Nucala (mepolizumab) is a prescription drug used to treat a type of asthma and other conditions. Nucala isn’t known to interact with other drugs, alcohol, or supplements. But certain vaccines may be less effective in some people using Nucala.

Nucala is used to treat:

Nucala is given as an injection under the skin.

For more information about Nucala, including details about its uses, see this article.

Nucala isn’t known to interact* with any other drugs. This is because Nucala is broken down in your body differently than many other drugs. Because of this, interactions aren’t expected to occur.

But this doesn’t mean interactions with Nucala won’t be recognized in the future. For example, new medications may be developed that interact with Nucala. For this reason, you should still tell your doctor and pharmacist about any medications you take besides Nucala. This way, they can check for any new interactions during your treatment.

For this reason, before you start using Nucala, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Nucala interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Nucala?” section below.)

Although Nucala has no drug interactions, certain vaccines might be less effective in people using Nucala. Examples of vaccines include the cholera vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines. For more information about Nucala and vaccines, see the “Are there other interactions with Nucala?” section below.

* An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Certain factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Nucala. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Nucala for you. These are known as contraindications. Nucala has one contraindication, described below.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you have had an allergic reaction to Nucala or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Nucala. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before you start Nucala treatment, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Nucala is safe for you.

Nucala isn’t known to interact with alcohol. But it’s important to note that alcohol may trigger asthma symptoms in some people. (Nucala is used to treat a type of asthma.)

If you have questions about consuming alcohol during your Nucala treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Nucala may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Nucala.

Does Nucala interact with supplements?

Before you start using Nucala, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Nucala and herbs

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Nucala.

Nucala and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Nucala.

Does Nucala interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Nucala, talk with your doctor.

Does Nucala interact with vaccines?

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with specific vaccines.

But it’s important to note that people who are prescribed Nucala typically also take corticosteroids or other medications that lower the immune system’s activity. Certain vaccines may be less effective in people with weakened immune systems.

Corticosteroids are commonly prescribed to manage the symptoms of the conditions that Nucala treats. Examples of these drugs include:

  • oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone (Rayos)
  • inhaled corticosteroids, such as mometasone (Asmanex HFA, Asmanex Twisthaler)
  • nasal corticosteroids, such as fluticasone (Flonase)

Your doctor may still recommend getting certain vaccines to help protect you against severe infections. For example, your doctor may recommend getting the shingles vaccine before or during your Nucala treatment. This is because cases of shingles have been reported in people using Nucala.

If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your Nucala treatment, talk with your doctor. They can recommend which vaccines are important for you to receive based on your health history and specific needs.

Does Nucala interact with lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Nucala, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the tests.

Does Nucala interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Nucala interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Nucala.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Nucala. Before using Nucala, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Nucala is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Nucala include:

Certain parasite infections. It isn’t known whether Nucala is safe to use if you currently have a helminth infection (a parasitic infection caused by worms). If you have this type of infection, your doctor will treat it before prescribing Nucala. If you develop this kind of infection during your Nucala treatment, your doctor may have you stop using Nucala until the infection has been treated.

Pregnancy. It’s not known whether Nucala is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before starting Nucala treatment.

Breastfeeding. It’s not known whether it’s safe to receive Nucala while breastfeeding. The drug passes into breast milk, but it isn’t known if the drug may cause side effects in a breastfed child. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Nucala or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Nucala. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Nucala. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

  • Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
  • What to do if you may need a vaccine during your Nucala treatment.

It’s also important to understand Nucala’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you didn’t get paperwork with Nucala, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Using Nucala exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

If you still have questions about Nucala and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

  • Should I receive a flu shot during my Nucala treatment?
  • Is it safe for me to receive a live vaccine?
  • Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement during my Nucala treatment?

To learn more about Nucala, see these articles:

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.