Drug & supplement interaction

Chinese Prickly Ash + Defibrotide Sodium

Defibrotide Sodium brand name: Defitelio.

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

Chinese Prickly Ash has a moderate interaction with Defibrotide Sodium. 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 Defibrotide Sodium

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Defibrotide Sodium

Defibrotide Sodium 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 short version. Defibrotide is a powerful clot-preventing medicine given by IV in the hospital for a serious liver condition after a stem-cell transplant. On its own, it already raises your bleeding risk. Chinese prickly ash (Sichuan pepper) may, in theory, make your platelets a little less sticky, which is the part of your blood that helps form clots.

Stack those two together and the worry is simply more bleeding, things like easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or in serious cases internal bleeding. I want to be honest, though: this concern comes only from lab and animal studies, not real patient data, so it's unlikely. Sprinkling it in food is very different from a concentrated extract. Since defibrotide is a hospital medicine, let your care team know before using any supplement.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
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 Defibrotide Sodium one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 No known interaction 2,709 (incl. Defibrotide Sodium)
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 Defibrotide Sodium

This page covers Chinese Prickly Ash only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Defibrotide Sodium page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 183 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Defibrotide Sodium page

“Defibrotide (Defitelio) is an intravenous drug for severe veno-occlusive disease of the liver after a stem cell transplant, and part of how it works is by reducing the blood's tendency to clot. That makes bleeding the single thread running through this entire list, and it deserves real care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Defibrotide Sodium interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chinese Prickly Ash and Defibrotide Sodium 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

#1,446 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Defibrotide Sodium
Top half

#987 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 Defibrotide Injection

What Is Defibrotide Injection Used For?

Brand name: Defitelio

Defitelio (defibrotide injection) is used to treat hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) — also called sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) — in adult and pediatric patients. This is a serious condition where small blood vessels in the liver become blocked, most often after a hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT).

Defitelio is specifically indicated when VOD is accompanied by kidney dysfunction or pulmonary (lung) dysfunction, making it a treatment for one of the most severe forms of this complication.

See full Defibrotide Injection 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
121 Moderate 2,708 No 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

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,708 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chinese Prickly Ash list.

See the full Chinese Prickly Ash interactions page
See every supplement checked against Defibrotide Sodium, 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
Chinese Prickly Ash monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Defibrotide Sodium supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Defibrotide Sodium, ranked by severity Defibrotide Injection 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 Chinese Prickly Ash and Defibrotide Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chinese Prickly Ash with Defibrotide Sodium?
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 Defibrotide Sodium 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

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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.