Drug & supplement interaction

Chaga + Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine brand names: Neoral, Gengraf, Sandimmune, Ciclosporine, Cequa, and others.

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

Chaga has a moderate interaction with Cyclosporine. Theoretically, chaga might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.

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

Chaga and Cyclosporine

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Chaga interacts with.

Theoretically, chaga might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.
In vitro research suggests that certain constituents of chaga stimulate immune function. This has not been reported in humans.
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 about cyclosporine: its whole job is to calm down your immune system so your transplanted organ isn't attacked, or so an overactive condition like psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis settles down. Chaga, on the other hand, is often taken to boost immune activity. You can see how those two goals could work against each other.

The concern here is mostly theoretical. In lab (test tube) studies, some chaga compounds revved up immune cells, but this has not actually been shown to happen in people. Still, because cyclosporine is a finicky drug where even small shifts matter, I'd play it safe. If chaga nudged your immune system back up, you could lose some of the medicine's protective effect. Please check with your transplant team or pharmacist before adding chaga.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kim YO, Han SB, Lee HW, et al. Immuno-stimulating effect of the endo-polysaccharide produced by submerged culture of Inonotus obliquus. Life Sci 2005;77(19):2438-56. 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

Chaga Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chaga has 326 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cyclosporine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 326 No known interaction 2,504 (incl. Cyclosporine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chaga

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Chaga or Cyclosporine

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

This page covers Chaga only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cyclosporine page lists 229 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Berberine (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 182 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cyclosporine page

“Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf) keeps a transplanted organ from being rejected, and small shifts in its blood level can tip you toward rejection on one side or toxicity on the other. So approach these 229 interacting supplements with real care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cyclosporine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 889 real supplement products containing Chaga, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chaga. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cyclosporine too, on top of Chaga — 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 Chaga and Cyclosporine 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 Chaga
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cyclosporine
Top 25%

#601 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 Chaga

What is Chaga?

  • Immune support
  • Antioxidant support
  • General wellness/tonic
  • Blood sugar support
  • Inflammation

Chaga is a fungus that grows mostly on birch trees and is used as a tea or supplement, mainly for immune and antioxidant support. Human evidence for its benefits is very limited, and it may raise some safety concerns such as effects on blood sugar, bleeding, and kidney stones. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a health condition or take other medicines.

Read the full Chaga monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cyclosporine

What Is Cyclosporine Used For?

Brand names: Neoral, Gengraf, Sandimmune, Ciclosporine, Cequa, Verkazia, Vevye

Cyclosporine is prescribed to help prevent the body from rejecting a transplanted kidney, liver, or heart. It is often used alongside other immunosuppressive medicines as part of a full transplant care plan.

It is also used for adults with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis that hasn't responded well enough to methotrexate, and for adults with severe plaque psoriasis who haven't had success with other standard treatments.

See full Cyclosporine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chaga

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

0Major
326Moderate
0Minor
2,503No known interaction
326 Moderate 2,503 No interaction
Moderate

326 interactions

Showing 60 of 326 moderate interactions — see all 326 on the Chaga page.

No interaction 2,503 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,503 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chaga list.

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

Can you take Chaga with Cyclosporine?
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 Chaga and Cyclosporine 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 Cyclosporine and Chaga?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.