Drug & supplement interaction

Choline + Cobicistat

Cobicistat brand name: Tybost.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Choline and Cobicistat 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, the label for Cobicistat states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Choline and Cobicistat

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 Cobicistat and Choline 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.

Choline safety at a glance

Choline overall Use caution Generally safe in food amounts, but high-dose supplements can cause side effects and have a daily upper limit.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. Choline is safe when taken in doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL), which is 3 grams daily during pregnancy and... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally and appropriately. Choline is safe when taken in doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL), which is 3 grams daily during pregnancy and... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Cobicistat and Choline? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cobicistat

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inhibitors, oral drugs. Choline has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being atropine (minor) — and none of Cobicistat’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

Choline Does Interact With Other Medications

Choline has 16 minor known drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Choline

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Choline and Cobicistat May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on Additional detail

    Choline

    “Orally, large doses of choline (9 grams daily) have been associated with onset of depression in patients taking neuroleptics. Further research is needed to clarify this finding.”

    Choline · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    1 source cited
    1. 42270. Tamminga, C., Smith, R. C., Chang, S., Haraszti, J. S., and Davis, J. M. Depression associated with oral choline. Lancet 10-23-1976;2(7991):905. PubMed

    Cobicistat

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cobicistat. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Choline

    “Orally, large doses of choline can cause nausea, vomiting, salivation, and anorexia. Gastrointestinal discomfort has reportedly occurred with doses of 9 grams daily, while gastroenteritis has reportedly occurred with doses of 32 grams daily. Doses of lecithin 100 grams standardized to 3.5% choline have reportedly caused diarrhea and fecal incontinence.”

    Choline · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    5 sources cited
    1. 42275. Wood, J. L. and Allison, R. G. Effects of consumption of choline and lecithin on neurological and cardiovascular systems. Fed.Proc. 1982;41(14):3015-3021.
    2. 91231. Sidhu N, Davies S, Nadarajah A, et al. Oral choline supplementation for postoperative pain. Br J Anaesth 2013;111(2):249-55. PubMed
    3. 42291. Smith, C. M., Swash, M., Exton-Smith, A. N., Phillips, M. J., Overstall, P. W., Piper, M. E., and Bailey, M. R. Choline therapy in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet 8-5-1978;2(8084):318. PubMed
    4. 42310. Morrison, L. M. and W. F. Gonzales. Choline in coronary atherosclerosis. Amer.Heart J. 1950;39:729.
    5. 42312. Christie, J. G. Blackburn 1. M. Glen A. I. M. Zeisel S. Shering A. & Yates C. M. Effects of choline and lecithin on CSF choline levels and on cognitive functioning in patients with presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Nutrition and the brain 1979;5

    Cobicistat

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cobicistat. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Choline but not commonly for Cobicistat: stomach upset, loss of bladder control, low blood pressure and reduced appetite.

Effects for Cobicistat come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Choline come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 20,779 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cobicistat that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Choline in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally and appropriately. Choline is safe when taken in doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL), which is 3 grams daily during pregnancy and lactation in those up to 18 years of age and 3.5 grams daily for those 19 years and older. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of choline used in higher doses during pregnancy and lactation.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Cobicistat Products Have a Food Rule — Choline Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Choline on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Cobicistat with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Cobicistat products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION TYBOST must be coadministered with atazanavir or darunavir at the same time, with food, and in combination with other HIV-1 antiretroviral agents.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Cobicistat — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Choline or Cobicistat

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

This page covers Choline only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cobicistat page lists 30 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), Cannabidiol (cbd) (moderate), Cannabinol (cbn) (moderate) and Cannabis (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 19 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cobicistat page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry to understand first if you take cobicistat (Tybost). Charcoal soaks up drugs in the gut, and since cobicistat's entire job is boosting an HIV medicine to protective levels, blunting its absorption can put the whole regimen at risk.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cobicistat interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 11,172 real supplement products containing Choline, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Choline. Even though Choline itself has no known interaction with Cobicistat, 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 Choline and Cobicistat 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 Choline
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cobicistat
Steady interest

#2,335 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 Choline reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Choline and Cobicistat 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 .
Supplement

About Choline

What is Choline?

Choline
  • Liver health and fatty liver
  • Brain and memory support
  • Prenatal nutrition and fetal development
  • General nutritional supplementation
  • Sports performance

Choline is an essential nutrient your body needs for liver function, brain health, and nerve signaling, and many people get enough from foods like eggs, meat, and fish. Supplements may help people who are deficient or who have higher needs (such as during pregnancy), but they are not proven cure-alls and very high doses can cause side effects. Check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting a supplement.

