Drug & supplement interaction

Black Seed + Antithrombin III

Antithrombin III brand name: Thrombate III.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Black Seed has a moderate interaction with Antithrombin III. Theoretically, black seed may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Black Seed and Antithrombin III

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Antithrombin III

Antithrombin III falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Black Seed interacts with.

Theoretically, black seed may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro and animal research suggests that black seed extract can inhibit platelet aggregation and clotting, and increase bleeding time. In addition, decreased platelet counts have occurred in a human case report and in animal research.
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

Antithrombin III (Thrombate III) is a clotting protein given by IV to help prevent dangerous clots, often around surgery or in people born with low antithrombin levels. Because its whole job is to make your blood less likely to clot, anything else that thins the blood can add to that effect. That's where black seed comes in.

The concern here is mostly theoretical, based on lab and animal studies plus a rare case report. In those studies, black seed seemed to slow platelets and clotting and lengthen bleeding time. So in plain terms, pairing it with Antithrombin III could nudge your bleeding risk a little higher, think easy bruising, nosebleeds, or longer bleeding from a cut. Food-amount spice is unlikely to matter, but please clear concentrated black seed supplements with your doctor first.

References
  1. Enomoto, S., Asano, R., Iwahori, Y., Narui, T., Okada, Y., Singab, A. N., and Okuyama, T. Hematological studies on black cumin oil from the seeds of Nigella sativa L. Biol.Pharm.Bull 2001;24(3):307-310. PubMed
  2. Al Jishi, S. A. and Abuo, Hozaifa B. Effect of Nigella sativa on blood hemostatic function in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003;85(1):7-14. PubMed
  3. Awad, E. M. and Binder, B. R. In vitro induction of endothelial cell fibrinolytic alterations by Nigella sativa. Phytomedicine 2005;12(3):194-202. PubMed
  4. Wang X, Jiang A, Batra V. Severe thrombocytopenia associated with black seed oil and evening primrose oil. Cureus. 2020;12(6):e8390. PubMed
  5. Alkharfy K, Jan B, Alotaibi K, et al. Clopidogrel-herb Interactions: A Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Assessment in a Rat Model. Curr Drug Metab 2021;22(12):969-977. 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

Black Seed Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Seed has 911 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Antithrombin III one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Seed

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Black Seed or Antithrombin III

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

This page covers Black Seed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Antithrombin III page lists 218 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate) and Allspice (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 190 moderate · 25 minor.

Open the Antithrombin III interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 226 real supplement products containing Black Seed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Seed. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Antithrombin III too, on top of Black Seed — 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 Black Seed and Antithrombin III 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 Seed
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Antithrombin III
Steady interest

#1,442 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 Seed

What is Black Seed?

Black Seed
  • Respiratory support (asthma, allergies, cough)
  • Digestive upset
  • Immune support
  • Blood sugar and cholesterol support
  • General inflammation

Black seed (Nigella sativa) is a traditional spice and remedy that has been studied for asthma, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, with early research showing some promise but no firmly proven benefits. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but supplement-strength doses are less studied, so talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it—especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Black Seed monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Seed

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

0Major
911Moderate
0Minor
1,918No known interaction
Moderate

911 interactions

Showing 60 of 911 moderate interactions — see all 911 on the Black Seed page.

No interaction 1,918 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Black Seed and Antithrombin III Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Seed with Antithrombin III?
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 Seed and Antithrombin III 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

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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.