Drug & supplement interaction

Adrafinil + Itraconazole

Itraconazole brand names: Sporanox, Sporanox Injection, Tolsura.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Itraconazole falls into 2 drug categories that Adrafinil can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 might increase the levels and clinical effects of adrafinil.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Adrafinil and Itraconazole

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Adrafinil interacts with whole categories of medication. Itraconazole falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Adrafinil in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INHIBITORS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Itraconazole

Itraconazole falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INHIBITORS — the group Adrafinil interacts with.

Theoretically, drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 might increase the levels and clinical effects of adrafinil.
Adrafinil is a precursor to the stimulant prescription drug modafinil. Modafinil is metabolized by CYP3A4.
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 connection: itraconazole is a strong blocker of a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, and that same enzyme is what breaks down modafinil (the active compound your body makes from adrafinil). When that pathway is slowed, modafinil can hang around longer and build up. So in theory, taking itraconazole alongside adrafinil could make the stimulant effects stronger or last longer, meaning more jitteriness, trouble sleeping, headache, a racing heart, or anxiety.

I'll be honest with you, this one is theoretical, based on how the drugs work rather than real patient reports. Still, adrafinil is unregulated and hard on the liver, and itraconazole can be too, so please talk with your doctor or pharmacist before combining them.

References
  1. Urban AE, Cubala WJ. The role of eugeroics in the treatment of affective disorders. Psychiatr Pol. 2020;54(1):21-33. PubMed
  2. Provigil (modafinil) [package insert]. North Wales, PA: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. Published: January 2015. Accessed on: Nov 11, 2022.
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Itraconazole also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, adrafanil might reduce levels and clinical effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
Adrafinil is a precursor to the stimulant prescription drug modafinil. Modafinil has been shown to weakly induce CYP3A4 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 gist for itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura): your liver clears this antifungal partly through an enzyme called CYP3A4. When adrafinil turns into modafinil in your body, modafinil can mildly speed that enzyme up. In theory, that means itraconazole could be broken down a little faster, leaving lower levels in your blood.

Why does that matter? Lower levels could make the antifungal less able to do its job, so a stubborn nail, lung, or throat infection might not clear as well. I'll be honest with you though, this is based on pharmacology reasoning, not solid human studies, and modafinil is only a weak booster of this enzyme. Still, since you need full strength to beat a fungal infection, please run this combo by your pharmacist or doctor before mixing them.

References
  1. Urban AE, Cubala WJ. The role of eugeroics in the treatment of affective disorders. Psychiatr Pol. 2020;54(1):21-33. PubMed
  2. Provigil (modafinil) [package insert]. North Wales, PA: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. Published: January 2015. Accessed on: Nov 11, 2022.

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

Adrafinil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Adrafinil has 1 major, 1,055 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Itraconazole one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Adrafinil

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Adrafinil. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Adrafinil or Itraconazole

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Adrafinil or Itraconazole, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Itraconazole

This page covers Adrafinil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Itraconazole page lists 182 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 136 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Itraconazole page

“Serious fungal infections are what itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) is for, and the drug travels through CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that also handles a large share of supplements. That overlap is why this list reaches 182 ingredients, and it earns genuine care; start with the six rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Itraconazole interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Adrafinil as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 7 real supplement products containing Adrafinil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Adrafinil. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Itraconazole too, on top of Adrafinil — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Adrafinil and Itraconazole 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 Adrafinil
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Itraconazole
Top half

#854 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 Adrafinil

What is Adrafinil?

Adrafinil
  • Wakefulness and alertness
  • Fatigue
  • Focus and concentration
  • Cognitive enhancement (nootropic)
  • Daytime sleepiness

Adrafinil is a synthetic compound that the body converts into modafinil, a prescription wakefulness-promoting drug. It is sometimes sold as a nootropic supplement, but it is unregulated, carries real risks (especially to the liver), and is banned in some sports and countries. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Read the full Adrafinil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Itraconazole

What Is Itraconazole Used For?

Brand names: Sporanox, Sporanox Injection, Tolsura

Itraconazole capsules (including Sporanox capsules and generic itraconazole capsules) treat serious fungal infections — blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and aspergillosis — in both people with normal immune systems and those who are immunocompromised. Capsule forms are also approved for nail fungus (onychomycosis) caused by dermatophytes in non-immunocompromised patients. Tolsura (a gelatin-coated capsule formulation) treats blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and aspergillosis in adults, but is not approved for nail fungus and is not interchangeable with other itraconazole products.

Itraconazole oral solution is specifically approved for oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush — a fungal infection of the mouth) and esophageal candidiasis (a fungal infection of the food pipe). Only the oral solution has been shown to work for these mouth and throat infections; capsules cannot be substituted for this use.

See full Itraconazole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Adrafinil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Adrafinil — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

1Major
1,055Moderate
0Minor
1,773No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

1,055 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,055 moderate interactions — see all 1,055 on the Adrafinil page.

No interaction 1,773 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Adrafinil and Itraconazole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Adrafinil with Itraconazole?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Adrafinil and Itraconazole?
Itraconazole belongs to more than one drug category, and Adrafinil interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Adrafinil and Itraconazole 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 Itraconazole and Adrafinil?

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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.