Drug & supplement interaction

Chitosan + Benserazide, Levodopa

Benserazide, Levodopa brand names: Prolopa, Madopar.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa 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, there is a timing consideration — Chitosan can reduce how much Benserazide, Levodopa you absorb if they are taken together, so they should be spaced apart.

Know someone taking this? Share

Facebook Post Reddit Email

On this page

Interaction report

Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa

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 Benserazide, Levodopa and Chitosan 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.

Chitosan safety at a glance

Chitosan overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term, but quality evidence is limited and shellfish allergy is a concern.

Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Benserazide, Levodopa and Chitosan? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Benserazide, Levodopa

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Benserazide, Levodopa is filed under 5 classifications — including levodopa, dopamine agonists, seizure threshold lowering drugs. Chitosan has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being acyclovir (zovirax) (moderate) and warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Benserazide, Levodopa’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Chitosan Does Interact With Other Medications

Chitosan has 3 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Benserazide, Levodopa isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 3 No known interaction 2,827 (incl. Benserazide, Levodopa)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chitosan

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

What to actually watch for

What Chitosan Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Benserazide, Levodopa. It is the side-effect record for Chitosan on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Chitosan, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Kidney problems Worth acting on Additional detail
“In one clinical trial, a subject with kidney failure reported itching during 12 weeks of oral chitosan treatment. It is not clear if this was related to the underlying renal failure or the use of oral chitosan.”

Chitosan · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in kidney failure.
1 source cited

1942. Jing SB, Li L, Ji D, et al. Effect of chitosan on renal function in patients with chronic renal failure. J Pharm Pharmacol 1997;49:721-3. PubMed
Bloating or gas / Stomach upset / Constipation / Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail
“Orally, chitosan has been reported to cause epigastric discomfort, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, and dryness of the throat. Excessive discharge of fat in the feces, also known as steatorrhea, has been reported with chitosan therapy.”

Chitosan · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.
6 sources cited

1942. Jing SB, Li L, Ji D, et al. Effect of chitosan on renal function in patients with chronic renal failure. J Pharm Pharmacol 1997;49:721-3. PubMed

3243. Pittler MH, Abbot NC, Harkness EF, Ernst E. Randomized, double-blind trial of chitosan for body weight reduction. Eur J Clin Nutr 1999;53:379-81. PubMed

9986. Ho SC, Tai ES, Eng PH, et al. In the absence of dietary surveillance, chitosan does not reduce plasma lipids or obesity in hypercholesterolaemic obese Asian subjects. Singapore Med J 2001;42:6-10.

11307. Bokura H, Kobayashi S. Chitosan decreases total cholesterol in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:721-5. PubMed

14314. Mhurchu CN, Poppitt SD, McGill AT, et al. The effect of the dietary supplement, Chitosan, on body weight: a randomised controlled trial in 250 overweight and obese adults. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004;28:1149-56. PubMed

41688. Wuolijoki, E., Hirvela, T., and Ylitalo, P. Decrease in serum LDL cholesterol with microcrystalline chitosan. Methods Find.Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1999;21(5):357-361. PubMed
Itching Additional detail
“Topically, an eye drop containing chitosan-N-acetylcysteine has been reported to cause itching and irritation of the eyes.”

Chitosan · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.
1 source cited

97710. Schmidl D, Werkmeister R, Kaya S, et al. A Controlled, Randomized Double-Blind Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Chitosan-N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017;33(5):375-382.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Chitosan — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Benserazide, Levodopa to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Benserazide, Levodopa.

Timing matters

No Interaction — But Take Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa a Few Hours Apart

Benserazide, Levodopa is a Parkinson's medication, and it is absorbed best on its own. Chitosan can bind to it in the stomach so that less of the medicine reaches your bloodstream. That is not an interaction in the usual sense — nothing harmful happens when they meet — but taken at the same time, your dose can effectively become a smaller one.

The fix is simple: separate the two by about 4 hours. Take Benserazide, Levodopa first, on its own, and keep Chitosan for later in the day.

Where this comes from: this is HelloPharmacist editorial guidance, not a licensed interaction record — it applies established absorption pharmacology to Parkinson's medications, whose FDA labels state a separation requirement of their own. Reviewed by the HelloPharmacist pharmacy team. If you already take them together, do not change your medicine on your own; ask your pharmacist how to space them.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Benserazide, Levodopa

This page covers Chitosan only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Benserazide, Levodopa page lists 41 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Branched-chain Amino Acids (bcaa) (major), Cowhage (major), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Magnesium (major).

By severity: 8 major · 22 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Benserazide, Levodopa page

“Benserazide with levodopa (Prolopa, Madopar) treats Parkinson disease, and because keeping levodopa levels steady is what keeps symptoms controlled, the 41 supplements on this page warrant genuine care, starting with the eight rated major. Nearly all of the serious ones work against the drug itself.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Benserazide, Levodopa interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 167 real supplement products containing Chitosan, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chitosan. Even though Chitosan itself has no known interaction with Benserazide, Levodopa, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa 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 Chitosan

Top half

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

29 days ago today

Medication Benserazide, Levodopa

Steady interest

#1,517 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 Chitosan reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Chitosan

What is Chitosan?

