Drug & supplement interaction

Wild Yam + Interferon Alfa-2b

Interferon Alfa-2b brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b 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.

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Interaction report

Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b

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 Interferon Alfa-2b and Wild Yam 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.

Wild Yam safety at a glance

Wild Yam overall Use caution Likely fine for short-term use in healthy adults, but long-term safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Interferon Alfa-2b and Wild Yam? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Interferon Alfa-2b

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Interferon Alfa-2b is filed under 2 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Wild Yam has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being estrogens (moderate) — and none of Interferon Alfa-2b’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

Wild Yam Does Interact With Other Medications

Wild Yam has 41 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Interferon Alfa-2b isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 41 No known interaction 2,789 (incl. Interferon Alfa-2b)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wild Yam

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

What to actually watch for

What Wild Yam Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Alfa-2b. It is the side-effect record for Wild Yam on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Wild Yam, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Loss of vision / Blood clots Worth acting on Additional detail

    “In one case report, a 55-year-old female with protein S deficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had temporary vision loss in the left eye from hemiretinal vein thrombosis 3 days after taking a combination phytoestrogen product containing wild yam 276 mg, dong quai 100 mg, red clover 250 mg, and black cohosh 250 mg. It is unclear if wild yam contributed to this event.”

    Wild Yam · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    1 source cited
    1. 13155. Cheong JL, Bucknall R. Retinal vein thrombosis associated with a herbal phytoestrogen preparation in a susceptible patient. Postgrad Med J 2005;81:266-7.. PubMed
  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, wild yam is generally well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Fever, headache, upset stomach, and vomiting.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Anaphylaxis.”

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

  • Stomach upset / Vomiting Additional detail

    “Orally, wild yam can cause upset stomach and vomiting, especially at higher doses (12,86450).”

    Wild Yam · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12. 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. 86450. Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Nelson-White T, and et al. Antioxidant activity of Dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older humans. Life Sciences 1996;59:L147-L157.
  • Fever / Headache Additional detail

    “Orally, wild yam can cause headache and fever, especially at higher doses.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 86450. Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Nelson-White T, and et al. Antioxidant activity of Dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older humans. Life Sciences 1996;59:L147-L157.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Wild Yam — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Alfa-2b to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Interferon Alfa-2b.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Alfa-2b

This page covers Wild Yam only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Alfa-2b page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Alfa-2b page

“People taking interferon alfa-2b (Intron A, Rebetron) are usually treating hepatitis or a cancer, so the liver may already be under strain, and that is exactly where most of this list points. Of the 57 supplements on file, 38 can add to liver stress, and all three major-rated interactions sit in that group: Siberian cocklebur, which ha…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Alfa-2b interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,014 real supplement products containing Wild Yam, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wild Yam. Even though Wild Yam itself has no known interaction with Interferon Alfa-2b, 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 Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Wild Yam
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Alfa-2b
Steady interest

#1,575 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 Wild Yam reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Wild Yam

What is Wild Yam?

  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Hormone balance (popular belief)
  • Digestive cramps
  • Joint and muscle discomfort

Wild yam is a root traditionally used for menopausal symptoms, cramps, and as a so-called 'natural' hormone supplement, but solid human evidence for these uses is lacking. Despite popular claims, your body cannot convert its compounds into hormones like progesterone, so creams marketed that way usually don't work as advertised. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Dioscorea villosa · Dioscoreaceae · Root and rhizome (underground stem) · Capsules, tablets, dried root, tinctures, topical creams, tea

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

Wild Yam: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for wild yam. The amount can vary widely between products and forms (capsules, tinctures, teas, or creams).The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Wild Yam monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Alfa-2b Injection

What Is Interferon Alfa-2b Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebetron, Intron A, Viraferon

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used to treat a number of conditions.

  • Interferon alfa-2b injection is used

    • alone or in combination with ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere) to treat chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat chronic hepatitis B infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus) in people who show signs of liver damage,

    • to treat hairy cell leukemia (a white blood cell cancer),

    • to treat genital warts,

    • to treat Kaposi's sarcoma (a type of cancer that causes abnormal tissue to grow on different parts of the body) related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),

    • to treat malignant melanoma (a cancer that begins in certain skin cells) in certain people who have had surgery to remove the cancer,

    • along with another medication to treat follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; a slow-growing blood cancer).

  • Interferon alfa-2b is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. Interferon alfa-2b works to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) by decreasing the amount virus in the body. Interferon alfa-2b may not cure hepatitis B or hepatitis C or prevent you from developing complications from these infections such as cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer. It also may not prevent the spread of hepatitis B or C to other people. It is not known exactly how interferon alfa-2b works to treat cancer or genital warts.

See full Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wild Yam

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

0Major
41Moderate
0Minor
2,788No known interaction
41 Moderate 2,788 No interaction
Moderate

41 interactions

No interaction 2,788 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,788 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wild Yam list.

See the full Wild Yam interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Wild Yam References

The 7 references that drive our Wild Yam 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. Eagon PK, Elm MS, Hunter DS, et al. Medicinal herbs: modulation of estrogen action. Era of Hope Mtg, Dept Defense; Breast Cancer Res Prog, Atlanta, GA 2000;Jun 8-11.
  3. Cheong JL, Bucknall R. Retinal vein thrombosis associated with a herbal phytoestrogen preparation in a susceptible patient. Postgrad Med J 2005;81:266-7.. PubMed
  4. Rosenberg Zand, R. S., Jenkins, D. J., and Diamandis, E. P. Effects of natural products and nutraceuticals on steroid hormone-regulated gene expression. Clin Chim.Acta 2001;312(1-2):213-219. PubMed
  5. Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Nelson-White T, and et al. Antioxidant activity of Dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older humans. Life Sciences 1996;59:L147-L157.
  6. Zeng M, Zhang L, Li M, et al. Estrogenic effects of the extracts from the Chinese Yam (Dioscorea opposite Thunb.) and its effective compounds in vitro and in vivo. Molecules. 2018 Jan 23;23(2). Pii: E11. PubMed
  7. Lu J, Wong RN, Zhang L, et al. Comparative analysis of proteins with stimulating activity on ovarian estradiol biosynthesis from four different Dioscorea species in vitro using both phenotypic and target-based approaches: implication for treating menopaus

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 Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Wild Yam with Interferon Alfa-2b?
We do not list a known interaction between Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b. 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.
How was the Wild Yam and Interferon Alfa-2b combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Interferon Alfa-2b is filed under 2 classifications, and Wild Yam has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Interferon Alfa-2b'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 Wild Yam interact with any other medications?
Yes. Wild Yam has 41 documented drug interactions in our database — Interferon Alfa-2b 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 Interferon Alfa-2b interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Alfa-2b has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Wild Yam is not one of them. The Interferon Alfa-2b interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Wild Yam monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Alfa-2b Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Alfa-2b supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Alfa-2b, 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 References The 7 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Interferon Alfa-2b and Wild Yam?

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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.