Drug & supplement interaction

Chinese Prickly Ash + Anagrelide

Anagrelide brand name: Agrylin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Chinese Prickly Ash has a moderate interaction with Anagrelide. Chinese prickly ash might inhibit platelet aggregation.

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

Chinese Prickly Ash and Anagrelide

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Anagrelide

Anagrelide falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Chinese Prickly Ash interacts with.

Chinese prickly ash might inhibit platelet aggregation. Theoretically, combining Chinese prickly ash with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding; avoid concomitant use. Some of these drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with anagrelide (Agrylin) and Sichuan pepper. Anagrelide already works to lower your platelets and, on top of that, it has a mild blood-thinning, anti-clotting effect of its own. Lab studies suggest Chinese prickly ash may also make platelets a little less sticky. Put the two together and, in theory, you could nudge up the risk of bleeding or easy bruising.

That said, this concern comes from test-tube and animal data only, so it's pretty weak and considered unlikely to cause real trouble. The amount you'd sprinkle on food while cooking is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated extract supplements are a different story. If you notice unusual bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums, or you're thinking about an extract, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Yang YP, Cheng MJ, Teng CM, et al. Chemical and anti-platelet constituents from Formosan Zanthoxylum simulans. Phytochemistry 2002;61:567-72.. 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

Chinese Prickly Ash Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chinese Prickly Ash has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Anagrelide 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 Chinese Prickly Ash

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Anagrelide

This page covers Chinese Prickly Ash only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Anagrelide page lists 265 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 Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 223 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Anagrelide page

“Anagrelide (Agrylin) lowers platelet counts in people whose bone marrow makes too many, so bleeding risk is already the thing being managed, and most of this list pushes on exactly that. The bulk of these ingredients have some blood-thinning or antiplatelet activity of their own, from danshen and piracetam at the serious end down to fa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Anagrelide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chinese Prickly Ash and Anagrelide 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 Chinese Prickly Ash
Steady interest

#1,440 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Anagrelide
Top 25%

#463 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 Chinese Prickly Ash

What is Chinese Prickly Ash?

  • Digestive upset and stomach pain
  • Toothache and oral numbing
  • Antimicrobial and antiparasitic use
  • Cooking spice (Sichuan pepper)
  • Mild pain relief

Chinese Prickly Ash is the fruit husk of Zanthoxylum bungeanum, best known as the Sichuan pepper that creates a tingling, numbing sensation on the tongue. It is widely used in cooking and traditional Chinese medicine for digestive complaints and pain, but strong human evidence for medicinal benefits is limited. Use culinary amounts safely, but talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts.

Read the full Chinese Prickly Ash monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Anagrelide

What Is Anagrelide Used For?

Brand name: Agrylin

Anagrelide — sold as Agrylin and as generic anagrelide capsules — is used to treat thrombocythemia secondary to myeloproliferative neoplasms. That means it's prescribed when a bone marrow disorder causes the body to produce too many platelets, raising the risk of dangerous blood clots.

By bringing platelet counts down to a safer range, anagrelide also helps reduce related symptoms, including bleeding and clotting events (thrombo-hemorrhagic events).

See full Anagrelide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chinese Prickly Ash

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Chinese Prickly Ash page.

No interaction 2,708 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 Chinese Prickly Ash and Anagrelide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chinese Prickly Ash with Anagrelide?
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 Chinese Prickly Ash and Anagrelide 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 Anagrelide and Chinese Prickly Ash?

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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.