Not applicable (an essential nutrient found in foods and made in the body) · Capsules, tablets, softgels, and powders; common forms include choline bitartrate, choline chloride, phosphatidylcholine, alpha-GPC, and CDP-choline (citicoline)

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

Choline: dosing

There is no single "treatment" dose of choline that works for everyone, and the right amount depends on your age, sex, life stage, and diet. Health authorities have set recommended adequate intake levels for daily choline as well as a daily upper limit, but these are general nutrition guides rather than doses for treating any condition.Supplements come in different strengths and forms, and the amount of actual choline varies by form.

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

Read the full Choline monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cobicistat

What Is Cobicistat Used For?

Brand name: Tybost

Tybost (cobicistat) is not itself an HIV treatment — it works by slowing the breakdown of certain HIV medicines so they stay active in your body long enough to work. Specifically, Tybost is used to boost the HIV medicines atazanavir or darunavir (once-daily dosing) as part of a complete HIV-1 treatment regimen in adults and in children weighing at least 14 kg (about 31 lbs).

Tybost is not interchangeable with ritonavir (another booster) for all HIV medicines. It is not recommended with darunavir twice-daily, fosamprenavir, saquinavir, or tipranavir.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cobicistat

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (20,779 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Bone density decreased 8,112 reports
Chronic kidney disease 4,754 reports
Renal injury 4,577 reports
Tooth loss 4,186 reports
Bone loss 4,107 reports
See full Cobicistat drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Choline

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

0Major
0Moderate
16Minor
2,813No known interaction
Minor

16 interactions

No interaction 2,813 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Choline References

The 14 references that drive our Choline 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.

  1. Yates AA, Schlicker SA, Suitor CW. Dietary reference intakes: The new basis for recommendations for calcium and related nutrients, B vitamins, and choline. J Am Diet Assoc 1998;98:699-706. PubMed
  2. Cho E, Willett WC, Colditz GA, et al. Dietary choline and betaine and the risk of distal colorectal adenoma in women. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:1224-31. PubMed
  3. Schmidt, C., Abicht, A., Krampfl, K., Voss, W., Stucka, R., Mildner, G., Petrova, S., Schara, U., Mortier, W., Bufler, J., Huebner, A., and Lochmuller, H. Congenital myasthenic syndrome due to a novel missense mutation in the gene encoding choline acetyl
  4. Tamminga, C., Smith, R. C., Chang, S., Haraszti, J. S., and Davis, J. M. Depression associated with oral choline. Lancet 10-23-1976;2(7991):905. PubMed
  5. Wood, J. L. and Allison, R. G. Effects of consumption of choline and lecithin on neurological and cardiovascular systems. Fed.Proc. 1982;41(14):3015-3021.
  6. Growdon, J. H. and Gelenberg, A. J. Choline and lecithin administration to patients with tardive dyskinesia. Trans.Am.Neurol.Assoc. 1978;103:95-99.
  7. Smith, C. M., Swash, M., Exton-Smith, A. N., Phillips, M. J., Overstall, P. W., Piper, M. E., and Bailey, M. R. Choline therapy in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet 8-5-1978;2(8084):318. PubMed
  8. Morrison, L. M. and W. F. Gonzales. Choline in coronary atherosclerosis. Amer.Heart J. 1950;39:729.
  9. Christie, J. G. Blackburn 1. M. Glen A. I. M. Zeisel S. Shering A. & Yates C. M. Effects of choline and lecithin on CSF choline levels and on cognitive functioning in patients with presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Nutrition and the brain 1979;5
  10. Sidhu N, Davies S, Nadarajah A, et al. Oral choline supplementation for postoperative pain. Br J Anaesth 2013;111(2):249-55. PubMed
  11. Wozniak JR, Fuglestad AJ, Eckerle JK, et al. Choline supplementation in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders has high feasibility and tolerability. Nutr Res. 2013;33(11):897-904. PubMed
  12. Wozniak JR, Fuglestad AJ, Eckerle JK, et al. Choline supplementation in children with fetal alcohol disorders: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(5): 1113-25.
  13. Ross RG, Hunter SK, McCarthy L, et al. Perinatal choline effects on neonatal pathophysiology related to later schizophrenia risk. Am J Psychiatry. 2013;170(3):290-8. PubMed
  14. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Choline. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press; 1998:390-422.

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.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Choline and Cobicistat Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Choline with Cobicistat?
We do not list a known interaction between Choline and Cobicistat. 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.
Do Choline and Cobicistat have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Choline and Cobicistat at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Choline on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Cobicistat with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Cobicistat products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Choline and Cobicistat combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications, and Choline has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Cobicistat'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 Choline interact with any other medications?
Yes. Choline has 16 documented drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cobicistat has documented interactions with 30 supplements in our database — Choline is not one of them. The Cobicistat interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Cobicistat and Choline?

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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.