Drug & supplement interaction

Alpha-gpc + dabigatran

dabigatran brand names: Pradaxa, Pradax.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Alpha-gpc and dabigatran in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for dabigatran states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Alpha-gpc and dabigatran

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between dabigatran and Alpha-gpc in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Alpha-gpc safety at a glance

Alpha-gpc overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studies, but long-term safety is not fully established.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid unless directed by your doctor.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid unless directed by your doctor.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining dabigatran and Alpha-gpc? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for dabigatran

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. dabigatran is filed under 3 classifications — anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs, p-glycoprotein substrates, oral drugs. Alpha-gpc has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being scopolamine (transderm scop) (minor) — and none of dabigatran’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Alpha-gpc Does Interact With Other Medications

Alpha-gpc has 16 minor known drug interactions in our database — dabigatran isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 16 No known interaction 2,814 (incl. dabigatran)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Alpha-gpc

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Alpha-gpc and dabigatran May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Alpha-gpc

    “Orally, alpha-GPC has been rarely associated with diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.

    Intramuscularly, alpha-GPC has been rarely associated with diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.”

    Alpha-gpc · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 12102. Barbagallo Sangiorgi G, Barbagallo M, Giordano M, et al. Alpha-glycerophosphocholine in the mental recovery of cerebral ischemic attacks: An Italian multicenter clinical trial. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1994;717:253-69. PubMed

    dabigatran

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for dabigatran. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Alpha-gpc

    “Orally, some patients can experience skin rash. Intramuscularly, alpha-GPC can cause erythema at the injection site.”

    Alpha-gpc · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in erythema.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12102. Barbagallo Sangiorgi G, Barbagallo M, Giordano M, et al. Alpha-glycerophosphocholine in the mental recovery of cerebral ischemic attacks: An Italian multicenter clinical trial. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1994;717:253-69. PubMed
    2. 12101. Di Perri R, Coppola G, Ambrosio LA, et al. A multicentre trial to the evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine versus cytosine diphosphocholine in patients with vascular dementia. J Int Med Res 1991;19:330-41.

    dabigatran

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for dabigatran. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Alpha-gpc but not commonly for dabigatran: heartburn, dizziness, confusion and vomiting.

Effects for dabigatran come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Alpha-gpc come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some dabigatran Products Have a Food Rule — Alpha-gpc Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing dabigatran says to take it with food. If you take Alpha-gpc on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take dabigatran with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two dabigatran products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Consider administration with food if gastrointestinal distress occurs with dabigatran etexilate capsules.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for dabigatran — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What dabigatran Is Prescribed For, and What Alpha-gpc Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. dabigatran is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Alpha-gpc is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

dabigatran is prescribed for: Dabigatran etexilate capsules are used in adults to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm not caused by a heart valve problem). They are also used to treat deep venous thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in a deep vein) and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs), to lower the risk of those clots coming back, and to prevent DVT and PE in adults who have had hip replacement surgery. In children ages 8 to under 18, dabigatran etexilate capsules are used to treat venous thromboembolic events (VTE — blood clots in the veins) and to reduce the risk of those clots recurring. Pradaxa Oral Pellets — a separate formulation — are indicated for the treatment and prevention of recurrent VTE in younger children ages 3 months to under 12 years.

Alpha-gpc has been studied for:

  • Stroke studied, not established Alpha-gpc has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Alpha-gpc for stroke

    It is unclear if intramuscular or oral alpha-GPC is beneficial for preventing stroke or improving post-stroke outcomes.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace dabigatran on your own; if you are taking Alpha-gpc for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Alpha-gpc or dabigatran

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Alpha-gpc or dabigatran, 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 dabigatran

This page covers Alpha-gpc only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the dabigatran page lists 235 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Aconite (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 201 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the dabigatran page

“Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is a blood thinner prescribed to prevent strokes and dangerous clots, which makes the stakes for mixing in supplements higher than for most medicines, and I would go through this list with real care. Of the 235 ingredients on file, 202 could add to dabigatran's blood-thinning effect and increase bruising or bleedin…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the dabigatran interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Alpha-gpc as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,138 real supplement products containing Alpha-gpc, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Alpha-gpc. Even though Alpha-gpc itself has no known interaction with dabigatran, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Alpha-gpc and dabigatran 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 Alpha-gpc
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication dabigatran
Top 10%

#158 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Alpha-gpc reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Alpha-gpc and dabigatran records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Alpha-gpc

What is Alpha-gpc?

