Banana + Erlotinib
Erlotinib brand name: Tarceva.
We found no known interaction between Banana and Erlotinib 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 Erlotinib 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.
Banana and Erlotinib
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 Erlotinib and Banana 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.
Banana safety at a glance
Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.
Why No Interaction Is Listed for Erlotinib
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Erlotinib is filed under 2 classifications — including oral drugs. Banana has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being levodopa (moderate) — and none of Erlotinib’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.
Banana Does Interact With Other Medications
Banana has 5 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Erlotinib isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.
Check Another of Your Medications Against Banana
We haven’t checked that one against Banana yet — ask our pharmacists directly.
Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Banana. Pick one to open its full report.
Some Erlotinib Products Have a Food Rule — Banana Should Not Break It
At least one FDA label for a product containing Erlotinib says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Banana included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Erlotinib on its own and move Banana to a meal later in the day.
This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Erlotinib 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.
Recommended Dose – NSCLC The recommended daily dose of erlotinib tablets for NSCLC is 150 mg taken on an empty stomach, i.e., at least one hour before or two hours after the ingestion of food.
From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Erlotinib — 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.
What Erlotinib Is Prescribed For, and What Banana Has Been Studied For
These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Erlotinib is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Banana is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.
Erlotinib is prescribed for: Erlotinib tablets are used to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors carry specific gene changes — EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations — confirmed by an FDA-approved test. It can be used as a first-line treatment, as maintenance therapy, or after at least one prior chemotherapy has stopped working. Erlotinib tablets are also used for the first-line treatment of locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic pancreatic cancer — but only in combination with another chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine. Erlotinib is not recommended alongside platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.
Banana has been studied for:
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Cancer studied, not established Banana has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows
Banana for cancer
Although there has been interest in using topical banana green fruit for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of banana for this purpose.
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 Erlotinib on your own; if you are taking Banana for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.
See Every Supplement That Interacts With Erlotinib
This page covers Banana only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Erlotinib page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.
The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Bilberry (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate) and Glucomannan (moderate).
By severity: 1 major · 8 moderate · 9 minor.
From our pharmacist’s overview on the Erlotinib page
“Activated charcoal is the entry I would flag first for anyone taking erlotinib (Tarceva), an oral targeted therapy for certain lung cancers. Charcoal can adsorb the drug in the gut and cut how much reaches the bloodstream, and with a cancer pill, less absorbed means less cancer fought.”
Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026
Taking Banana as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions
We hold 985 real supplement products containing Banana, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Banana. Even though Banana itself has no known interaction with Erlotinib, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:
Where Banana and Erlotinib 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.
#272 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days
#2,520 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days
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 Banana reference on this page ↓
- Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Banana and Erlotinib 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.
About Banana
What is Banana?
- Source of potassium and energy
- Digestive health and diarrhea
- Blood pressure support
- Heartburn and stomach ulcers (traditional)
- Weight management
Bananas are a nutritious, widely eaten fruit that provide potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, and quick energy, and they are part of a healthy diet. While some traditional uses (like easing diarrhea or supporting blood pressure) have plausible support, most specific health claims are not strongly proven. For most people bananas are a safe food, but those with kidney problems or a latex-fruit allergy should be cautious.
Musa acuminata · Musaceae · Fruit (most common); peel, flower, and leaves are also used in some traditions · Fresh fruit, dried banana, banana powder, green (unripe) banana flour, smoothies
An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Banana is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Banana record says about it on its own.
Banana: dosing
There is no official medicinal dose for bananas. As a food, one to a few bananas per day fits easily into a healthy diet for most people.For banana supplements, powders, or green banana flour, a standardized dose has not been established.
From our Banana monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.
About Erlotinib
What Is Erlotinib Used For?
Brand name: Tarceva
Erlotinib tablets are used to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors carry specific gene changes — EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations — confirmed by an FDA-approved test. It can be used as a first-line treatment, as maintenance therapy, or after at least one prior chemotherapy has stopped working.
Erlotinib tablets are also used for the first-line treatment of locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic pancreatic cancer — but only in combination with another chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine. Erlotinib is not recommended alongside platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.
Most-Reported Side Effects for Erlotinib
From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (12,441 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.
Other Drugs & Banana
Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Banana — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.
No drugs match “”.
5 interactions
No interaction 2,824 drugs checked — show the list
We also checked Banana against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.
