Drug & supplement interaction

Turmeric + Methotrexate Sodium

Methotrexate Sodium brand name: Xatmep.

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

Methotrexate Sodium falls into 3 drug categories that Turmeric can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, turmeric might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Turmeric and Methotrexate Sodium

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Turmeric interacts with whole categories of medication. Methotrexate Sodium falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Turmeric in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Methotrexate Sodium

Methotrexate Sodium 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 concern with combining turmeric and methotrexate. Methotrexate is already known to be tough on the liver, and there have been reports that concentrated turmeric (especially the high-dose, highly absorbable formulas) can occasionally stress the liver too. Put two liver-taxing things together and the worry is simply that you could add to the strain. This isn't about turmeric changing how methotrexate works in your body, it's about overlapping effects on the same organ.

To be fair, this is based on scattered anecdotal reports, not strong proof, and the spice amounts you cook with are very unlikely to matter. But because methotrexate already requires regular liver bloodwork, it's worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before adding turmeric capsules. Watch for things like unusual fatigue, yellowing skin or eyes, or right-side belly pain.

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
Moderate

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

2 of 3

Methotrexate Sodium also falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP).

Theoretically, turmeric might increase blood levels of OATP4C1 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the turmeric constituent curcumin competitively inhibits OATP4C1 transport. This transporter is expressed in the kidney and facilitates the renal excretion of certain drugs. Theoretically, taking turmeric might decrease renal excretion of OATP substrates.
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 idea behind pairing turmeric with methotrexate. Your kidneys use little transporter proteins to push methotrexate out of your body in your urine. Lab research suggests curcumin (the active part of turmeric) might block one of those transporters, called OATP4C1. If less methotrexate gets cleared out, more could linger in your blood and push its effects too strong.

Methotrexate already has a narrow safety window, so even a small rise matters. Watch for mouth sores, nausea, unusual tiredness, easy bruising, or low blood counts. That said, this concern comes only from test-tube studies, not people, so it's theoretical. Everyday cooking with turmeric is unlikely to be a problem, but check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting concentrated curcumin capsules.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sato T, Yagi A, Yamauchi M, et al. The use of an antioxidant enables accurate evaluation of the interaction of curcumin on organic anion-transporting polypeptides 4C1 by preventing auto-oxidation. Int J Mol Sci 2024;25(2):991. PubMed
Moderate

METHOTREXATE (Trexall, others)

3 of 3
Theoretically, turmeric might have additive effects when used with hepatotoxic drugs such as methotrexate.
In one case report, a 39-year-old female taking methotrexate, turmeric, and linseed oil developed hepatotoxicity.
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 basic idea with methotrexate and turmeric. Methotrexate can be hard on the liver, especially with long-term use. Turmeric, when taken in concentrated supplement doses, may add a little extra stress on the liver too. Put them together and the concern is that the two could stack up and make liver irritation more likely. Things to watch for would be unusual tiredness, nausea, belly pain on the upper right side, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

I'll be honest, this is mostly theoretical and rests on a single case report, so it's not a strong or proven interaction. The turmeric you cook with is very unlikely to be a problem. If you take or are thinking about concentrated turmeric capsules while on methotrexate, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first, since they already monitor your liver with bloodwork.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Pochet S, Lechon AS, Lescrainier C, et al. Herb-anticancer drug interactions in real life based on VigiBase, the WHO global database. Sci Rep 2022;12(1):14178. 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 Methotrexate Sodium one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,055 Minor 77 No known interaction 1,698 (incl. Methotrexate Sodium)
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 Methotrexate Sodium

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 Methotrexate Sodium, 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 Methotrexate Sodium

This page covers Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methotrexate Sodium page lists 82 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

Open the Methotrexate Sodium 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 Methotrexate Sodium 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 Methotrexate Sodium 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 Methotrexate Sodium
Steady interest

#1,592 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
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 Methotrexate Sodium, 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 Methotrexate Sodium supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Methotrexate Sodium, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Turmeric and Methotrexate Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turmeric with Methotrexate Sodium?
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.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Turmeric and Methotrexate Sodium?
Methotrexate Sodium belongs to more than one drug category, and Turmeric interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Turmeric and Methotrexate Sodium 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

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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.