Drug & supplement interaction

Wintergreen + Interferon Beta-1a

Interferon Beta-1a brand names: Rebif, Avonex.

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 Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a 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

Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a

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 Beta-1a and Wintergreen 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.

Wintergreen safety at a glance

Wintergreen overall Use caution Topical use may be acceptable for adults, but the essential oil is extremely toxic if swallowed.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid because of the aspirin-like (salicylate) content and lack of safety data.
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When used orally or topically. Wintergreen products are likely toxic to nursing infants. 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 Interferon Beta-1a and Wintergreen? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Interferon Beta-1a

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Wintergreen has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being warfarin (coumadin) (major) and aspirin (moderate) — and none of Interferon Beta-1a’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

Wintergreen Does Interact With Other Medications

Wintergreen has 2 major, 35 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 35 No known interaction 2,793 (incl. Interferon Beta-1a)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wintergreen

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

What to actually watch for

What Wintergreen Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Beta-1a. It is the side-effect record for Wintergreen on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Wintergreen, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Confusion Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, wintergreen oil can result in symptoms of salicylate poisoning, including headache, tinnitus, and confusion.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 272. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
  • Ringing in the ears / Headache Additional detail

    Recorded for Wintergreen in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Confusion above.

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, wintergreen oil can result in symptoms of salicylate poisoning, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Wintergreen causes gastrointestinal irritation (19).”

    Wintergreen · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    2 sources cited
    1. 272. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
    2. 19. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Wintergreen oil can cause contact dermatitis, which can be irritant or allergic in nature (18,3811,112157). When the oil is applied topically it should not be covered with an occlusive dressing because this could result in absorption of toxic amounts of methyl salicylate.”

    Wintergreen · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    4 sources cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    2. 3811. Chan TY. Potential dangers from topical preparations containing methyl salicylate. Hum Exp Toxicol 1996;15:747-50.
    3. 112157. Franceschi J, Darrigade AS, Jegou MH, Milpied B. First report of allergic contact dermatitis caused by Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen) essential oil. Contact Dermatitis 2022;87(2):193-195.
    4. 272. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Wintergreen — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Beta-1a 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 Beta-1a.

Special populations

Wintergreen in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally or topically. Wintergreen products are likely toxic to nursing infants.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1a

This page covers Wintergreen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Beta-1a 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 Beta-1a page

“Siberian cocklebur, an herb tied to documented cases of liver failure, is the first name to know for anyone injecting interferon beta-1a (Rebif, Avonex) for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta-1a can strain the liver on its own, which is why prescribers order routine liver blood tests, and 38 of the 57 supplements on file carry that sa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Beta-1a interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 42 real supplement products containing Wintergreen, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wintergreen. Even though Wintergreen itself has no known interaction with Interferon Beta-1a, 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 Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Wintergreen
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Beta-1a
Steady interest

#2,320 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 Wintergreen reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Wintergreen

What is Wintergreen?

  • Muscle and joint pain (topical)
  • Arthritis discomfort
  • Headaches
  • Sore throat and oral care
  • Flavoring agent

Wintergreen is a low-growing North American plant whose oil is rich in methyl salicylate, an aspirin-like compound used in topical pain rubs. While it may help ease minor muscle and joint pain when applied to the skin, the concentrated oil is highly toxic if swallowed and should never be taken by mouth. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using wintergreen products, especially around children.

Gaultheria procumbens · Ericaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Essential oil, topical creams and ointments, liniments, tea, lozenges, flavoring

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

Wintergreen: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for wintergreen. For topical products, follow the directions on the package and apply only a thin layer to the affected area as directed, no more than the label allows.Avoid taking wintergreen oil or large amounts of the herb by mouth.

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

Read the full Wintergreen monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection

What Is Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebif, Avonex

  • Interferon beta-1a intramuscular injection is used to treat adults with various forms of multiple sclerosis (MS; a disease in which the nerves do not function properly and people may experience weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control) including:

    • clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; nerve symptom episodes that last at least 24 hours),

    • relapsing-remitting forms (course of disease where symptoms flare up from time to time), or

    • secondary progressive forms (course of disease where relapses occur more often).

  • Interferon beta-1a is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. It works by decreasing inflammation and preventing nerve damage that may cause symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Interferon Beta-1a

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (192,069 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Multiple sclerosis relapse 15,851 reports
Influenza like illness 13,253 reports
Fatigue 11,554 reports
Fall 10,604 reports
Multiple sclerosis 9,358 reports
See full Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wintergreen

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

2Major
35Moderate
0Minor
2,792No known interaction
2 Major 35 Moderate 2,792 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

35 interactions

No interaction 2,792 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,792 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wintergreen list.

See the full Wintergreen interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Wintergreen References

The 7 references that drive our Wintergreen 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  3. Gossel TA, Bricker JD. Principles of Clinical Toxicology. New York, NY:Raven Press, 1994.
  4. Covington TR, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmaceutical Association, 1996.
  5. Chan TY. Potential dangers from topical preparations containing methyl salicylate. Hum Exp Toxicol 1996;15:747-50.
  6. Joss JD, LeBlond RF. Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation associated with topical methyl salicylate. Ann Pharmacother 2000;34:729-33. PubMed
  7. Franceschi J, Darrigade AS, Jegou MH, Milpied B. First report of allergic contact dermatitis caused by Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen) essential oil. Contact Dermatitis 2022;87(2):193-195.

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 Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Wintergreen with Interferon Beta-1a?
We do not list a known interaction between Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a. 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 Wintergreen and Interferon Beta-1a combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications, and Wintergreen has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Interferon Beta-1a'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 Wintergreen interact with any other medications?
Yes. Wintergreen has 37 documented drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a 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 Beta-1a interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Beta-1a has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Wintergreen is not one of them. The Interferon Beta-1a 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

Wintergreen monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Beta-1a supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, 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 Beta-1a and Wintergreen?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.