- Apixaban ›
- Amlodipine ›
- Levothyroxine ›
- Methylphenidate ›
- Warfarin ›
- Abemaciclib ›
- Ivermectin ›
- Testosterone ›
- Sertraline ›
- Acetaminophen ›
- Losartan Potassium ›
- Aspirin ›
- Rosuvastatin ›
- Metoprolol ›
- Escitalopram ›
- Clopidogrel ›
- Rivaroxaban ›
- Atorvastatin ›
- Methamphetamine ›
- Tirzepatide ›
- Isotretinoin ›
- Warfarin Sodium ›
- Ibuprofen ›
- Docusate ›
- Sumatriptan ›
- Amlodipine Besylate ›
- Valacyclovir ›
- Tadalafil ›
- Hydroxyurea ›
- Prednisone ›
- Semaglutide ›
- Metformin ›
- Lisdexamfetamine ›
- Amitriptyline ›
- Propranolol ›
- Amphetamine ›
- Methotrexate ›
- Amoxicillin ›
- Lisinopril ›
- Levothyroxine, Liothyronine ›
- Bupropion ›
- Fluoxetine ›
- Bendamustine ›
- Doxycycline ›
- Azithromycin ›
- Pregabalin ›
- Lamotrigine ›
- Dextroamphetamine ›
- Acyclovir ›
- Gabapentin ›
- Naproxen ›
- Quetiapine ›
- Clonazepam ›
- Buspirone ›
- Omeprazole ›
- Duloxetine ›
- Letrozole ›
- Acetaminophen, Codeine ›
- Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine ›
- Citalopram ›
Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,824 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banana list.
Banana References
The 11 references that drive our Banana 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.
- Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Francisco-Luria MU, Córdova-Uscanga R, Rodríguez-Hernández A, Méndez JD, Díaz-Zagoya JC. Effects of native banana starch supplementation on body weight and insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetics. Int J Environ PubMed
- Jiménez-Domínguez G, Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Juárez-Rojop IE, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Ble-Castillo DJ, García-Vázquez C, Olvera-Hernández V, Pérez-Pimienta B, Diaz-Zagoya JC, Mendez JD. Effects of Acute Ingestion of Native Banana Starch on Glycem
- Nieman DC, Gillitt ND, Sha W, et al. Metabolomics-Based Analysis of Banana and Pear Ingestion on Exercise Performance and Recovery. J Proteome Res 2015;14(12):5367-77. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00909. PubMed
- Rabbani GH, Ahmed S, Hossain I, Islam R, Marni F, Akhtar M, Majid N. Green banana reduces clinical severity of childhood shigellosis: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009 May;28(5):420-5. PubMed
- Schoeffl V, Varatorn R, Blinnikov O, Vidamaly V. Intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoars of banana seeds: a case report. Asian J Surg. 2004 Oct;27(4):348-51. PubMed
- Don M, Longo G. Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome due to banana: an uncommon entity. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Apr;45(2):61-2.
- Tazoe M, Narita M, Sakuta R, Nagai T, Narita N. Hyperkalemia and hyperdopaminemia induced by an obsessive eating of banana in an anorexia nervosa adolescent. Brain Dev. 2007 Jul;29(6):369-72. PubMed
- Meynadier J, Meynadier JM, Guilhou JJ. [Contact urticaria in atopic patients. Apropos of 2 cases]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 1982;109(10):871-4.
- Hauswirth DW, Burks AW. Banana anaphylaxis with a negative commercial skin test. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Mar;115(3):632-3. PubMed
- Hotozuka S, Yasu T, Hikita E, Shirota M. Interaction Between Levodopa and Banana in a Patient With Parkinson's Disease. Am J Ther 2022;29(4):465-467. PubMed
- Arias-Córdova Y, Ble-Castillo JL, García-Vázquez C, et al. Resistant Starch Consumption Effects on Glycemic Control and Glycemic Variability in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Study. Nutrients 2021;13(11):4052. PubMed
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.
Taking Banana and Erlotinib Together: Common Questions
Is it safe to take Banana with Erlotinib?
Do Banana and Erlotinib have any of the same side effects?
Should I take Banana and Erlotinib at the same time of day?
Are Banana and Erlotinib used for the same thing?
How was the Banana and Erlotinib combination checked?
Does Banana interact with any other medications?
Does Erlotinib interact with any supplements?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
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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.