Drug & supplement interaction

Apricot Kernel + Bendamustine Hydrochloride

Bendamustine Hydrochloride brand name: Bendeka.

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 Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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.

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Interaction report

Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride

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 Bendamustine Hydrochloride and Apricot Kernel 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 Apricot Kernel at all — not against Bendamustine Hydrochloride, 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.

Apricot Kernel safety at a glance

Apricot Kernel overall Avoid Eating bitter apricot kernels or taking amygdalin/laetrile can cause dangerous cyanide poisoning.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When apricot kernels are taken orally. The Hellenic Food Authority recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding patients avoid consumption of apricot kernels. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When apricot kernels are taken orally. The Hellenic Food Authority recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding patients avoid consumption of apricot kernels. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Bendamustine Hydrochloride and Apricot Kernel? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Apricot Kernel Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Bendamustine Hydrochloride. It is the side-effect record for Apricot Kernel on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Apricot Kernel, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Loss of vision / Unsteadiness / Confusion / Seizures / Hives / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Apricot kernel contains amygdalin, which is converted to cyanide in the body and can cause cyanide poisoning. Signs of acute cyanide poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, hives, rash, itchy or swollen skin, cyanosis, light-headedness, confusion, weakness, drowsiness, palpitations, hyperpnea, seizures, hypotension, and trembling.”

    Apricot Kernel · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cancer.

    6 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 31757. Moertel, C. G., Fleming, T. R., Rubin, J., Kvols, L. K., Sarna, G., Koch, R., Currie, V. E., Young, C. W., Jones, S. E., and Davignon, J. P. A clinical trial of amygdalin (Laetrile) in the treatment of human cancer. N.Engl.J.Med. 1-28-1982;306(4):201-206 PubMed
    3. 65124. Chandeler, R. F. et al. Laetrile in Perspective. Can Pharm J 1984;117:517.
    4. 94064. Seghers L, Walenbergh-van Veen M, Salome J, Hamberg P. Cyanide intoxication by apricot kernel ingestion as complimentary cancer therapy. Neth J Med 2013;71(9):496-8.
    5. 94065. Chaouali N, Gana I, Dorra A, et al. Potential toxic levels of cyanide in almonds (Prunus amygdalus), apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca), and almond syrup. ISRN Toxicol. 2013;2013:610648.
    6. 31768. Suchard, J. R., Wallace, K. L., and Gerkin, R. D. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1998;32(6):742-744. PubMed
  • Tremor or shakiness / A fast or pounding heartbeat / Low blood pressure / Drowsiness Additional detail

    Recorded for Apricot Kernel in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Loss of vision / Unsteadiness / Confusion / Seizures / Hives / Liver problems above.

Showing the 10 most notable of 17 recorded effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Apricot Kernel — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Bendamustine Hydrochloride to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Bendamustine Hydrochloride.

Special populations

Apricot Kernel in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When apricot kernels are taken orally. The Hellenic Food Authority recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding patients avoid consumption of apricot kernels.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Bendamustine Hydrochloride Is Prescribed For, and What Apricot Kernel Has Been Studied For

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

Bendamustine Hydrochloride is prescribed for: Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is also used for adults with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) — a slow-growing type of blood cancer — when the disease has continued to progress during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen. For CLL, how well bendamustine works compared to other first-line treatments (aside from chlorambucil) has not been fully established.

Apricot Kernel has been studied for:

  • Cancer studied, not established Apricot Kernel has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Possibly Ineffective Read what the research shows

    Apricot Kernel for cancer

    Oral apricot kernel does not seem to be effective for cancer.

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 Bendamustine Hydrochloride on your own; if you are taking Apricot Kernel for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Bendamustine Hydrochloride

This page covers Apricot Kernel only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Bendamustine Hydrochloride page lists 86 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Acerola (moderate), Adrafinil (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ashitaba (moderate).

By severity: 62 moderate · 24 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Bendamustine Hydrochloride page

“Bendamustine (Bendeka), a chemotherapy used for certain leukemias and lymphomas, carries 86 supplement and herbal interactions on file, and none of them rates major, so this is a watch-and-adjust list rather than an alarm. Nearly all of the entries, about 80, involve the same liver enzyme, CYP1A2, which helps process bendamustine.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Bendamustine Hydrochloride interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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 Apricot Kernel
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Bendamustine Hydrochloride
Top half

#772 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 Apricot Kernel reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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 Apricot Kernel

What is Apricot Kernel?

