Drug & supplement interaction

Turmeric + Esketamine

Esketamine brand name: Spravato.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Turmeric and Esketamine 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

Turmeric and Esketamine

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 Esketamine and Turmeric 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.

Turmeric safety at a glance

Turmeric overall Use caution Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements may cause side effects and rare liver problems in some people.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in food. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts commonly found in food. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using turmeric in medicinal amounts... Read the full breastfeeding detail

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 Esketamine and Turmeric? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Esketamine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Esketamine is filed under 2 classifications — tricyclic antidepressants (tcas), antidepressant drugs. Turmeric has documented interactions with 24 drug classes — the most serious being alkylating agents (moderate), amlodipine (norvasc) (moderate) and anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) — and none of Esketamine’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

Turmeric Does Interact With Other Medications

Turmeric has 1,056 moderate, 77 minor known drug interactions in our database — Esketamine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Turmeric and Esketamine 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.

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Turmeric

    “Orally, turmeric has been associated with headache and vertigo.”

    Turmeric · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 81163. Chuengsamarn, S., Rattanamongkolgul, S., Luechapudiporn, R., Phisalaphong, C., and Jirawatnotai, S. Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2012;35(11):2121-2127. PubMed
    2. 114898. Yaikwawong M, Jansarikit L, Jirawatnotai S, Chuengsamarn S. Curcumin Reduces Depression in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2024;16(15):2414. PubMed

    Esketamine

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

  • Nausea / Vomiting reported in 5.4% of FDA reports for Esketamine Additional detail

    Turmeric

    “Orally, turmeric can cause gastrointestinal adverse effects, including constipation, flatulence and yellow, hard stools, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or loose stool, dyspepsia, gastritis, distension and gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal fullness and pain, epigastric burning, and tongue staining.”

    Turmeric · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    6 sources cited
    1. 107110. Allegri P, Rosa R, Masala A, et al. Clinical effectiveness of a new oral curcumin formulation in acute non-infectious uveitic macular edema: a 12-month observational study. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2022;26(1):46-53.
    2. 107112. Tsai IC, Hsu CW, Chang CH, Tseng PT, Chang KV. The effect of curcumin differs on individual cognitive domains across different patient populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021;14(12):1235. PubMed
    3. 112118. Qiu L, Gao C, Wang H, et al. Effects of dietary polyphenol curcumin supplementation on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress indices in patients with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front PubMed
    4. 81149. Mohammadi, A., Sahebkar, A., Iranshahi, M., Amini, M., Khojasteh, R., Ghayour-Mobarhan, M., and Ferns, G. A. Effects of supplementation with curcuminoids on dyslipidemia in obese patients: a randomized crossover trial. Phytother Res 2013;27(3):374-379. PubMed
    5. 81163. Chuengsamarn, S., Rattanamongkolgul, S., Luechapudiporn, R., Phisalaphong, C., and Jirawatnotai, S. Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2012;35(11):2121-2127. PubMed
    6. 96135. Simental-Mendía LE, Pirro M, Gotto AM Jr, et al. Lipid-modifying activity of curcuminoids: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017:1-10. PubMed

    Esketamine

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

Reported for Turmeric but not commonly for Esketamine: liver problems, heartburn, sun sensitivity and kidney problems.

Effects for Esketamine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Turmeric come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 17,728 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Esketamine 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.

Special populations

Turmeric in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts commonly found in food.

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts; turmeric might stimulate the uterus and increase menstrual flow.

Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts commonly found in food. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using turmeric in medicinal amounts during lactation.

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

Overlapping uses

What Esketamine Is Prescribed For, and What Turmeric Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Esketamine is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Turmeric is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Esketamine is prescribed for: Spravato nasal spray is approved for two uses in adults. First, it treats treatment-resistant depression (TRD) — depression that has not responded to other antidepressants — either on its own or alongside an oral antidepressant. Second, it treats depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have acute suicidal ideation or behavior, always used together with an oral antidepressant in this case. Important limits: Spravato has not been shown to prevent suicide or reduce suicidal thoughts or behavior on its own.

Read the rest of what Esketamine is prescribed for

It is not a replacement for hospitalization if that is clinically needed, and it is not approved as an anesthetic.

Turmeric has been studied for:

  • Depression Natural Medicines rates the evidence for Turmeric: Possibly Effective Read what the research shows

    Turmeric for depression

    Most research shows that oral curcumin, a constituent of turmeric, when used at doses of at least 1 gram daily for at least 6 weeks improves symptoms of depression when taken alone or in combination with antidepressant medications.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Esketamine on your own; if you are taking Turmeric for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Turmeric or Esketamine

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 Esketamine, 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 Esketamine

This page covers Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Esketamine page lists 11 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Scopolia (major), Cowhage (moderate), Dhea (moderate), Griffonia Simplicifolia (moderate) and Indian Snakeroot (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 6 moderate · 4 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Esketamine page

“Esketamine (Spravato) is the nasal spray for depression that hasn't responded to standard treatment, and its supplement list deserves genuine respect. Scopolia carries the only major rating and is the entry to understand before any other; pairing it with the medication can raise the risk of anticholinergic effects, meaning dry mouth, b…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Esketamine 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. Even though Turmeric itself has no known interaction with Esketamine, 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 Turmeric and Esketamine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Esketamine
Steady interest

#2,247 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 Turmeric reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Turmeric and Esketamine 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 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.

