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Medicines and supplements

Copper and penicillamine: should you avoid copper supplements?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Ask your pharmacist or doctor before combining. Two official sources, the penicillamine label and MedlinePlus, say people treated for Wilson's disease should avoid dietary supplements enriched with copper. The label also says multivitamins must be copper-free, and that mineral supplements should not be given because they may block the response to penicillamine.1,2

Key facts

  • The label says treatment for Wilson's disease has two aims: cut the copper taken in through the diet, and remove the excess copper already in the body.1
  • It calls for a diet that excludes cereals and dietary supplements enriched with copper, and says multivitamins must be copper-free.1
  • It also says mineral supplements should not be given, since they may block the response to penicillamine.1
  • MedlinePlus says people treated for Wilson's disease will usually be put on a low-copper diet that avoids dietary supplements enriched with copper.2
  • NIH says people with Wilson's disease are at high risk of copper toxicity, and its general copper sheets list no medicine interactions.3,4

Avoid the combination unless your doctor advises it

Penicillamine removes excess copper in Wilson's disease. Its label says multivitamins taken during treatment for Wilson's disease must be copper-free, that the diet should leave out supplements enriched with copper, and that mineral supplements should not be given because they may block the response to penicillamine.1,2

On the medicine's label

What does the penicillamine label say about copper?

The label describes treatment of Wilson's disease, an inherited condition in which copper builds up in the body, as having two objectives: minimize the copper taken in through the diet, and speed the removal of excess copper from the tissues. For the first it calls for a diet very low in copper that leaves out, among other things, cereals and dietary supplements enriched with copper.1

In its precautions the label adds that multivitamins used in Wilson's disease must be copper-free, and that mineral supplements should not be given, since they may block the response to penicillamine. The line about multivitamins is written for Wilson's disease. The line about mineral supplements is not limited to it.1

MedlinePlus, in its section on dietary instructions, says people treated for Wilson's disease will probably be given a diet low in copper that avoids cereals and dietary supplements enriched with copper, along with chocolate, nuts, shellfish, mushrooms, liver and other foods high in copper. It adds that a doctor may suggest distilled or demineralized water in place of tap water.2

Why does NIH's copper fact sheet not mention penicillamine?

NIH's general sheets on copper do not list any medicine interactions, so penicillamine is not named in them. They are written for the general public. They also say that people with Wilson's disease are at high risk of copper toxicity, which is exactly the situation the label addresses. For this pairing the penicillamine label and MedlinePlus are the sources that speak to it.3,4

People with Wilson's disease, a rare inherited condition in which the body cannot clear copper normally, are at high risk of copper toxicity and can develop liver and nerve damage.3,4

Which products carry copper?

The label names two kinds: dietary supplements enriched with copper, and multivitamins. NIH says supplements use copper in several forms, shown in the entry below, and that tap water and other drinks can add copper too. The label and MedlinePlus both mention distilled or demineralized water.1,4

Supplements use cupric oxide, cupric sulfate, copper amino acid chelates or copper gluconate, and no studies have compared how well the body absorbs copper from each.3,4

The label does not treat every supplement the same way. It says penicillamine increases the requirement for vitamin B6 and that patients with Wilson's disease or cystinuria should be given pyridoxine during therapy. That is a prescriber's decision. It is not a reason to add or remove anything on your own.1

Does this apply if penicillamine is prescribed for something other than Wilson's disease?

MedlinePlus says penicillamine is also prescribed for cystinuria, an inherited condition that can lead to kidney stones, and, with other treatments, for severe rheumatoid arthritis. The low-copper diet and the copper-free multivitamin line are written in the label for Wilson's disease. The sentence that mineral supplements should not be given is general.1,2

The sources do not say how a copper product would be judged for those other uses. That is a question for the prescriber, who knows why you take penicillamine.

What to ask your pharmacist or doctor about copper and penicillamine

  • Why am I taking penicillamine, and does the low-copper instruction apply to me?
  • Is my multivitamin copper-free, and should I be taking one at all?
  • Do I have any mineral products at home, including zinc or iron, that you should look at?
  • Does my tap water or home plumbing matter for copper?

Questions people ask

Can you take copper with penicillamine?

Ask your pharmacist or doctor first. The label says that in Wilson's disease the diet should leave out supplements enriched with copper and multivitamins must be copper-free.1

Is the copper in a multivitamin a problem with penicillamine?

For Wilson's disease the label says multivitamins must be copper-free, so a multivitamin that lists copper is something to show your prescriber before you use it.1

Why does penicillamine interact with copper?

MedlinePlus says penicillamine treats Wilson's disease by binding the extra copper so it leaves the body in urine. The label's diet rules aim to cut the copper coming in.1,2

Do the NIH copper pages mention penicillamine?

No. NIH's general copper sheets list no medicine interactions, so for this pairing read the penicillamine label and MedlinePlus, and ask your pharmacist.3,4

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Sources

  1. CUPRIMINE (penicillamine) capsules: prescribing information (Bausch Health US). DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Published January 28, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Penicillamine. MedlinePlus Drug Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Last revised April 15, 2018. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Copper: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated October 18, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated October 18, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.