Drug & supplement interaction

Cassia Cinnamon + nilotinib

nilotinib brand name: Tasigna.

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

Cassia Cinnamon has a moderate interaction with nilotinib. Theoretically, large doses of cassia cinnamon might cause additive effects when used with hepatotoxic drugs.

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

Cassia Cinnamon and nilotinib

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to nilotinib

nilotinib falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Cassia Cinnamon interacts with.

Theoretically, large doses of cassia cinnamon might cause additive effects when used with hepatotoxic drugs.
There is some concern that ingesting large amounts of cassia cinnamon for an extended duration might cause hepatotoxicity in some people. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which can cause hepatotoxicity in animal models. In humans, very high doses of coumarin from 50-7000 mg/day can result in hepatotoxicity that resolves when coumarin use is discontinued. Lower amounts might also cause liver problems in sensitive people, such as those with liver disease or those taking potentially hepatotoxic agents.
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 know about pairing cassia cinnamon with nilotinib (Tasigna): this isn't about cinnamon changing how your body activates or clears the drug. Nilotinib is already known to be tough on the liver, which is why your oncologist checks your liver enzymes regularly. Cassia cinnamon naturally contains coumarin, and in large supplement-sized amounts taken for a long time, coumarin can stress the liver too. The worry is that the two together could add up and tax your liver more than either one alone.

This is a theoretical concern based on how these compounds behave, not proven cases. Watch for signs like yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, unusual tiredness, or belly pain, and report them. Cinnamon in your food is no big deal. Before using high-dose cinnamon supplements, check with your pharmacist or oncologist.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Press release. Cinnamon capsules to reduce blood sugar are medicinal products! Efficacy has not been scientifically proven - some products contain high levels of coumarin. Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfM), Germany, November 11, 2006. Available a
  2. Felter SP, Vassallo JD, Carlton BD, Daston GP. A safety assessment of coumarin taking into account species-specificity of toxicokinetics. Food Chem Toxicol 2006;44:462-75. PubMed
  3. Choi, J., Lee, K. T., Ka, H., Jung, W. T., Jung, H. J., and Park, H. J. Constituents of the essential oil of the Cinnamomum cassia stem bark and the biological properties. Arch Pharm Res 2001;24(5):418-423.
  4. Brancheau D, Patel B, Zughaib M. Do cinnamon supplements cause acute hepatitis? Am J Case Rep 2015;16:250-4. 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

Cassia Cinnamon Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cassia Cinnamon has 441 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the nilotinib one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 441 No known interaction 2,389 (incl. nilotinib)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cassia Cinnamon

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With nilotinib

This page covers Cassia Cinnamon only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the nilotinib page lists 221 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 11 major · 176 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the nilotinib page

“Nilotinib (Tasigna) is a targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia, cleared by the liver enzyme CYP3A4 and known to affect heart rhythm, so its supplement list calls for genuine care. Eleven of the 221 ingredients here carry a major rating, and those belong at the top of your reading.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the nilotinib interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Cassia Cinnamon as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 3,249 real supplement products containing Cassia Cinnamon, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cassia Cinnamon. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with nilotinib too, on top of Cassia Cinnamon — 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 Cassia Cinnamon and nilotinib 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 Cassia Cinnamon
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication nilotinib
Top half

#1,235 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 Cassia Cinnamon

What is Cassia Cinnamon?

Cassia Cinnamon
  • Blood sugar support
  • Digestive upset
  • Antioxidant support
  • Flavoring and culinary use
  • Antimicrobial

Cassia cinnamon is the common, inexpensive cinnamon used in cooking, and it is also taken as a supplement, most often for blood sugar support. The evidence for its health benefits is mixed and far from proven, and because cassia is naturally high in coumarin, taking large amounts regularly may stress the liver. Use food amounts freely, but talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using high-dose supplements.

Read the full Cassia Cinnamon monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nilotinib

What Is Nilotinib Used For?

Brand name: Tasigna

  • Nilotinib is used to treat certain types of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; a type of cancer of the white blood cells) who have recently found to have this condition in adults and children 1 year of age and older. It is also used to treat certain types of CML in adults whose disease could not be treated successfully with imatinib (Gleevec) or adults who cannot take imatinib because of side effects. Nilotinib is also used to treat certain types of CML in children 1 year of age or older whose disease could not be treated successfully with other tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies or who cannot take these medications because of side effects. Nilotinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps to stop or slow the spread of cancer cells.

See full Nilotinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cassia Cinnamon

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

0Major
441Moderate
0Minor
2,388No known interaction
441 Moderate 2,388 No interaction
Moderate

441 interactions

Showing 60 of 441 moderate interactions — see all 441 on the Cassia Cinnamon page.

No interaction 2,388 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,388 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cassia Cinnamon list.

See the full Cassia Cinnamon interactions page
See every supplement checked against nilotinib, 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
Cassia Cinnamon monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place nilotinib supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against nilotinib, ranked by severity Nilotinib 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 Cassia Cinnamon and nilotinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cassia Cinnamon with nilotinib?
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 Cassia Cinnamon and nilotinib 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 nilotinib and Cassia Cinnamon?

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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.