Curcuma longa · Zingiberaceae · Rhizome (underground stem/root) · Capsules, tablets, powder/spice, standardized curcumin extracts, teas, tinctures, topical creams

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

Turmeric: dosing

There is no official, agreed-upon dose for turmeric or curcumin supplements. The amount used in studies has varied widely depending on the product and the condition being studied.Because products differ a lot in strength and in how well they are absorbed, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and choose a reputable brand.

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

Read the full Turmeric monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Esketamine Nasal Spray

What Is Esketamine Nasal Spray Used For?

Brand name: Spravato

Spravato nasal spray is approved for two uses in adults. First, it treats treatment-resistant depression (TRD) — depression that has not responded to other antidepressants — either on its own or alongside an oral antidepressant. Second, it treats depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have acute suicidal ideation or behavior, always used together with an oral antidepressant in this case.

Important limits: Spravato has not been shown to prevent suicide or reduce suicidal thoughts or behavior on its own. It is not a replacement for hospitalization if that is clinically needed, and it is not approved as an anesthetic.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Esketamine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (17,728 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Dissociation 3,733 reports
Sedation 2,706 reports
Suicidal ideation 1,351 reports
Nausea 957 reports
Depression 873 reports
See full Esketamine Nasal Spray 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
1,056Moderate
77Minor
1,696No known interaction
Moderate

1,056 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,056 moderate interactions — see all 1,056 on the Turmeric page.

Minor

77 interactions

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

No interaction 1,696 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Turmeric References

The 102 references that drive our Turmeric 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. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Sharma RA, McLelland HR, Hill KA, et al. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of oral Curcuma extract in patients with colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2001;7:1894-900..
  3. Shah BH, Nawaz Z, Pertani SA. Inhibitory effect of curcumin, a food spice from turmeric, on platelet-activating factor- and arachidonic acid-mediated platelet aggregation through inhibition of thromboxane formation and Ca2+ signaling. Biochem Pharmacol 1 PubMed
  4. Hata M, Sasaki E, Ota M, et al . Allergic contact dermatitis from curcumin (turmeric). Contact Dermatitis 1997;36:107-8. PubMed
  5. Kuttan R, Sudheeran PC, Josph CD. Turmeric and curcumin as topical agents in cancer therapy. Tumori 1987;73:29-31.. PubMed
  6. Thapliyal R, Deshpande SS, Maru GB. Mechanism(s) of turmeric-mediated protective effects against benzo(a)pyrene-derived DNA adducts. Cancer Lett 2002;175:79-88. PubMed
  7. Lee SW, Nah SS, Byon JS, et al. Transient complete atrioventricular block associated with curcumin intake. Int J Cardiol 2011;150:e50-2. PubMed
  8. Kuptniratsaikul V, Thanakhumtorn S, Chinswangwatanakul P, et al. Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Altern Complement Med 2009;15:891-7.
  9. Carroll RE, Benya RV, Turgeon DK, et al. Phase IIa clinical trial of curcumin for the prevention of colorectal neoplasia. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2011;4:354-64. PubMed
  10. Junyaprasert, V. B., Soonthornchareonnon, N., Thongpraditchote, S., Murakami, T., and Takano, M. Inhibitory effect of Thai plant extracts on P-glycoprotein mediated efflux. Phytother.Res 2006;20(1):79-81. PubMed
  11. Ampasavate, C., Sotanaphun, U., Phattanawasin, P., and Piyapolrungroj, N. Effects of Curcuma spp. on P-glycoprotein function. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(7):506-512. PubMed
  12. Hou, X. L., Takahashi, K., Tanaka, K., Tougou, K., Qiu, F., Komatsu, K., Takahashi, K., and Azuma, J. Curcuma drugs and curcumin regulate the expression and function of P-gp in Caco-2 cells in completely opposite ways. Int.J Pharm 6-24-2008;358(1-2):224-2 PubMed
  13. Choi, B. H., Kim, C. G., Lim, Y., Shin, S. Y., and Lee, Y. H. Curcumin down-regulates the multidrug-resistance mdr1b gene by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF kappa B pathway. Cancer Lett. 1-18-2008;259(1):111-118.
  14. Zhang, W., Tan, T. M., and Lim, L. Y. Impact of curcumin-induced changes in P-glycoprotein and CYP3A expression on the pharmacokinetics of peroral celiprolol and midazolam in rats. Drug Metab Dispos. 2007;35(1):110-115. PubMed
  15. Limtrakul, P., Chearwae, W., Shukla, S., Phisalphong, C., and Ambudkar, S. V. Modulation of function of three ABC drug transporters, P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), mitoxantrone resistance protein (ABCG2) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (ABCC1) by tetrahydrocu

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 Turmeric and Esketamine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Turmeric with Esketamine?
We do not list a known interaction between Turmeric and Esketamine. 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 Turmeric and Esketamine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 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.
Are Turmeric and Esketamine used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Turmeric in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Esketamine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Turmeric and Esketamine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Esketamine is filed under 2 classifications, and Turmeric has documented interactions with 24 drug classes — none of Esketamine'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 Turmeric interact with any other medications?
Yes. Turmeric has 1,133 documented drug interactions in our database — Esketamine 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 Esketamine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Esketamine has documented interactions with 11 supplements in our database — Turmeric is not one of them. The Esketamine 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 Esketamine 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.