Herb & supplement monograph

Thunder God Vine Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Thunder God Vine interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Thunder God Vine is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Thunder God Vine is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Thunder God Vine Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated August 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Thunder God Vine drug interaction appears moderate on paper but is not well documented in people, since every listed interaction is theoretical. All of the interactions are rated moderate in severity, yet each one rests on lab research rather than reported human cases.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combination we would watch most closely is with immunosuppressants, because large doses of thunder god vine may suppress immune function and could add to the effects of these closely monitored medicines. The other concerns involve how the body clears drugs: thunder god vine may inhibit the liver enzyme CYP3A4, which processes a very wide range of medications, and this could theoretically raise their levels. In reverse, medicines that block that same enzyme could increase levels of thunder god vine's own active constituents.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications largely reflects this one shared pathway, since so many drugs are cleared by that enzyme. Most of these interactions are predictions from lab studies of thunder god vine constituents, and none have been confirmed to cause meaningful changes in people so far.

Check your medications against Thunder God Vine

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Thunder God Vine interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Thunder God Vine

851 medications have a known interaction with Thunder God Vine, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Thunder God Vine using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Thunder God Vine interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Thunder God Vine combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Thunder God Vine affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Thunder God Vine is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 4 drug categories Thunder God Vine interacts with

Cytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) InhibitorsCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) SubstratesImmunosuppressants

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, thunder god vine might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that triptolide, a constituent of thunder god vine, inhibits CYP1A2 enzymes in human microsomes. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Inhibitors

Theoretically, CYP3A4 inhibitors might increase the levels and adverse effects of thunder god vine constituents.
Inhibitors of CYP3A4 can increase the concentration of triptolide, a thunder god vine constituent, and its derivative (5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide. In vitro research shows that triptolide and (5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide are about 94% and 64% metabolized by CYP3A4, respectively.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, thunder god vine might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that triptolide, a constituent of thunder god vine, inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes in human microsomes. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Immunosuppressants

Theoretically, thunder god vine might enhance the effects of immunosuppressant drugs.
Large doses of thunder god vine may suppress immune function.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Thunder God Vine: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Thunder God Vine is a Chinese herb studied mainly for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, with some promising but limited evidence. It can be toxic if prepared or dosed improperly, and may cause serious side effects, so it should only be used under medical supervision. Avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Scientific name: Tripterygium wilfordii
Family: Celastraceae
Part used: Root (the inner root and root bark), prepared to remove toxic outer layers
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, extracts, and topical preparations (often standardized root extracts)

People commonly use it for

Rheumatoid arthritis
Lupus and autoimmune conditions
Inflammation
Skin conditions like psoriasis
Immune-related disorders

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Can be toxic and cause serious harm if prepared or dosed incorrectly; use only under professional guidance.

PregnancyLikely Unsafe

When used orally. Thunder god vine is thought to be teratogenic; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium wilfordii) is a climbing vine native to China and other parts of Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, mostly for conditions involving pain, swelling, and an overactive immune system.

The part used is usually the root, which must be carefully prepared. The leaves, flowers, and the outer skin of the root are considered highly poisonous, so proper processing is important. Today it is most often taken as a capsule, tablet, or extract, and is sometimes applied to the skin.

How it works

Thunder God Vine contains active compounds, including triptolide and celastrol, that researchers believe calm down the immune system and reduce inflammation. By dialing back an overactive immune response, the herb may ease the joint damage and swelling seen in autoimmune diseases.

Some of these compounds have also shown effects on cells in laboratory studies, including effects on tumor cells. It is important to remember that much of this work comes from test-tube and animal research, which does not always carry over to people.

Effectiveness

Does Thunder God Vine work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 21 uses evaluated

6 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 14 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Crohn disease