Drug & supplement interaction

Bifidobacterium Bifidum + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine 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 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

Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine

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 Gemcitabine and Bifidobacterium Bifidum 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.

Bifidobacterium Bifidum safety at a glance

Bifidobacterium Bi... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy people, but those with weakened immune systems should be cautious.
Pregnancy Possibly Safe When Bifidobacterium bifidum is used orally and appropriately, short-term. A combination of B. bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lacticaseibacillus casei... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Use caution Likely low risk but not well studied, so consult your doctor or pharmacist first.

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 Gemcitabine and Bifidobacterium Bifidum? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Gemcitabine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications — antineoplastics, hepatotoxic drugs. Bifidobacterium Bifidum has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antibiotic drugs (moderate) — and none of Gemcitabine’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.

Keep it in perspective

Bifidobacterium Bifidum Does Interact With Other Medications

Bifidobacterium Bifidum has 182 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bifidobacterium Bifidum

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine 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.

  • Fever / Vomiting reported in 4.9% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine Additional detail

    Bifidobacterium Bifidum

    “Bloating and flatulence have been reported with probiotic use; however, these adverse effects have not been reported from ingestion of Bifidobacterium bifidum in particular. One case of vomiting and fever has been reported in a clinical study for a single child taking B. bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus. It is unclear if the probiotics were the causal agent.”

    Bifidobacterium Bifidum · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in flatulence.

    1 source cited
    1. 90286. Rerksuppaphol S, Rerksuppaphol L. Randomized controlled trial of probiotics to reduce common cold in schoolchildren. Pediatr Int. 2012;54(5):682-7. PubMed

    Gemcitabine

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

Reported for Bifidobacterium Bifidum but not commonly for Gemcitabine: bloating or gas and a higher chance of infection.

Effects for Gemcitabine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Bifidobacterium Bifidum come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 53,020 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gemcitabine 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.

Special populations

Bifidobacterium Bifidum in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Safe

When Bifidobacterium bifidum is used orally and appropriately, short-term. A combination of B. bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lacticaseibacillus casei has been used with apparent safety for 6 weeks starting at 24-28 weeks' gestation.

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 Gemcitabine Is Prescribed For, and What Bifidobacterium Bifidum Has Been Studied For

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

Gemcitabine is prescribed for: Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug). It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Bifidobacterium Bifidum has been studied for:

  • Cancer studied, not established Bifidobacterium Bifidum has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Bifidobacterium Bifidum for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral Bifidobacterium bifidum for cancer prevention or treatment, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of B. bifidum for this condition.

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 Gemcitabine on your own; if you are taking Bifidobacterium Bifidum 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 Gemcitabine

This page covers Bifidobacterium Bifidum only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 3,041 real supplement products containing Bifidobacterium Bifidum, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bifidobacterium Bifidum. Even though Bifidobacterium Bifidum itself has no known interaction with Gemcitabine, 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gemcitabine
Steady interest

#2,203 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum

What is Bifidobacterium Bifidum?

  • Digestive health and regularity
  • Diarrhea (including antibiotic-related)
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
  • Supporting gut and immune balance
  • Infant gut health

Bifidobacterium bifidum is a 'friendly' bacteria (probiotic) that naturally lives in the human gut and is taken to support digestion and gut balance. Some evidence suggests probiotics may help with certain types of diarrhea and digestive discomfort, but results vary by strain and condition. It is generally well tolerated in healthy people, but anyone who is seriously ill or has a weakened immune system should check with a doctor first.

Bifidobacterium bifidum · Bifidobacteriaceae · Live bacterial cells (probiotic culture) · Capsules, tablets, powders, sachets, chewables, and fermented dairy products; often combined with other probiotic strains

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

Bifidobacterium Bifidum: dosing

There is no single standardized dose of B. bifidum. Probiotic amounts are usually measured in colony-forming units (CFU), and products commonly range from millions to many billions of CFU per serving.The best amount depends on the specific product and the reason you are taking it. Take it consistently, and give it a few weeks to judge whether it helps.

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

Read the full Bifidobacterium Bifidum monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug).

It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gemcitabine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (53,020 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 4,850 reports
Thrombocytopenia 3,706 reports
Neutropenia 3,295 reports
Anemia 3,084 reports
Malignant neoplasm progression 2,912 reports
See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bifidobacterium Bifidum

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

0Major
182Moderate
0Minor
2,647No known interaction
Moderate

182 interactions

Showing 60 of 182 moderate interactions — see all 182 on the Bifidobacterium Bifidum page.

No interaction 2,647 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Bifidobacterium Bifidum References

The 7 references that drive our Bifidobacterium Bifidum 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. Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1999:19.
  2. Xiao JZ, Takahashi S, Odamaki T, et al. Antibiotic susceptibility of bifidobacterial strains distributed in the Japanese market. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(2):336-42. PubMed
  3. Rerksuppaphol S, Rerksuppaphol L. Randomized controlled trial of probiotics to reduce common cold in schoolchildren. Pediatr Int. 2012;54(5):682-7. PubMed
  4. Karamali M, Dadkhah F, Sadrkhanlou M, et al. Effects of probiotic supplementation on glycaemic control and lipid profiles in gestational diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Metab 2016;42(4):234-41. PubMed
  5. Badehnoosh B, Karamali M, Zarrati M, et al. The effects of probiotic supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 May;31(9):1128-1136.
  6. Pruccoli G, Silvestro E, Pace Napoleone C, Aidala E, Garazzino S, Scolfaro C. Are probiotics safe? Bifidobacterium bacteremia in a child with severe heart failure. Infez Med. 2019;27(2):175-178.
  7. Esaiassen E, Hjerde E, Cavanagh JP, Simonsen GS, Klingenberg C; Norwegian Study Group on Invasive Bifidobacterial Infections. Bifidobacterium bacteremia: Clinical characteristics and a genomic approach to assess pathogenicity. J Clin Microbiol. 2017;55(7) 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.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Bifidobacterium Bifidum with Gemcitabine?
We do not list a known interaction between Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine. 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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.
Are Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine 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 Bifidobacterium Bifidum in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Gemcitabine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Gemcitabine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications, and Bifidobacterium Bifidum has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Gemcitabine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Bifidobacterium Bifidum interact with any other medications?
Yes. Bifidobacterium Bifidum has 182 documented drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Gemcitabine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gemcitabine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Bifidobacterium Bifidum is not one of them. The Gemcitabine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Gemcitabine and Bifidobacterium Bifidum?

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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.