Drug & supplement interaction

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) + Cladribine

Cladribine brand names: Leustatin, Mavenclad.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated November 2024
The bottom line Moderate

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) has a moderate interaction with Cladribine. Theoretically, taking AHCC might decrease the effects of immunosuppressant drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) and Cladribine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Cladribine

Cladribine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) interacts with.

Theoretically, taking AHCC might decrease the effects of immunosuppressant drugs.
Data from human, animal, and in vitro studies suggests that AHCC stimulates immune function. Theoretically, this may counteract immunosuppressant drug activity.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

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.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the basic idea with cladribine (Mavenclad). This drug works by tamping down certain immune cells to calm the misdirected immune attack that drives multiple sclerosis. AHCC is promoted to do the opposite, to rev up immune activity (things like natural killer cells and T-cells). So in theory, the two could work against each other, and AHCC might blunt the benefit you're getting from your MS treatment.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern based on how each one behaves, not on real-world cases. It hasn't been proven in people taking both together. Still, since cladribine is given in carefully timed courses for a serious condition, I wouldn't add AHCC on your own. Please run it by your neurologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Burikhanov, R. B., Wakame, K., Igarashi, Y., Wang, S., and Matsuzaki, S. Suppressive effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on thymic apoptosis induced by dexamethasone in the rat. Endocr.Regul. 2000;34(4):181-188.
  2. Gao, Y., Zhang, D., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Kosuna, K., and Yin, Z. Active hexose correlated compound enhances tumor surveillance through regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cancer Immunol.Immunother. 2006;55(10):1258-1266. PubMed
  3. Ritz, B. W., Nogusa, S., Ackerman, E. A., and Gardner, E. M. Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases the innate immune response of young mice to primary influenza infection. J Nutr. 2006;136(11):2868-2873. PubMed
  4. Aviles, H., O'Donnell, P., Sun, B., and Sonnenfeld, G. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection in a mouse model of surgical wound infection. Surg.Infect.(Larchmt.) 2006;7(6):527-535. PubMed
  5. Aviles, H., O'Donnell, P., Orshal, J., Fujii, H., Sun, B., and Sonnenfeld, G. Active hexose correlated compound activates immune function to decrease bacterial load in a murine model of intramuscular infection. Am J Surg. 2008;195(4):537-545. PubMed
  6. Ritz, B. W. Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases survival following infectious challenge in mice. Nutr.Rev. 2008;66(9):526-531. PubMed
  7. Terakawa, N., Matsui, Y., Satoi, S., Yanagimoto, H., Takahashi, K., Yamamoto, T., Yamao, J., Takai, S., Kwon, A. H., and Kamiyama, Y. Immunological effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controll
  8. Wang, S., Welte, T., Fang, H., Chang, G. J., Born, W. K., O'Brien, R. L., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Kosuna, K., and Wang, T. Oral administration of active hexose correlated compound enhances host resistance to West Nile encephalitis in mice. J Nutr. 2009;139(3 PubMed
  9. Yin, Z., Fujii, H., and Walshe, T. Effects of active hexose correlated compound on frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing interferon-gamma and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha in healthy adults. Hum.Immunol. 2010;71(12):1187-1190.
  10. Lee, W. W., Lee, N., Fujii, H., and Kang, I. Active Hexose Correlated Compound promotes T helper (Th) 17 and 1 cell responses via inducing IL-1beta production from monocytes in humans. Cell Immunol. 2012;275(1-2):19-23.
  11. Daddaoua, A., Martinez-Plata, E., Ortega-Gonzalez, M., Ocon, B., Aranda, C. J., Zarzuelo, A., Suarez, M. D., de Medina, F. S., and Martinez-Augustin, O. The nutritional supplement Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) has direct immunomodulatory actio
  12. Roman, B. E., Beli, E., Duriancik, D. M., and Gardner, E. M. Short-term supplementation with active hexose correlated compound improves the antibody response to influenza B vaccine. Nutr Res. 2013;33(1):12-17. PubMed
  13. Uno, K., Kosuna, K., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Wakame, K., Chikumaru, S., Hosokawa, G., and Ueda, Y. Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) Improves Immunological Parameters and Performance Status of Patients with Solid Tumors. Biotherapy 2000;14(3):303-309.
  14. Ghoneum, M., Wimbley, M., Salem, F., McKlain, A., Attallah, N., and Gill, G. Immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC). Int J Immunother 1995;11:23-28.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction 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.
  • PossibleInteraction 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.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) Also Interacts With Other Medications

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) has 311 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cladribine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 311 No known interaction 2,519 (incl. Cladribine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc). Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cladribine

This page covers Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cladribine page lists 70 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 59 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cladribine page

“Cladribine (Leustatin, Mavenclad) treats hairy cell leukemia and relapsing multiple sclerosis by deliberately knocking down part of the immune system, so this list calls for real vigilance. Of the 70 supplements and herbs on file, 53 are immune stimulators, herbs like astragalus, ashwagandha, and ginseng that could push immunity back u…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cladribine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) and Cladribine 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 Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cladribine
Steady interest

#2,089 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.

Supplement

About Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)

What is Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)?

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)
  • Immune support
  • Supporting people during chemotherapy
  • General wellness
  • Liver health
  • HPV-related concerns

AHCC is a proprietary mushroom-derived supplement promoted mainly for immune support and to help people tolerate cancer treatment. Early human studies are interesting but small, and the overall evidence is limited and not conclusive for any condition. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

Read the full Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cladribine

What Is Cladribine Used For?

Brand names: Leustatin, Mavenclad

Cladribine tablets (brand name Mavenclad) are used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults — specifically relapsing-remitting MS and active secondary progressive MS. Because of its significant safety profile, it is generally reserved for patients who haven't responded well to, or can't tolerate, other MS medicines. It is not recommended for clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a first episode that may or may not lead to MS.

Cladribine injection (given intravenously) is a separate product used to treat active hairy cell leukemia — a rare blood cancer — in patients who have clinically significant anemia, low white blood cell counts, low platelets, or disease-related symptoms.

See full Cladribine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
311Moderate
0Minor
2,518No known interaction
311 Moderate 2,518 No interaction
Moderate

311 interactions

Showing 60 of 311 moderate interactions — see all 311 on the Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) page.

No interaction 2,518 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,518 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) list.

See the full Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cladribine, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Cladribine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Cladribine, ranked by severity Cladribine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) and Cladribine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) with Cladribine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) and Cladribine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Cladribine and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc)?

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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.