Drug & supplement interaction

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) + Sargramostim

Sargramostim brand name: Leukine.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim 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

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim

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 Sargramostim and Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) 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.

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) safety at a glance

Branched-chain Ami... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy adults at typical supplement doses, but not appropriate for everyone.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid supplemental doses during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid supplemental doses while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Sargramostim and Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
Keep it in perspective

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) Does Interact With Other Medications

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) has 5 major, 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sargramostim 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa). Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

    “Orally, a single case of hypertension following the use of BCAAs has been reported.”

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hypertension.

    1 source cited
    1. 37143. Long-term oral administration of branched chain amino acids after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective randomized trial. The San-in Group of Liver Surgery. Br.J Surg. 1997;84(11):1525-1531. PubMed

    Sargramostim

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sargramostim. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Tiredness reported in 5.6% of FDA reports for Sargramostim Additional detail

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

    “Orally and intravenously, BCAAs can cause fatigue and loss of motor coordination due to increased plasma ammonia levels. Short-term use of 60 grams of BCAAs containing leucine, isoleucine, and valine for 7 days in patients with normal metabolic function seems to increase levels of ammonia, but not to toxic plasma levels. However, liver function should be monitored with high doses or long-term use.”

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    5 sources cited
    1. 693. MacLean DA, Graham TE. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation augments plasma ammonia responses during exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol 1993;74:2711-7. PubMed
    2. 694. MacLean DA, Graham TE, Saltin B. Branched-chain amino acids augment ammonia metabolism while attenuating protein breakdown during exercise. Am J Physiol 1994;267:E1010-22.
    3. 10117. Scarna A, Gijsman HJ, McTavish SF, et al. Effects of a branched-chain amino acid drink in mania. Br J Psychiatry 2003;182:210-3.. PubMed
    4. 75. Institute of Medicine. The role of protein and amino acids in sustaining and enhancing performance. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309063469/html/309.html#pagetop DOI
    5. 681. Tandan R, Bromberg MB, Forshew D, et al. A controlled trial of amino acid therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: I. Clinical, functional, and maximum isometric torque data. Neurology 1996;47:1220-6. PubMed

    Sargramostim

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

  • Diarrhea / Nausea / Vomiting reported in 7.0% of FDA reports for Sargramostim Additional detail

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

    “Orally, BCAAs can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal distension. Nausea and diarrhea has been reported to occur in about 10% of people taking BCAAs.”

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 10117. Scarna A, Gijsman HJ, McTavish SF, et al. Effects of a branched-chain amino acid drink in mania. Br J Psychiatry 2003;182:210-3.. PubMed
    2. 37143. Long-term oral administration of branched chain amino acids after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective randomized trial. The San-in Group of Liver Surgery. Br.J Surg. 1997;84(11):1525-1531. PubMed
    3. 92643. Gluud LL, Dam G, Les I, et al. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;(9):CD001939. PubMed
    4. 97531. Gluud LL, Dam G, Les I, et al. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD001939. PubMed

    Sargramostim

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

  • Headache Additional detail

    Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

    Recorded for Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Tiredness above.

    Sargramostim

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sargramostim. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) but not commonly for Sargramostim: bloating or gas.

Effects for Sargramostim come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 1,675 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sargramostim 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.

How much people look this up

Where Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)
Steady interest

#1,326 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Sargramostim
Top half

#1,303 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

What is Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)?

  • Muscle building and exercise recovery
  • Reducing exercise fatigue
  • Preserving muscle during weight loss
  • Liver disease support
  • Tardive dyskinesia (under study)

Branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are essential nutrients commonly taken by athletes for muscle support and recovery. Evidence shows modest benefits for some uses, but a balanced protein source usually provides the same amino acids. They are generally well tolerated for most healthy adults, but check with your pharmacist or doctor before use, especially if you have a medical condition.

Powder, capsules, tablets, ready-to-drink beverages

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) record says about it on its own.