Alpha-gpc
  • Memory and learning support
  • Age-related cognitive decline
  • Alzheimer's disease and dementia (under study)
  • Athletic and physical performance
  • Source of choline

Alpha-GPC is a choline-containing compound used mainly for memory, brain health, and as a choline source. There is some evidence it may help cognition in people with dementia, but evidence in healthy people is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition.

Synthesized compound; also found naturally in soy lecithin and small amounts in foods · Capsules, tablets, powder, liquid

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Alpha-gpc is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Alpha-gpc record says about it on its own.

Alpha-gpc: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose of Alpha-GPC for any condition. Doses used in research have varied depending on the purpose and the people studied.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.

From our Alpha-gpc monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Alpha-gpc monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dabigatran

What Is Dabigatran Used For?

Brand names: Pradaxa, Pradax

Dabigatran etexilate capsules are used in adults to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm not caused by a heart valve problem). They are also used to treat deep venous thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in a deep vein) and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs), to lower the risk of those clots coming back, and to prevent DVT and PE in adults who have had hip replacement surgery.

In children ages 8 to under 18, dabigatran etexilate capsules are used to treat venous thromboembolic events (VTE — blood clots in the veins) and to reduce the risk of those clots recurring. Pradaxa Oral Pellets — a separate formulation — are indicated for the treatment and prevention of recurrent VTE in younger children ages 3 months to under 12 years.

See full Dabigatran drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Alpha-gpc

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

0Major
0Moderate
16Minor
2,813No known interaction
16 Minor 2,813 No interaction
Minor

16 interactions

No interaction 2,813 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,813 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Alpha-gpc list.

See the full Alpha-gpc interactions page
See every supplement checked against dabigatran, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Alpha-gpc References

The 4 references that drive our Alpha-gpc monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Di Perri R, Coppola G, Ambrosio LA, et al. A multicentre trial to the evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine versus cytosine diphosphocholine in patients with vascular dementia. J Int Med Res 1991;19:330-41.
  2. Barbagallo Sangiorgi G, Barbagallo M, Giordano M, et al. Alpha-glycerophosphocholine in the mental recovery of cerebral ischemic attacks: An Italian multicenter clinical trial. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1994;717:253-69. PubMed
  3. Canal N, Franceschi M, Alberoni M, et al. Effect of L-alpha-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine on amnesia caused by scopolamine. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1991;29:103-7.
  4. Lee G, Choi S, Chang J, et al. Association of L-a glycerylphosphorylcholine with subsequent stroke risk after 10 Years. JAMA Netw Open 2021;4(11):e2136008.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Alpha-gpc and dabigatran Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Alpha-gpc with dabigatran?
We do not list a known interaction between Alpha-gpc and dabigatran. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Alpha-gpc and dabigatran have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Alpha-gpc and dabigatran at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing dabigatran says to take it with food. If you take Alpha-gpc on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take dabigatran with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two dabigatran products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Alpha-gpc and dabigatran used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Alpha-gpc in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if dabigatran is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Alpha-gpc and dabigatran combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. dabigatran is filed under 3 classifications, and Alpha-gpc has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of dabigatran's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Alpha-gpc interact with any other medications?
Yes. Alpha-gpc has 16 documented drug interactions in our database — dabigatran is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does dabigatran interact with any supplements?
Yes. dabigatran has documented interactions with 235 supplements in our database — Alpha-gpc is not one of them. The dabigatran interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Alpha-gpc monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Dabigatran drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication dabigatran supplement interactions Every supplement checked against dabigatran, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 4 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About dabigatran and Alpha-gpc?

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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.