Drug & supplement interaction

Turmeric + Allopurinol

Allopurinol brand names: Zyloprim, Caplenal, Cosuric, Rimapurinol, Zyloric.

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

Turmeric has a moderate interaction with Allopurinol. Theoretically, turmeric might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.

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

Turmeric and Allopurinol

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Allopurinol

Allopurinol falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Turmeric interacts with.

Theoretically, turmeric might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.
There is concern that turmeric might cause hepatotoxicity, especially when highly bioavailable formulations are used in high doses.
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 gist with turmeric and allopurinol: this isn't about turmeric changing how your gout medicine works in your blood. Instead, the concern is that both can occasionally be tough on your liver. Allopurinol carries a small, known risk of liver irritation on its own, and there have been scattered reports of concentrated turmeric supplements doing the same. Stack them and, in theory, you could nudge that risk up a bit.

I'll be honest, this one rests on weak, anecdotal evidence, so please don't panic. Turmeric in your cooking is very unlikely to matter. The worry is high-dose, high-absorption curcumin capsules. Watch for yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, or belly pain, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding a supplement.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lombardi N, Crescioli G, Maggini V, et al. Acute liver injury following turmeric use in Tuscany: an analysis of the Italian Phytovigilance database and systematic review of case reports. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2020. PubMed
  2. Sohal A, Alhankawi D, Sandhu S, Chintanaboina J. Turmeric-induced hepatotoxicity: Report of 2 cases. Int Med Case Rep J 2021;14:849-852. PubMed
  3. 109288 Halegoua-DeMarzio D, Navarro V, Ahmad J, et al. Liver injury associated with turmeric-A growing problem: Ten cases from the drug-induced liver injury network [DILIN]. Am J Med. 2022:S0002-9343(22)00740-9. PubMed
  4. Arzallus T, Izagirre A, Castiella A, Torrente S, Garmendia M, Zapata EM. Drug induced autoimmune hepatitis after turmeric intake. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023. 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

Turmeric Also Interacts With Other Medications

Turmeric has 1,055 moderate, 77 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Allopurinol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,055 Minor 77 No known interaction 1,698 (incl. Allopurinol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Turmeric

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Turmeric or Allopurinol

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

This page covers Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Allopurinol page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 45 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Allopurinol page

“Allopurinol (Zyloprim) prevents gout attacks by lowering uric acid, and I would give this list real weight, because 5 of the 60 supplements and herbs on file carry a major rating. The largest cluster, 38 ingredients, is products that can stress the liver on their own, and regular beer or wine sits in that major group, since alcohol on…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Allopurinol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,368 real supplement products containing Turmeric, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Turmeric. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Allopurinol too, on top of Turmeric — 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 Turmeric and Allopurinol 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 Turmeric
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Allopurinol
Top 25%

#357 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 Turmeric

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric
  • Joint pain and arthritis
  • Inflammation
  • Digestive upset
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin conditions

Turmeric is a popular spice whose main active compounds, curcuminoids, are studied mostly for inflammation and joint pain. Some research is promising, but quality is mixed and curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own. For most people, dietary amounts are safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking concentrated supplements, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition.

Read the full Turmeric monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Allopurinol

What Is Allopurinol Used For?

Brand names: Zyloprim, Caplenal, Cosuric, Rimapurinol, Zyloric

Allopurinol tablets (including Zyloprim) are used in adults to treat the signs and symptoms of gout — including gout attacks, tophi (uric acid deposits), joint damage, and kidney problems caused by uric acid. Allopurinol tablets are also used in adults to reduce recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones when uric acid in the urine is too high, even after lifestyle changes.

For adults and children with leukemia, lymphoma, or solid tumor cancers, allopurinol is used to control uric acid levels that rise during cancer treatment. The injectable forms — Allopurinol sodium for injection and Aloprim — are specifically for patients who cannot take medicine by mouth and are given intravenously (through a vein) in a hospital or clinical setting. Note: allopurinol tablets are not recommended for people who have high uric acid levels but no symptoms.

See full Allopurinol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Turmeric

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

0Major
1,055Moderate
77Minor
1,697No known interaction
1,055 Moderate 77 Minor 1,697 No interaction
Moderate

1,055 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,055 moderate interactions — see all 1,055 on the Turmeric page.

Minor

77 interactions

Showing 60 of 77 minor interactions — see all 77 on the Turmeric page.

No interaction 1,697 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,697 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Turmeric list.

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

Can you take Turmeric with Allopurinol?
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 Turmeric and Allopurinol 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 Allopurinol and Turmeric?

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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.