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa): dosing

There is no single official dose for BCAA supplements, and the amount used in studies has varied widely. Products differ in how much leucine, isoleucine, and valine they contain, and in the ratio between them.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended.

From our Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sargramostim

What Is Sargramostim Used For?

Brand name: Leukine

Leukine (sargramostim) is used in several serious medical situations where the body's white blood cell production has been knocked down. It is approved to speed up the recovery of infection-fighting neutrophils after chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults 55 and older, and to help bone marrow recover after autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplants in adults and children aged 2 and older.

Leukine is also used to mobilize stem cells from bone marrow into the bloodstream so they can be collected before an autologous transplant, and to treat delayed or failed bone marrow recovery after transplant. Additionally, Leukine is approved to improve survival in adults and children (from birth through age 17) who have been exposed to dangerously high doses of radiation (a condition called Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome, or H-ARS).

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sargramostim

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (1,675 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fever 153 reports
Nausea 118 reports
Dyspnea 110 reports
Hypotension 110 reports
Fatigue 94 reports
See full Sargramostim drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

5Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,738No known interaction
Major

5 interactions

Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) page.

No interaction 2,738 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) References

The 20 references that drive our Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) 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. Rosen HM, Yoshimura N, Hodgman JM, Fischer JE. Plasma amino acid patterns in hepatic encephalopathy of differing etiology. Gastroenterology 1977;72:483-7. DOI
  2. Institute of Medicine. The role of protein and amino acids in sustaining and enhancing performance. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999. Available at: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309063469/html/309.html#pagetop DOI
  3. Tandan R, Bromberg MB, Forshew D, et al. A controlled trial of amino acid therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: I. Clinical, functional, and maximum isometric torque data. Neurology 1996;47:1220-6. PubMed
  4. MacLean DA, Graham TE. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation augments plasma ammonia responses during exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol 1993;74:2711-7. PubMed
  5. MacLean DA, Graham TE, Saltin B. Branched-chain amino acids augment ammonia metabolism while attenuating protein breakdown during exercise. Am J Physiol 1994;267:E1010-22.
  6. DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, et al; eds. Pharmacotherapy: A pathophysiologic approach. 4th ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1999.
  7. Nutt JG, Woodward WR, Hammerstad JP, et al. The "on-off" phenomenon in Parkinson's disease. Relation to levodopa absorption and transport. N Engl J Med 1984;310:483-8. PubMed
  8. Baruzzi A, Contin M, Riva R, et al. Influence of meal ingestion time on pharmacokinetics of orally administered levodopa in parkinsonian patients. Clin Neuropharmacol 1987;10:527-37. PubMed
  9. Juncos JL, Fabbrini G, Mouradian MM, et al. Dietary influences on the antiparkinsonian response to levodopa. Arch Neurol 1987;44:1003-5. PubMed
  10. Eriksson T, Granerus AK, Linde A, et al. "On-off" phenomenon in Parkinson's disease: relationship between dopa and other large neutral amino acids in plasma. Neurology 1988;38:1245-8. PubMed
  11. Hutson SM, Harris RA. Introduction. Symposium: Leucine as a nutritional signal. J Nutr 2001;131:839S-40S.
  12. Kimball SR, Jefferson LS. Control of protein synthesis by amino acid availability. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2002;5:63-7.. PubMed
  13. Anthony JC, Lang CH, Crozier SJ, et al. Contribution of insulin to the translational control of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by leucine. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 282:E1092-101.. PubMed
  14. Kimball SR, Farrell PA, Jefferson LS. Invited review: Role of insulin in translational control of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by amino acids or excercise. J Appl Physiol 2002;93:1168-80..
  15. Scarna A, Gijsman HJ, McTavish SF, et al. Effects of a branched-chain amino acid drink in mania. Br J Psychiatry 2003;182:210-3.. 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) with Sargramostim?
We do not list a known interaction between Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim. 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 Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) and Sargramostim have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 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.
Does Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) interact with any other medications?
Yes. Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) has 91 documented drug interactions in our database — Sargramostim is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

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.