Drug & supplement interaction

Turpentine Oil + Ropinirole

Ropinirole brand names: Requip, Adartrel.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Turpentine Oil has a minor interaction with Ropinirole. There is some concern that turpentine oil can inhibit CYP1A2 enzyme activity by up to 90% via induction of inflammation and subsequent downregulation of CYP activity.

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

Turpentine Oil and Ropinirole

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Ropinirole

Ropinirole falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Turpentine Oil interacts with.

There is some concern that turpentine oil can inhibit CYP1A2 enzyme activity by up to 90% via induction of inflammation and subsequent downregulation of CYP activity. However, animal research suggests that turpentine oil does not affect the metabolism of phenacetin, a CYP1A2 substrate, despite inducing inflammation.
Some medications metabolized by CYP1A2 include clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), theophylline, tizanidine (Zanaflex), zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP1A2 to break down and clear ropinirole. The thinking here is that turpentine oil might slow that enzyme down. If it did, ropinirole could hang around longer than usual, which in theory could lead to stronger effects or more side effects like nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, low blood pressure when standing up, or even sudden sleepiness during the day.

That said, I don't want to alarm you. This concern comes only from lab and animal research, and one animal study actually showed turpentine oil didn't change the breakdown of a similar drug. It's rated minor and unlikely. With normal skin-rub use, the risk is very low. Still, run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Prasad VG, Vivek Ch, Anand Kumar P, Ravi Kumar P, Rao GS. Turpentine oil induced inflammation decreases absorption and increases distribution of phenacetin without altering its elimination process in rats. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2015;40(1):23-8. 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

Turpentine Oil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Turpentine Oil has 198 moderate, 177 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ropinirole one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Turpentine Oil

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ropinirole

This page covers Turpentine Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ropinirole page lists 101 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Ashitaba (moderate) and Ayahuasca (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 67 moderate · 33 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ropinirole page

“Activated charcoal deserves the closest look on this page. It is the only one of the 101 entries rated major against ropinirole (Requip, Adartrel), because charcoal can bind the drug in the gut and shrink the amount that actually reaches you, and for someone relying on ropinirole for Parkinson's disease or restless legs, that can mean…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ropinirole interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turpentine Oil and Ropinirole 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 Turpentine Oil
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ropinirole
Top 25%

#537 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 Turpentine Oil

What is Turpentine Oil?

Turpentine Oil
  • Muscle and joint aches (topical)
  • Cough and congestion (chest rubs)
  • Minor skin conditions
  • Antiseptic
  • Toothache (traditional)

Turpentine oil is a strong-smelling pine resin product used mostly in tiny amounts in topical rubs for muscle aches and congestion. It can be dangerous and even deadly if swallowed, and reliable evidence for health benefits is very limited. Never drink turpentine oil, and only use diluted, purified products on the skin with care.

Read the full Turpentine Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ropinirole

What Is Ropinirole Used For?

Brand names: Requip, Adartrel

Ropinirole tablets are used to treat two conditions: Parkinson's disease and moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) — the uncomfortable urge to move the legs, especially at night or at rest.

Ropinirole extended-release tablets are indicated specifically for Parkinson's disease only. If you take the extended-release form, it is not approved for RLS — that use applies to the regular (immediate-release) tablets.

See full Ropinirole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Turpentine Oil

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

0Major
198Moderate
177Minor
2,454No known interaction
Moderate

198 interactions

Showing 60 of 198 moderate interactions — see all 198 on the Turpentine Oil page.

Minor

177 interactions

Showing 60 of 177 minor interactions — see all 177 on the Turpentine Oil page.

No interaction 2,454 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Turpentine Oil and Ropinirole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turpentine Oil with Ropinirole?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Turpentine Oil and Ropinirole interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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.