Drug & supplement interaction

Agar + Afatinib Dimaleate

Afatinib Dimaleate brand name: Gilotrif.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Minor

Agar has a minor interaction with Afatinib Dimaleate. Agar forms a thick gel, which may disrupt the absorption of nutrients and medications.

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

Agar and Afatinib Dimaleate

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

Minor

ORAL DRUGS

Why this applies to Afatinib Dimaleate

Afatinib Dimaleate falls under ORAL DRUGS — the group Agar interacts with.

Agar forms a thick gel, which may disrupt the absorption of nutrients and medications. Animal research suggests that consuming a diet consisting of 5% to 10% agar alters the absorption of nutrients from the diet. In one study, consuming a diet composed of 10% agar reduced the absorption of all evaluated minerals. Theoretically, agar may also impair the absorption of oral drugs.
Severity Minor 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 simple version: agar is a seaweed fiber that swells into a thick gel in your stomach and gut. Because afatinib (Gilotrif) is a pill you swallow, that gel could, in theory, trap some of the drug and keep your body from absorbing the full dose. If less afatinib gets in, it may not fight your lung cancer as well as it should. With a cancer medicine, you really want every bit of it working.

Now, the reassuring part: this concern is theoretical and based mostly on animal studies using large amounts of agar, not on real cases with afatinib. Small culinary amounts in food are unlikely to be a problem. Still, please don't change anything on your own. Talk with your oncology pharmacist or doctor before using agar as a supplement.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  2. Kondo H, Osada A. Influence of dietary fiber on the bioavailability of zinc in rats. Biomed Environ Sci. 1996 Sept;9(2-3):204-8.
  3. Harmuth-Hoene, A. E. and Schelenz, R. Effect of dietary fiber on mineral absorption in growing rats. J Nutr 1980;110(9):1774-1784. PubMed

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

Agar Also Interacts With Other Medications

Agar has 2,021 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Afatinib Dimaleate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 2,021 No known interaction 809 (incl. Afatinib Dimaleate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Agar

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Afatinib Dimaleate

This page covers Agar only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Afatinib Dimaleate page lists 54 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), Bitter Melon (moderate), Black Pepper (moderate) and Bulbine Natalensis (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 35 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Afatinib Dimaleate page

“Afatinib (Gilotrif) is a targeted lung cancer therapy, and because its effectiveness depends on keeping a steady blood level, this list deserves genuine care. Most of the 54 supplements here either change how much of the drug the gut absorbs or interfere with P-glycoprotein, a pump that moves afatinib across cell walls, pushing its lev…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Afatinib Dimaleate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 23 real supplement products containing Agar, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Agar. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Afatinib Dimaleate too, on top of Agar — 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 Agar and Afatinib Dimaleate 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 Agar
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Afatinib Dimaleate
Top half

#983 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 Agar

What is Agar?

Agar
  • Constipation
  • Weight loss
  • Vegetarian gelatin substitute
  • Source of dietary fiber
  • Appetite control

Agar is a plant-based gel made from red seaweed that is widely used as a vegetarian alternative to gelatin and as a source of dietary fiber. It is sometimes taken as a bulk-forming laxative or weight-loss aid, but solid human evidence for these health uses is limited. It is generally considered safe as a food, but you should drink plenty of water with it and check with your pharmacist before using it as a supplement.

Read the full Agar monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Afatinib

What Is Afatinib Used For?

Brand name: Gilotrif

Gilotrif (afatinib) is used to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — cancer that has spread and cannot be removed by surgery. It has two specific approved uses.

First, Gilotrif is used as an initial treatment for metastatic NSCLC when the tumor carries certain EGFR mutations (gene changes in the cancer cells) confirmed by an FDA-approved test — specifically non-resistant mutations. Second, Gilotrif is used to treat metastatic squamous NSCLC (a particular cell type of lung cancer) in patients whose cancer progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy.

See full Afatinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Agar

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

0Major
0Moderate
2,021Minor
808No known interaction
2,021 Minor 808 No interaction
Minor

2,021 interactions

Showing 60 of 2,021 minor interactions — see all 2,021 on the Agar page.

No interaction 808 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Agar against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 808 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Agar list.

See the full Agar interactions page
See every supplement checked against Afatinib Dimaleate, 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
Agar monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Afatinib Dimaleate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Afatinib Dimaleate, ranked by severity Afatinib 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 Agar and Afatinib Dimaleate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Agar with Afatinib Dimaleate?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Agar and Afatinib Dimaleate interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Afatinib Dimaleate and Agar?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.