Drug & supplement interaction

Apoaequorin + Rifabutin

Rifabutin brand name: Mycobutin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Apoaequorin and Rifabutin 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 Rifabutin 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

Apoaequorin and Rifabutin

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 Rifabutin and Apoaequorin 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Apoaequorin at all — not against Rifabutin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Apoaequorin safety at a glance

Apoaequorin overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in short-term studies, but long-term safety is not well established.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Pharmacist analysis
Prevagen bottle

Based on the current research available, apoaequorin, the protein derived from jellyfish that is the active ingredient in Prevagen, is not known to interact with any drugs.

This lack of interactions is likely due to the fact that apoaequorin is a relatively small and simple protein that does not have any known drug-binding sites or enzymatic activity.

Additionally, safety studies in animals have shown that even very large doses of apoaequorin don't appear to affect any organs or blood chemistry.

However, overall, there is limited data on its potential interactions with other drugs.

If someone is taking apoaequorin as a dietary supplement, they should still consult with a healthcare professional before starting to take it, especially if they are currently taking any medications or have any underlying medical conditions.

As with any dietary supplement, it is important to follow recommended dosages and to use it only as directed.

References

  • Subchronic toxicity of lyophilized apoaequorin protein powder in Sprague-Dawley rats. Sage Journals
  • Safety assessment of Apoaequorin, a protein preparation: subchronic toxicity study in rats. PubMed

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Still wondering about combining Rifabutin and Apoaequorin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Apoaequorin and Rifabutin 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail

    Apoaequorin

    “Orally, a specific apoaequorin product (Prevagen, Quincy Bioscience) has been reported to cause hypertension, hypotension, chest pain, and irregular heart rate, but it is unclear if these events were due to apoaequorin.”

    Apoaequorin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hypertension.

    1 source cited
    1. 89624. GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 568. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/NoticeInventory/UCM457034.pdf. Accessed September 28, 2015.

    Rifabutin

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

  • Trouble sleeping Additional detail

    Apoaequorin

    “Orally, a specific apoaequorin product (Prevagen, Quincy Bioscience) has been reported to cause headache and dizziness in one clinical study at a rate of 18.8% and 7.6%, respectively. Memory impairment and insomnia were also reported. However, it is unclear how these rates compare with placebo.”

    Apoaequorin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 89624. GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 568. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/NoticeInventory/UCM457034.pdf. Accessed September 28, 2015.

    Rifabutin

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

  • Stomach pain / Diarrhea Additional detail

    Apoaequorin

    “Orally, a specific apoaequorin product (Prevagen, Quincy Bioscience) was reported to cause mild diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain in one study. Nausea occurred at a rate of 6.8%, diarrhea at a rate of 3.2%, and stomach pain at a rate of 2.2%. However, it is unclear how these rates compare with placebo.”

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

    1 source cited
    1. 89624. GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 568. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/NoticeInventory/UCM457034.pdf. Accessed September 28, 2015.

    Rifabutin

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

  • Nausea reported in 6.1% of FDA reports for Rifabutin Additional detail

    Apoaequorin

    “Orally, apoaequorin seems to be well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Dizziness, headache, and nausea.”

    Apoaequorin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    Rifabutin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifabutin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Headache Additional detail

    Apoaequorin

    Recorded for Apoaequorin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Nausea above.

    Rifabutin

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

Reported for Apoaequorin but not commonly for Rifabutin: memory problems, raised blood pressure, low blood pressure and dizziness.

Effects for Rifabutin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Apoaequorin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 2,836 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Rifabutin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. 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 Rifabutin Products Have a Food Rule — Apoaequorin Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Rifabutin says to take it with food. If you take Apoaequorin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Rifabutin 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 Rifabutin 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.

For those patients with propensity to nausea, vomiting, or other gastrointestinal upset, administration of rifabutin at doses of 150 mg twice daily taken with food may be useful.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Rifabutin — 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Apoaequorin or Rifabutin

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

This page covers Apoaequorin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Rifabutin page lists 180 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 136 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Rifabutin page

“Most people on rifabutin (Mycobutin) are treating or preventing serious mycobacterial infections like MAC or tuberculosis, often for months at a time, and this list deserves a careful read before adding a single capsule. Of the 180 supplements with an interaction on file, three carry a major rating, and all three can shift rifabutin's…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Rifabutin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 28 real supplement products containing Apoaequorin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Apoaequorin. Even though Apoaequorin itself has no known interaction with Rifabutin, 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 Apoaequorin and Rifabutin 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 Apoaequorin
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Rifabutin
Top half

#750 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 Apoaequorin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Apoaequorin and Rifabutin 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 Apoaequorin

What is Apoaequorin?

Apoaequorin
  • Age-related memory concerns
  • General cognitive support
  • Brain health
  • Mild forgetfulness

Apoaequorin is a jellyfish-derived protein marketed (as Prevagen) to support memory and brain health. The scientific evidence that it improves memory is weak and largely comes from industry-funded studies, and as a protein it is likely broken down during digestion. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have memory problems that need medical evaluation.

A synthetic version of a protein originally found in the jellyfish Aequorea victoria · Capsules, chewable tablets

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

Apoaequorin: dosing

There is no officially established or standardized dose for apoaequorin. Taking more than the labeled amount has no proven benefit and is not recommended.

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

Read the full Apoaequorin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Rifabutin

What Is Rifabutin Used For?

Brand name: Mycobutin

Rifabutin capsules are used to prevent disseminated MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex) disease — a serious bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body — in patients with advanced HIV infection.

It is not approved to treat active tuberculosis (TB), and it must not be used alone in patients who have active TB, as this can lead to antibiotic resistance.

See full Rifabutin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Apoaequorin

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Apoaequorin list.

See the full Apoaequorin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Rifabutin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Apoaequorin References

The 1 references that drive our Apoaequorin 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. GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 568. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/NoticeInventory/UCM457034.pdf. Accessed September 28, 2015.

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 Apoaequorin and Rifabutin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Apoaequorin with Rifabutin?
We do not list a known interaction between Apoaequorin and Rifabutin. 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 Apoaequorin and Rifabutin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 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 Apoaequorin and Rifabutin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Rifabutin says to take it with food. If you take Apoaequorin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Rifabutin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Rifabutin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Rifabutin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Rifabutin has documented interactions with 180 supplements in our database — Apoaequorin is not one of them. The Rifabutin 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

Apoaequorin monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Rifabutin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Rifabutin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Rifabutin, 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 1 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Rifabutin and Apoaequorin?

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.