Weight management
Lowering cholesterol
Wound care
General digestive supplement

Chitosan is a fiber-like substance made from the shells of shrimp, crabs, and other shellfish, often marketed for weight loss and cholesterol. The evidence for these benefits is weak, and any effects appear small at best. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but people with shellfish allergies and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be cautious.

Shells of crustaceans (the source of chitin, which is processed into chitosan) · Capsules, tablets, powder

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Chitosan is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Chitosan record says about it on its own.

Chitosan: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for chitosan, and amounts used in studies have varied widely. Because of this, it is best to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.Chitosan is often taken with meals and a full glass of water.

From our Chitosan monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Chitosan monograph & all interactions

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chitosan

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

0Major

3Moderate

0Minor

2,826No known interaction

3 Moderate 2,826 No interaction

Moderate

3 interactions

No interaction 2,826 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,826 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chitosan list.

See the full Chitosan interactions page

See every supplement checked against Benserazide, Levodopa, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Chitosan References

The 17 references that drive our Chitosan 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.

Jing SB, Li L, Ji D, et al. Effect of chitosan on renal function in patients with chronic renal failure. J Pharm Pharmacol 1997;49:721-3. PubMed
Pittler MH, Abbot NC, Harkness EF, Ernst E. Randomized, double-blind trial of chitosan for body weight reduction. Eur J Clin Nutr 1999;53:379-81. PubMed
Ho SC, Tai ES, Eng PH, et al. In the absence of dietary surveillance, chitosan does not reduce plasma lipids or obesity in hypercholesterolaemic obese Asian subjects. Singapore Med J 2001;42:6-10.
Bokura H, Kobayashi S. Chitosan decreases total cholesterol in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:721-5. PubMed
Mhurchu CN, Poppitt SD, McGill AT, et al. The effect of the dietary supplement, Chitosan, on body weight: a randomised controlled trial in 250 overweight and obese adults. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004;28:1149-56. PubMed
Huang SS, Sung SH, Chiang CE. Chitosan potentiation of warfarin effect. Ann Pharmacother 2007;41:1912-4. PubMed
Tsai, G. J. and Su, W. H. Antibacterial activity of shrimp chitosan against Escherichia coli. J Food Prot. 1999;62(3):239-243. PubMed
Wuolijoki, E., Hirvela, T., and Ylitalo, P. Decrease in serum LDL cholesterol with microcrystalline chitosan. Methods Find.Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1999;21(5):357-361. PubMed
Nelson, J. L., Alexander, J. W., Gianotti, L., Chalk, C. L., and Pyles, T. Influence of dietary fiber on microbial growth in vitro and bacterial translocation after burn injury in mice. Nutrition 1994;10(1):32-36.
Schiller RN, Barrager E, Schauss EA, and et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examining the effects of a rapidly soluble chitosan dietary supplement on weight loss and body composition in overweight and mildly obese individuals. J
Koide, S. S. Chitin-chitosan: properties, benefits and risks. Nutrition Research 1998;8(6):1091-1101. DOI
Maezaki Y, Tsuji K, Nakawa, and et al. Hypocholesterolaemic effect of chitosan in adult males. Biosc Biochem Biotech 1993;57:1439-1444.
Kubbinga M, Nguyen MA, Staubach P, et al. The influence of chitosan on the oral bioavailability of acyclovir-a comparative bioavailability study in humans. Pharm Res 2015;32(7):2241-9. PubMed
Jull AB, Ni Mhurchu C, Bennett DA, et al. Chitosan for overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;(3):CD003892. PubMed
Schmidl D, Werkmeister R, Kaya S, et al. A Controlled, Randomized Double-Blind Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Chitosan-N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017;33(5):375-382.
Moraru C, Mincea MM, Frandes M, Timar B, Ostafe V. A meta-analysis on randomised controlled clinical trials evaluating the effect of the dietary supplement chitosan on weight loss, lipid parameters and blood pressure. Medicina (Kaunas). 2018;54(6):109. PubMed
García MA, Hensler G, Al-Gousous J, Pielenhofer J, Wagner M, Lennernäs H, Langguth P. Novel food drug interaction mechanism involving acyclovir, chitosan and endogenous mucus. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2023;49:100491. 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.

Related: nutrient depletion

Benserazide, Levodopa Is Linked to Lower Levels of 2 Nutrients

Natural Medicines records Benserazide, Levodopa as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Chitosan — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:

Read the full Benserazide, Levodopa nutrient depletion report ›

Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Chitosan with Benserazide, Levodopa?

We do not list a known interaction between Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa. 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.

How far apart should I space Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa?

Chitosan can bind Benserazide, Levodopa in the gut and reduce how much of it you absorb, so they should not be swallowed together. The separation this page recommends is in the timing section above. Spacing them is about absorption — it is not a warning that they react with each other.

How was the Chitosan and Benserazide, Levodopa combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Benserazide, Levodopa is filed under 5 classifications, and Chitosan has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Benserazide, Levodopa's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Chitosan interact with any other medications?

Yes. Chitosan has 3 documented drug interactions in our database — Benserazide, Levodopa is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Benserazide, Levodopa interact with any supplements?

Yes. Benserazide, Levodopa has documented interactions with 41 supplements in our database — Chitosan is not one of them. The Benserazide, Levodopa interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Chitosan monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Benserazide, Levodopa supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Benserazide, Levodopa, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 17 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Benserazide, Levodopa and Chitosan?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.