Drug & supplement interaction

Atractylodes + Tamoxifen Citrate

Tamoxifen Citrate brand names: Nolvadex, Soltamox.

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

Atractylodes has a minor interaction with Tamoxifen Citrate. Theoretically, atractylodes might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

Atractylodes and Tamoxifen Citrate

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Tamoxifen Citrate

Tamoxifen Citrate falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Atractylodes interacts with.

Theoretically, atractylodes might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In animals, atractylodes administered at high doses has been shown to inhibit CYP3A1 activity, which is a homolog to the human CYP3A4 enzyme. This effect has not been shown in humans.
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 wrinkle with tamoxifen: it's actually a prodrug. Your liver has to convert it into its active form (mostly through an enzyme called CYP2D6) before it can do its cancer-fighting job. The enzyme this interaction talks about, CYP3A4, also plays a role in processing tamoxifen. If atractylodes slowed that enzyme down, it could shift how much active drug you end up with.

The honest truth, though, is that this is very theoretical. The slowing was only seen in animals given high doses, and it has never been shown in people. It's rated minor for a reason. Still, because tamoxifen needs the right balance to protect against breast cancer, I'd run any atractylodes supplement past your oncologist or pharmacist first rather than guess.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Muhamad N, Plengsuriyakarn T, Na-Bangchang K. Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma: Modulatory effects on CYP1A2 and CYP3A1 and pharmacokinetics in rats and biodistribution in mice. PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277614. 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

Atractylodes Also Interacts With Other Medications

Atractylodes has 127 moderate, 673 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tamoxifen Citrate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 127 Minor 673 No known interaction 2,030 (incl. Tamoxifen Citrate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Atractylodes

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Atractylodes or Tamoxifen Citrate

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

This page covers Atractylodes only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tamoxifen Citrate page lists 210 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 11 major · 166 moderate · 33 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tamoxifen Citrate page

“Tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) often stands between a breast cancer patient and a recurrence, so the stakes on this page run higher than usual. Eleven of the 210 supplements and herbs on file carry a major rating, and those eleven deserve your attention ahead of everything else.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tamoxifen Citrate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 691 real supplement products containing Atractylodes, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Atractylodes. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tamoxifen Citrate too, on top of Atractylodes — 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 Atractylodes and Tamoxifen Citrate 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 Atractylodes
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tamoxifen Citrate
Top 25%

#335 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 Atractylodes

What is Atractylodes?

Atractylodes
  • Digestive upset and poor appetite
  • Bloating and fluid retention
  • General fatigue or 'weakness'
  • Diarrhea
  • Support within traditional formulas

Atractylodes is a root used for centuries in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai medicine, mostly for digestive complaints and fatigue, often as part of multi-herb formulas. Modern research is still early and mostly from lab and animal studies, so its true benefits in people are not well proven. If you want to try it, talk with a pharmacist or doctor first, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Atractylodes monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tamoxifen

What Is Tamoxifen Used For?

Brand names: Nolvadex, Soltamox

Tamoxifen is used to treat estrogen receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in both women and men, and as follow-up (adjuvant) therapy after surgery for early-stage breast cancer in women. It also reduces the occurrence of cancer in the opposite breast when used as adjuvant therapy.

In women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS — an early, non-invasive breast change) following surgery and radiation, tamoxifen lowers the risk of developing invasive breast cancer. It is also approved to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are at high risk but have not yet been diagnosed. Both Tamoxifen Citrate tablets and Soltamox oral solution share these indications.

See full Tamoxifen drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Atractylodes

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

0Major
127Moderate
673Minor
2,029No known interaction
127 Moderate 673 Minor 2,029 No interaction
Moderate

127 interactions

Showing 60 of 127 moderate interactions — see all 127 on the Atractylodes page.

Minor

673 interactions

Showing 60 of 673 minor interactions — see all 673 on the Atractylodes page.

No interaction 2,029 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,029 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Atractylodes list.

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

Can you take Atractylodes with Tamoxifen Citrate?
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 Atractylodes and Tamoxifen Citrate 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 Tamoxifen Citrate and Atractylodes?

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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.