, Greenstreet R. Randomized controlled trial of transfer factor in Stage II malignant melanoma. Cancer 1983;51:269-72. PubMed
Bowden RA, Siegel MS, Steele RW, et al. Immunologic and clinical responses to varicella-zoster virus-specific transfer factor following marrow ransplantation. J Infect Dis 1985;152:1324-7.
Sharma MK, Anaraki F, Ala F. Preliminary results of transfer factor therapy of persistant cutaneous leishmania infection. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 1979;12:183-90. PubMed
Whyte RI, Schork MA, Sloan H, et al. Adjuvant treatment using transfer factor for bronchogenic carcinoma: long-term follow-up. Ann Thorac Surg 1992;53:391-6. PubMed
Lloyd AR, Hickie I, Brockman A, et al. Immunologic and psychologic therapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Med 1993;94:197-203. PubMed
Spitler LE. Transfer factor therapy in the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Results of long-term follow-up in 32 patients. Am J Med 1979;67:59-66.
Roda E, Viza D, Pizza G, et al. Transfer factor for the treatment of HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1985;178:468-75. PubMed
Basten A, McLeod JG, Pollard JD, et al. Transfer factor in treatment of multiple sclerosis. Lancet 1980;2:931-4. PubMed
Fog T, Pedersen L, Raun NE, et al. Long-term transfer-factor treatment for multiple sclerosis. Lancet 1978;1:851-3. PubMed
Fujisawa T, Yamaguchi Y, Kimura H, et al. Adjuvant immunotherapy of primary resected lung cancer with transfer factor. Cancer 1984;54:663-9. PubMed
Delgado O, Romano EL, Belfort E, et al. Dialyzable leukocyte extract therapy in immunodepressed patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 1981;19:351-9. PubMed
Stevens, D. A., Ferrington, R. A., Merigan, T. C., and Marinkovich, V. A. Randomized trial of transfer factor treatment of human warts. Clin.Exp.Immunol. 1975;21(3):520-524.
Iseki, M., Aoyama, T., Koizumi, Y., Ojima, T., Murase, Y., and Osano, M. [Effects of transfer factor on chronic hepatitis B in childhood]. Kansenshogaku Zasshi 1989;63(12):1329-1332. PubMed
Corrado, F., Pizza, G., De, Vinci C., and Corrado, G. [Immunotherapy with transfer factor in hormone-resistant metastasized carcinoma of the prostate]. Arch.Esp.Urol. 1989;42 Suppl 2:191-196.
No author. Interferon-alpha and transfer factor in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. AUSTIMS Research Group. J.Neurol.Neurosurg.Psychiatry 1989;52(5):566-574. PubMed
Ashorn, R., Uotila, A., Kuokkanen, K., Rasanen, L., Karhumaki, E., and Krohn, K. Cellular immunity in acne vulgaris during transfer factor treatment. Ann.Clin.Res. 1985;17(4):152-155.
Goldenberg, G. J., Brandes, L. J., Lau, W. H., Miller, A. B., Wall, C., and Ho, J. H. Cooperative trial of immunotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with transfer factor from donors with Epstein-Barr virus antibody activity. Cancer Treat.Rep. 1985;69(7-
Hancock, B. W., Bruce, L., Sokol, R. J., and Clark, A. Transfer factor in Hodgkin's disease: a randomized clinical and immunological study. Eur.J.Cancer Clin.Oncol. 1988;24(5):929-933. PubMed
Miller, L. L., Spitler, L. E., Allen, R. E., and Minor, D. R. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of transfer factor as adjuvant therapy for malignant melanoma. Cancer 4-15-1988;61(8):1543-1549. PubMed
Wagner, G., Knapp, W., Gitsch, E., and Selander, S. Transfer factor for adjuvant immunotherapy in cervical cancer. Cancer Detect.Prev.Suppl 1987;1:373-376.
Gilchrist, G. S., Ivins, J. C., Ritts, R. E., Jr., Pritchard, D. J., Taylor, W. F., and Edmonson, J. M. Adjuvant therapy for nonmetastatic osteogenic sarcoma: an evaluation of transfer factor versus combination chemotherapy. Cancer Treat.Rep. 1978;62(2):
Hoyeraal, H. M., Froland, S. S., Salvesen, C. F., Munthe, E., Natvig, J. B., Kass, E., Blichfeldt, P., Hegna, T. M., Revlem, E., Sandstad, B., and Hjort, N. L. No effect of transfer factor in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis by double-blind trial. Ann.Rheum
Vicary, F. R., Chambers, J. D., and Dhillon, P. Double-blind trial of the use of transfer factor in the treatment of Crohn's disease. Gut 1979;20(5):408-413. PubMed
Ashorn, R. G., Rasanen, L., Marnela, K. M., and Krohn, K. J. Human transfer factor in vitro. II. Augmentation of the secretion of leucocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF) by leucocyte dialysate and by its components L-serine and glycine. Clin.Exp.Immu
Olarte, M. R., Gersten, J. C., Zabriskie, J., and Rowland, L. P. Transfer factor is ineffective in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann.Neurol. 1979;5(4):385-388. PubMed
Shulman, S. T., Hutto, J. H., Jr., Ayoub, E. M., Howlett, S. A., Scott, B., and McGuigan, J. E. A double-blind evaluation of transfer factor therapy of HBsAg-positive chronic aggressive hepatitis: preliminary report of efficacy. Cell Immunol. 3-15-1979;4 PubMed
Ellis-Pegler, R., Sutherland, D. C., Douglas, R., Woodfield, D. G., and Wilson, J. D. Transfer factor and hepatitis B: a double blind study. Clin.Exp.Immunol. 1979;36(2):221-226.
