Drug & supplement interaction

Black Seed + Nintedanib Esylate

Nintedanib Esylate brand name: Ofev.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Black Seed has a moderate interaction with Nintedanib Esylate. 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 Nintedanib Esylate

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Nintedanib Esylate

Nintedanib Esylate 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

Here's the thing to keep an eye on with Ofev (nintedanib): this medicine already carries its own bleeding risk on its own. It can lower platelet counts and make bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding harder to stop. Black seed appears to do something similar, slowing down how your platelets clump together and stick to form clots. Stack the two together and you may tip the scales toward easier bleeding.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. The black seed concern comes mostly from lab and animal studies, plus a single human report, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Small amounts used as a cooking spice are unlikely to matter. Concentrated supplement doses are the bigger question mark. Before adding a black seed supplement, please check with your pharmacist or doctor, and tell them about any unusual bruising or bleeding.

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 Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate

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 Nintedanib Esylate, 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 Nintedanib Esylate

This page covers Black Seed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nintedanib Esylate page lists 285 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nintedanib Esylate page

“You take Ofev (nintedanib) to slow lung scarring, and this page deserves a careful read before any supplement joins it. Of the 285 ingredients here, the biggest cluster, over 200, can add to bleeding risk, a real concern since nintedanib itself can make you bleed more easily.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nintedanib Esylate
Top half

#1,055 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
Medication

About Nintedanib

What Is Nintedanib Used For?

Brand name: Ofev

Nintedanib capsules are approved for adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) — a chronic, progressive scarring of the lungs — and for adults with chronic fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with a progressive phenotype, meaning fibrosing lung diseases that continue to worsen over time despite treatment.

Nintedanib capsules (including Ofev) are also indicated to slow the rate of decline in lung function in adults with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), a lung complication of the autoimmune condition systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Note that the Nintedanib esylate capsule product is approved for IPF and chronic fibrosing ILDs with a progressive phenotype, but SSc-ILD approval is carried by Ofev and other nintedanib capsule products — always confirm with your prescriber which product you have been prescribed.

See full Nintedanib drug information
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 Nintedanib Esylate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Seed with Nintedanib Esylate?
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 Nintedanib Esylate 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 Nintedanib Esylate and Black Seed?

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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.