Drug & supplement interaction

Turmeric + Pimozide

Pimozide brand name: Orap.

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

Turmeric has a moderate interaction with Pimozide. Turmeric might increase or decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Turmeric and Pimozide

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Pimozide

Pimozide falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Turmeric interacts with.

Turmeric might increase or decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro and animal research show that turmeric and its constituents curcumin and curcuminoids inhibit CYP3A4. Also, 8 case reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) adverse drug reaction database describe increased toxicity in patients taking turmeric and cancer medications that are CYP3A4 substrates, including everolimus, ruxolitinib, ibrutinib, and palbociclib, and bortezomib. In another case report, a transplant patient presented with acute nephrotoxicity and elevated tacrolimus levels after consuming turmeric powder at a dose of 15 or more spoonfuls daily for ten days prior. It was thought that turmeric increased levels of tacrolimus due to CYP3A4 inhibition.
Conversely, other in vitro research suggests that turmeric induces CYP3A4 activity, leading to reduced levels of CYP3A4 substrates. An animal model suggests that induction of CYP3A4 occurs after daily curcumin use for 1 week. However, the induction of CYP3A4 by turmeric has not been reported in humans.
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 thing about pimozide (Orap): your body relies heavily on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break it down and keep its levels in check. Turmeric, in lab and animal studies, can block that enzyme. If that blocking happens in people, pimozide could build up higher than expected. That matters a lot here, because pimozide is a drug where even small increases can be risky, mainly affecting your heart rhythm (a problem called QT prolongation that can cause dizziness, fainting, or dangerous heartbeats), along with more drowsiness or stiffness.

The good news is that this is mostly theoretical, based on lab work and a few case reports with other drugs, not pimozide itself. Everyday cooking with turmeric is very unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated curcumin supplements are the bigger question, so please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Appiah-Opong, R., Commandeur, J. N., Vugt-Lussenburg, B., and Vermeulen, N. P. Inhibition of human recombinant cytochrome P450s by curcumin and curcumin decomposition products. Toxicology 6-3-2007;235(1-2):83-91. PubMed
  2. Hou, X. L., Takahashi, K., Kinoshita, N., Qiu, F., Tanaka, K., Komatsu, K., Takahashi, K., and Azuma, J. Possible inhibitory mechanism of Curcuma drugs on CYP3A4 in 1alpha,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 treated Caco-2 cells. Int.J Pharm 6-7-2007;337(1-2):169-177.
  3. Valentine, S. P., Le Nedelec, M. J., Menzies, A. R., Scandlyn, M. J., Goodin, M. G., and Rosengren, R. J. Curcumin modulates drug metabolizing enzymes in the female Swiss Webster mouse. Life Sci. 4-11-2006;78(20):2391-2398. PubMed
  4. Nayeri A, Wu S, Adams E, et al. Acute Calcineurin Inhibitor Nephrotoxicity Secondary to Turmeric Intake: A Case Report. Transplant Proc. 2017;49(1):198-200. PubMed
  5. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. PubMed
  6. 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
  7. Dibaei M, Hosseini A, Lavasani H, Kiani-Dehkordi B, Rouini M. Assessment of metabolic interaction between curcumin and tramadol using the isolated perfused rat liver. Heliyon 2024;10(15):e35070. 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 Pimozide 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. Pimozide)
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 Pimozide

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 Pimozide, 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 Pimozide

This page covers Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pimozide page lists 180 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 12 major · 127 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pimozide page

“Pimozide (Orap), prescribed mainly for severe tics in Tourette syndrome, is a medicine I ask patients to check every supplement against before adding it. Twelve of the 180 ingredients on file rate major, and most of the risk runs through one pathway: 121 of them affect CYP3A4, the enzyme that clears pimozide.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pimozide 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 Pimozide 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 Pimozide 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 Pimozide
Top half

#1,395 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 Pimozide

What Is Pimozide Used For?

Brand name: Orap

Pimozide tablets are used to suppress the motor tics (involuntary movements) and phonic tics (involuntary sounds or vocalizations) that occur in Tourette's Disorder. It is reserved for patients whose daily life or development is severely affected by these tics.

Pimozide is not a first-choice treatment, and it is not meant for tics that are only mildly bothersome or cosmetic in nature. It should only be considered when standard treatments have not worked well enough.

See full Pimozide 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 Pimozide, 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 Pimozide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Pimozide, ranked by severity Pimozide 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 Pimozide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turmeric with Pimozide?
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 Pimozide 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 Pimozide 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.