Taltz Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Taltz. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Taltz for you. These are known as contraindications. Taltz has one contraindication, which is described below.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you have had an allergic reaction to Taltz or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Taltz. 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.

Taltz isn’t known to interact with alcohol. However, drinking alcohol while using Taltz could worsen nausea, which is a side effect of the drug. (For more information about Taltz’s side effects, see this article.)

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor before starting Taltz treatment. They can tell you how much alcohol may be safe to drink while you’re using Taltz.

Before you start using Taltz, 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 Taltz interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Taltz?” section below.)

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

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Taltz. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Taltz. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

* To learn more about Taltz’s side effects, see this article.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Taltz.

Interaction with abatacept

Taltz may interact with abatacept (Orencia). Using these drugs together can increase the risk of side effects from either drug.

Abatacept is used to treat certain autoimmune conditions, including psoriatic arthritis. The drug has other uses as well.

What could happen

Both Taltz and abatacept can weaken your immune system, which can raise your risk of infection. Using these medications together can increase this risk even more.

What you can do

Taltz and abatacept can be used to treat similar conditions. Before starting treatment with Taltz, tell your doctor if you’re using abatacept. They likely won’t prescribe Taltz with this drug. Instead, your doctor can determine whether Taltz or abatacept may be a better treatment option.

If you have questions about the treatment that’s right for your condition, talk with your doctor.

Interaction with tofacitinib

Taltz can interact with tofacitinib (Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR). Using these drugs together can increase your risk of side effects from either medication.

Tofacitinib is used to treat certain autoimmune conditions, including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

What could happen

Both Taltz and tofacitinib can increase your risk of infection. This is because both drugs may weaken your immune system. Using Taltz while taking tofacitinib can further weaken your immune system and raise your risk of infection even more.

What you can do

Taltz and tofacitinib may be used to treat a few of the same conditions. Before using Taltz, tell your doctor if you’re taking tofacitinib. They can determine whether Taltz or tofacitinib may be a better treatment option. Your doctor isn’t likely to prescribe these drugs together.

If you have questions about the treatment that’s right for your condition, talk with your doctor.

Interaction with upadacitinib

Using Taltz while taking upadacitinib (Rinvoq) can increase your risk of side effects with either drug.

Upadacitinib is used to treat certain autoimmune conditions, including psoriatic arthritis.

What could happen

Both Taltz and upadacitinib can weaken your immune system, which raises your risk of infection. Using these medications together can increase your risk of infection even more.

What you can do

Taltz and upadacitinib can be used to treat similar conditions. Before using Taltz, tell your doctor if you’re already using upadacitinib. They likely won’t prescribe these medications at the same time. Instead, your doctor can determine whether Taltz or upadacitinib may be a better treatment option.

If you have questions about the treatment that’s right for your condition, talk with your doctor.

Taltz 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 Taltz.

Does Taltz interact with supplements?

Before you start using Taltz, 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.

Taltz and herbs

There are currently no reports of Taltz 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 Taltz.

Taltz and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Taltz 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 during your Taltz treatment.

Does Taltz interact with food?

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

Does Taltz interact with vaccines?

You should not get live vaccines* during your Taltz treatment. This is because Taltz lowers your immune system’s ability to fight infection. Getting a live vaccine while using Taltz may increase your risk of getting the virus the vaccine is meant to protect against.

Examples of live vaccines include:

• measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• smallpox
• yellow fever
• chickenpox

Before using Taltz, ask your doctor to review your vaccine history. If you need any live vaccines, they may give you the vaccine before you start Taltz treatment. Your doctor can also tell you whether it’s safe to receive any other vaccines during your Taltz treatment.

* Live vaccines contain a weakened form of the virus they’re meant to protect against.

Does Taltz interact with lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Taltz interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about getting certain lab tests during your treatment with Taltz, talk with your doctor.

Does Taltz interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Taltz 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 Taltz.

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 Taltz. Before using Taltz, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Taltz is right for you.

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

Inflammatory bowel disease. Using Taltz may lead to new or worsening inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. If you have IBD, talk with your doctor before using Taltz. They can tell you whether Taltz is a safe treatment option.

Infection, including tuberculosis. Using Taltz may lead to new or worsened infections, including tuberculosis (TB). Before starting Taltz treatment, tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of an infection. Examples of symptoms include fever, chills, and fatigue (low energy).

If you do have an infection, your doctor will likely treat it before you begin receiving Taltz.

To learn more about Taltz and TB, see “Common questions about Taltz and interactions” below.

Pregnancy. It isn’t known whether Taltz is safe to receive during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before using Taltz.

If you do receive Taltz while pregnant, consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry keeps track of pregnancy-related issues that may occur with Taltz. To learn more or sign up, call 800-284-1695.

Breastfeeding. It’s not known whether Taltz is safe to receive while breastfeeding. It isn’t known if the drug passes into breast milk or whether the drug may cause side effects in a child who’s breastfed. To learn more about using Taltz while breastfeeding, talk with your doctor.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Taltz or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Taltz. 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.

Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Taltz and possible interactions.

Is it safe to use Taltz with sun exposure therapy for plaque psoriasis?

Yes. If your doctor advises it, Taltz may be used along with sun exposure therapy for plaque psoriasis.

Taltz can be used for plaque psoriasis that could benefit from certain treatments. These include light therapy and systemic therapy (a treatment that affects your whole body). Sun exposure is a kind of light therapy.

Several other kinds of light therapy can also be used for plaque psoriasis. Your doctor can recommend which form of light therapy may be best for your condition. To learn more about light therapy options, see this article.

If you have questions about Taltz and sun exposure therapy, talk with your doctor.

Can I use Taltz if I have tuberculosis or had it in the past?

Possibly, if your tuberculosis (TB) has been treated.

Before starting treatment with Taltz, your doctor will test you for TB. If the test shows you have TB, your doctor will treat this condition before prescribing Taltz.

Even after TB is treated, it’s possible for it to return while you’re using Taltz. For this reason, your doctor will watch for symptoms of TB infection during your Taltz treatment. Examples include:

• fatigue (low energy)
• fever or chills
• cough, which may include coughing up blood or phlegm
• chest pain

If you have symptoms of TB while using Taltz, your doctor may have you temporarily stop taking the drug until the infection is treated. They’ll let you know whether it’s safe to resume treatment with Taltz after the infection clears.

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

• Whether you drink alcohol.
• 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 start taking a new drug during your Taltz treatment.

It’s also important to understand Taltz’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 did not get paperwork with Taltz, 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 Taltz exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

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

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

• Do other drugs that could treat my condition have similar interactions?
• Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication while I’m using Taltz?
• If I use Taltz and have certain health conditions, will I be monitored more closely during treatment?

To learn more about Taltz, see these articles:

• All About Taltz
• Side Effects of Taltz: What You Need to Know
• Dosage for Taltz: What You Need to Know
• Taltz and Cost: What You Need to Know

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

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.