Thestrup-Pedersen, K., Grunnet, E., and Zachariae, H. Transfer factor therapy in mycosis fungoides: a double-blind study. Acta Derm.Venereol. 1982;62(1):47-53. DOI
Fujisawa, T., Yamaguchi, Y., Kimura, H., Arita, M., Shiba, M., and Baba, M. Randomized controlled trial of transfer factor immunochemotherapy as an adjunct to surgical treatment for primary adenocarcinoma of the lung. Jpn.J.Surg. 1984;14(6):452-458. PubMed
Lamoureux, G., Cosgrove, J., Duquette, P., Lapierre, Y., Jolicoeur, R., and Vanderland, F. A clinical and immunological study of the effects of transfer factor on multiple sclerosis patients. Clin.Exp.Immunol. 1981;43(3):557-564.
Pizza, G., Meduri, R., De, Vinci C., Scorolli, L., and Viza, D. Transfer factor prevents relapses in herpes keratitis patients: a pilot study. Biotherapy 1994;8(1):63-68. PubMed
Fernandez, O., Diaz, N., Morales, E., Toledo, J., Hernandez, E., Rojas, S., Madriz, X., and Lopez, Saura P. Effect of transfer factor on myelosuppression and related morbidity induced by chemotherapy in acute leukaemias. Br.J.Haematol. 1993;84(3):423-427 PubMed
Raise, E., Guerra, L., Viza, D., Pizza, G., De, Vinci C., Schiattone, M. L., Rocaccio, L., Cicognani, M., and Gritti, F. Preliminary results in HIV-1-infected patients treated with transfer factor (TF) and zidovudine (ZDV). Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):49-54. PubMed
Meduri, R., Campos, E., Scorolli, L., De, Vinci C., Pizza, G., and Viza, D. Efficacy of transfer factor in treating patients with recurrent ocular herpes infections. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):61-66. PubMed
Pizza, G., Viza, D., De, Vinci C., Palareti, A., Cuzzocrea, D., Fornarola, V., and Baricordi, R. Orally administered HSV-specific transfer factor (TF) prevents genital or labial herpes relapses. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):67-72. PubMed
Byston, J., Cech, K., Pekarek, J., and Jilkova, J. Effect of anti-herpes specific transfer factor. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):73-75. PubMed
De Vinci, C., Levine, P. H., Pizza, G., Fudenberg, H. H., Orens, P., Pearson, G., and Viza, D. Lessons from a pilot study of transfer factor in chronic fatigue syndrome. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):87-90. PubMed
Prasad, U., bin Jalaludin, M. A., Rajadurai, P., Pizza, G., De, Vinci C., Viza, D., and Levine, P. H. Transfer factor with anti-EBV activity as an adjuvant therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a pilot study. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):109-115. PubMed
Pilotti, V., Mastrorilli, M., Pizza, G., De, Vinci C., Busutti, L., Palareti, A., Gozzetti, G., and Cavallari, A. Transfer factor as an adjuvant to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy. Biotherapy 1996;9(1-3):117-121. PubMed
Pizza, G., De, Vinci C., Cuzzocrea, D., Menniti, D., Aiello, E., Maver, P., Corrado, G., Romagnoli, P., Dragoni, E., LoConte, G., Riolo, U., Palareti, A., Zucchelli, P., Fornarola, V., and Viza, D. A preliminary report on the use of transfer factor for t
Acosta-Rios MP, Sauer-Ramírez E, Castro-Muñoz LJ, et al. Effect of dialyzable leukocyte extract on chronic cervicitis in patients with HPV infection. J Med Life. 2017;10(4):237-243.
Rodriguez-Flores A, Nuñez-Fernandez G, Estrada-Garcia I, et al. Adjuvant treatment with a dialyzable leukocytes extract contributes to maintain HPV-infected women free of low-grade cervical lesions. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2015;36(6):655-61.

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.

Related: nutrient depletion

Citalopram Is Linked to Lower Levels of One Nutrient

Natural Medicines records Citalopram as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Transfer Factor — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:

SODIUM›

Read the full Citalopram nutrient depletion report ›

Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Transfer Factor and Citalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Transfer Factor with Citalopram?

We do not list a known interaction between Transfer Factor and Citalopram. 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 Transfer Factor and Citalopram have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.

Does Citalopram interact with any supplements?

Yes. Citalopram has documented interactions with 191 supplements in our database — Transfer Factor is not one of them. The Citalopram 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

Transfer Factor monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Citalopram drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Citalopram supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Citalopram, 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 49 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Citalopram and Transfer Factor?

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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.