Drug & supplement interaction

Ashwagandha + Pirfenidone

Pirfenidone brand name: Esbriet.

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

Ashwagandha has a minor interaction with Pirfenidone. Theoretically, ashwagandha might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.

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

Ashwagandha and Pirfenidone

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Pirfenidone

Pirfenidone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Ashwagandha interacts with.

Theoretically, ashwagandha might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that ashwagandha extract induces CYP1A2 enzymes.
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 gist for Esbriet (pirfenidone). Your body clears this medicine using a liver enzyme called CYP1A2. Some early lab research suggests ashwagandha might rev up (induce) that same enzyme. If that happened in real people, your body could clear pirfenidone a little faster, which in theory might make it slightly less effective at slowing the lung scarring it's meant to treat. Pirfenidone is not a prodrug, so this is about possible weaker effect, not stronger side effects.

The honest part: this is a theoretical, minor interaction based only on test-tube studies, not on people taking both together. Still, since pirfenidone is an important medication, I'd run any ashwagandha plans past your pharmacist or doctor first before starting it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. 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

Ashwagandha Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ashwagandha has 916 moderate, 455 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Pirfenidone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 916 Minor 455 No known interaction 1,459 (incl. Pirfenidone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ashwagandha

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Ashwagandha or Pirfenidone

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

This page covers Ashwagandha only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pirfenidone page lists 115 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 80 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pirfenidone page

“Pirfenidone (Esbriet) slows the lung scarring of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and when a drug is doing that kind of work, this is not a list to skim. Most of the 115 ingredients on file touch CYP1A2, the liver enzyme that clears pirfenidone, so they can push its blood level up (more nausea and liver strain) or drag it down and quietl…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pirfenidone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,964 real supplement products containing Ashwagandha, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ashwagandha. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pirfenidone too, on top of Ashwagandha — 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 Ashwagandha and Pirfenidone 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 Ashwagandha
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pirfenidone
Top half

#786 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 Ashwagandha

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Sleep problems
  • Fatigue and low energy
  • Athletic performance
  • General well-being (adaptogen)

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb most often taken to help with stress, anxiety, and sleep, and some small studies suggest it may help, though the evidence is still limited. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use in healthy adults, but it should be avoided in pregnancy and used cautiously by people with thyroid or liver problems. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Read the full Ashwagandha monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pirfenidone

What Is Pirfenidone Used For?

Brand name: Esbriet

Pirfenidone — available as capsules and tablets under the brand name Esbriet, as well as generic pirfenidone products — is indicated for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic, progressive disease in which scar tissue builds up in the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult.

Esbriet capsules and tablets, pirfenidone capsules, and pirfenidone tablets are each specifically approved for IPF. No other uses are supported by the available product labels.

See full Pirfenidone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ashwagandha

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

0Major
916Moderate
455Minor
1,458No known interaction
916 Moderate 455 Minor 1,458 No interaction
Moderate

916 interactions

Showing 60 of 916 moderate interactions — see all 916 on the Ashwagandha page.

Minor

455 interactions

Showing 60 of 455 minor interactions — see all 455 on the Ashwagandha page.

No interaction 1,458 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,458 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ashwagandha list.

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

Can you take Ashwagandha with Pirfenidone?
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 Ashwagandha and Pirfenidone 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 Pirfenidone and Ashwagandha?

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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.