Apricot Kernel
  • Claimed anti-cancer remedy (unproven)
  • Cough and respiratory complaints (traditional medicine)
  • Digestive complaints (traditional medicine)
  • Skin and hair care (kernel oil)
  • General 'detox' or wellness claims

Apricot kernels contain amygdalin (marketed as laetrile or 'vitamin B17'), which the body can convert into cyanide and cause serious, even fatal, poisoning. There is no reliable evidence that apricot kernels or laetrile treat cancer or any other disease, and health authorities warn against eating them. The pressed oil used on skin is a separate, generally lower-risk product.

Prunus armeniaca · Rosaceae · Seed (kernel) inside the apricot pit, and the oil pressed from it · Raw or ground kernels, capsules, amygdalin/laetrile supplements, apricot kernel oil

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

Apricot Kernel: dosing

There is no safe, established, or recommended dose of apricot kernels or amygdalin/laetrile for treating any health condition. We will not suggest specific amounts because even small quantities can be unsafe. Apricot kernel oil used on the skin should be used as directed on the cosmetic product label.

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

Read the full Apricot Kernel monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Bendamustine Injection

What Is Bendamustine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Bendeka

Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is also used for adults with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) — a slow-growing type of blood cancer — when the disease has continued to progress during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.

For CLL, how well bendamustine works compared to other first-line treatments (aside from chlorambucil) has not been fully established.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Bendamustine Hydrochloride

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (11,906 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fever 861 reports
Disease progression 572 reports
Rash 556 reports
Febrile neutropenia 535 reports
Neutropenia 501 reports
See full Bendamustine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Apricot Kernel

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Apricot Kernel — 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 Apricot Kernel 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 Apricot Kernel list.

See the full Apricot Kernel interactions page
See every supplement checked against Bendamustine Hydrochloride, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Apricot Kernel References

The 11 references that drive our Apricot Kernel 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Moertel, C. G., Fleming, T. R., Rubin, J., Kvols, L. K., Sarna, G., Koch, R., Currie, V. E., Young, C. W., Jones, S. E., and Davignon, J. P. A clinical trial of amygdalin (Laetrile) in the treatment of human cancer. N.Engl.J.Med. 1-28-1982;306(4):201-206 PubMed
  4. Suchard, J. R., Wallace, K. L., and Gerkin, R. D. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1998;32(6):742-744. PubMed
  5. Chandeler, R. F. et al. Laetrile in Perspective. Can Pharm J 1984;117:517.
  6. Seghers L, Walenbergh-van Veen M, Salome J, Hamberg P. Cyanide intoxication by apricot kernel ingestion as complimentary cancer therapy. Neth J Med 2013;71(9):496-8.
  7. Chaouali N, Gana I, Dorra A, et al. Potential toxic levels of cyanide in almonds (Prunus amygdalus), apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca), and almond syrup. ISRN Toxicol. 2013;2013:610648.
  8. Konstantatos A, Shiv Kumar M, Burrell A, Smith J. An unusual presentation of chronic cyanide toxicity from self-prescribed apricot kernel extract. BMJ Case Rep. 2017;2017. PubMed
  9. Apricot Kernels (Bitter and Sweet). Food Safety Authority of Ireland. 2017. Available at: https://www.fsai.ie/faq/apricot_kernels.html.
  10. EFSA CONTAM Panel (EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain). Scientific opinion on the acute health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in raw apricot kernels and products derived from raw apricot kernels. EFSA Journal 2016;14(4):4 DOI
  11. Health Canada sets new cyanide limit to mitigate risks associated with eating apricot kernels. 2020. Health Canada: Recalls and Alerts. Available at: https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2020/72195a-eng.php

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 Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Apricot Kernel with Bendamustine Hydrochloride?
We do not list a known interaction between Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride. 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.
Are Apricot Kernel and Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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 Apricot Kernel in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Bendamustine Hydrochloride is being adjusted to a target.
Does Bendamustine Hydrochloride interact with any supplements?
Yes. Bendamustine Hydrochloride has documented interactions with 86 supplements in our database — Apricot Kernel is not one of them. The Bendamustine Hydrochloride 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

Apricot Kernel monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Bendamustine Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Bendamustine Hydrochloride supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Bendamustine Hydrochloride, 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 11 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Bendamustine Hydrochloride and Apricot Kernel?

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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.