Drug & supplement interaction

Black Hoof Mushroom + Thalidomide

Thalidomide brand name: Thalomid.

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

Black Hoof Mushroom has a moderate interaction with Thalidomide. Theoretically, black hoof mushroom might reduce the effects of immunosuppressant medications.

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

Black Hoof Mushroom and Thalidomide

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Thalidomide

Thalidomide falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Black Hoof Mushroom interacts with.

Theoretically, black hoof mushroom might reduce the effects of immunosuppressant medications.
In animal research, polysaccharides from black hoof mushroom and black hoof mushroom extract stimulate immune responses.
Severity Moderate 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 thing to keep in mind with this pairing. Black Hoof Mushroom seems to rev up the immune system in lab and animal studies, while Thalidomide works partly by calming or modulating certain immune signals. So in theory, taking the mushroom could nudge your immune system in the opposite direction and make Thalidomide work less well for what you're treating, whether that's multiple myeloma or those painful ENL skin flares from leprosy.

I want to be honest with you: this is a theoretical concern based on how the mushroom behaves in animals, not proven in people. We don't have human data showing it actually weakens Thalidomide. Still, since Thalidomide is a serious drug, please loop in your oncologist or pharmacist before adding this supplement rather than starting it on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Song, K. S., Cho, S. M., Lee, J. H., Kim, H. M., Han, S. B., Ko, K. S., and Yoo, I. D. B-lymphocyte-stimulating polysaccharide from mushroom Phellinus linteus. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1995;43(12):2105-2108. PubMed
  2. Matsuba, S., Matsuno, H., Sakuma, M., and Komatsu, Y. Phellinus linteus Extract Augments the Immune Response in Mitomycin C-Induced Immunodeficient Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2008;5(1):85-90.
  3. Kim, G. Y., Roh, S. I., Park, S. K., Ahn, S. C., Oh, Y. H., Lee, J. D., and Park, Y. M. Alleviation of experimental septic shock in mice by acidic polysaccharide isolated from the medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus. Biol Pharm Bull 2003;26(10):1418-1423 PubMed
  4. Oh, G. S., Lee, M. S., Pae, H. O., Kwon, J., Lee, S. S., Jeong, J. G., Shin, M. K., Kwon, T. O., and Chung, H. T. Effects of oral administration of Phellinus linteus on the production of Th1- and Th2-type cytokines in mice. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2
  5. Kim, G. Y., Lee, J. Y., Lee, J. O., Ryu, C. H., Choi, B. T., Jeong, Y. K., Lee, K. W., Jeong, S. C., and Choi, Y. H. Partial characterization and immunostimulatory effect of a novel polysaccharide-protein complex extracted from Phellinus linteus. Biosci B

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

Black Hoof Mushroom Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Hoof Mushroom has 307 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Thalidomide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 307 No known interaction 2,523 (incl. Thalidomide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Hoof Mushroom

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Thalidomide

This page covers Black Hoof Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Thalidomide page lists 70 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate) and Andrographis (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 59 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Thalidomide page

“Thalidomide (Thalomid) works in part by quieting the immune system, which is exactly why most of the supplements on this page concern me. The large majority are herbs and extracts marketed as immune boosters, astragalus being one familiar example, and their theoretical effect is to push back against what thalidomide is trying to accomp…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Thalidomide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Black Hoof Mushroom and Thalidomide 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 Black Hoof Mushroom
Steady interest

#1,420 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Thalidomide
Top half

#762 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 Black Hoof Mushroom

What is Black Hoof Mushroom?

Black Hoof Mushroom
  • Immune system support
  • Antioxidant support
  • General wellness
  • Traditional cancer-supportive use
  • Inflammation

Black Hoof Mushroom (Phellinus linteus) is a medicinal mushroom long used in East Asian traditional medicine, mainly for immune support. Most of the supporting evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies, and high-quality human research is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a health condition or take other medicines.

Read the full Black Hoof Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Thalidomide

What Is Thalidomide Used For?

Brand name: Thalomid

Thalomid (thalidomide capsules) is approved for two uses. First, it is used in combination with dexamethasone to treat newly diagnosed multiple myeloma — a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow.

Second, Thalomid is used on its own to treat the skin symptoms of moderate to severe erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), a painful inflammatory reaction that can occur in people with leprosy. It can also be used as ongoing maintenance therapy to prevent ENL from coming back. Note: Thalomid is not approved as the sole treatment for ENL when moderate to severe nerve inflammation (neuritis) is also present.

See full Thalidomide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Hoof Mushroom

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

0Major
307Moderate
0Minor
2,522No known interaction
307 Moderate 2,522 No interaction
Moderate

307 interactions

Showing 60 of 307 moderate interactions — see all 307 on the Black Hoof Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,522 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,522 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Black Hoof Mushroom list.

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

Can you take Black Hoof Mushroom with Thalidomide?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Black Hoof Mushroom and Thalidomide interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Thalidomide and Black Hoof Mushroom?

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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.