Drug & supplement interaction

Chondroitin Sulfate + Warfarin

Warfarin brand name: Warfarin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Chondroitin Sulfate has a moderate interaction with Warfarin. Taking chondroitin in combination with glucosamine might increase the anticoagulant effects of warfarin.

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

Chondroitin Sulfate and Warfarin

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

Moderate

WARFARIN (Coumadin)

Taking chondroitin in combination with glucosamine might increase the anticoagulant effects of warfarin. However, the effect of chondroitin alone is unclear.
There have been multiple reports of increased international normalized ratio (INR) in patients taking warfarin with glucosamine, with or without chondroitin. The lack of reports with chondroitin alone seem to suggest that the interactions occurring in these reports may have been due to glucosamine. In two individual case reports, glucosamine/chondroitin combinations were associated with a significant increase in INR in patients previously stabilized on warfarin. Additionally, 20 voluntary case reports to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have linked glucosamine plus chondroitin with increased INR, bruising, and bleeding in patients who were also taking warfarin. There have also been 20 additional case reports to the World Health Organization (WHO) that link glucosamine alone, without chondroitin, to increased INR in patients taking warfarin.
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 honest picture with warfarin and chondroitin. Warfarin is a tricky blood thinner with a narrow safety window, so even small shifts can nudge your INR (the lab number that tracks how thin your blood is) too high. The concern on file is that chondroitin, usually taken alongside glucosamine, might boost warfarin's effect a bit, which could mean more bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's slow to stop.

That said, this is built on scattered case reports, and most of those folks were taking glucosamine too. Chondroitin on its own hasn't clearly been pinned as the culprit, so I'd call this possible but unlikely. Still, since it's warfarin, please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before starting, so they can keep an eye on your INR.

References
  1. Rozenfeld V, Crain JL, Callahan AK. Possible augmentation of warfarin effect by glucosamine-chondroitin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2004;61:306-307. PubMed
  2. Knudsen J, Sokol GH. Potential glucosamine-warfarin interaction resulting in increased international normalized ratio: Case report and review of the literature and MedWatch database. Pharmacotherapy 2008;28:540-8. PubMed
  3. Yue QY, Strandell J, Myrberg O. Concomitant use of glucosamine potentiates the effect of warfarin. Jan 2006. Drug Safety 29(10):911-1010. DOI

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

Chondroitin Sulfate Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chondroitin Sulfate has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — the Warfarin 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 Chondroitin Sulfate

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Chondroitin Sulfate or Warfarin

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

This page covers Chondroitin Sulfate only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Warfarin page lists 361 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Alfalfa (major), American Ginseng (major), Beer (major) and Cannabis (major).

By severity: 16 major · 301 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Warfarin page

“People take warfarin to prevent dangerous clots, and many are the same people reaching for glucosamine for sore joints or a multivitamin containing vitamin K, which makes this a list that deserves genuine respect. Of the 361 supplements on file for warfarin, 16 carry a major rating, and the danger runs in both directions: some add to w…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Warfarin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,347 real supplement products containing Chondroitin Sulfate, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chondroitin Sulfate. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Warfarin too, on top of Chondroitin Sulfate — 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 Chondroitin Sulfate and Warfarin 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 Chondroitin Sulfate
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Warfarin
Top 10

#4 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 Chondroitin Sulfate

What is Chondroitin Sulfate?

  • Osteoarthritis joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • Cartilage support
  • Dry eye (eye drops)

Chondroitin sulfate is a naturally occurring building block of cartilage that is widely taken, often with glucosamine, for osteoarthritis joint pain. The evidence is mixed—some people report modest relief while large studies show little or no benefit—but it appears generally well tolerated. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have allergies or other health conditions.

Read the full Chondroitin Sulfate monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Warfarin

What Is Warfarin Used For?

Brand name: Warfarin

Warfarin sodium tablets and Jantoven tablets are both used to prevent and treat venous thrombosis (blood clots in the veins) and pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lungs). They are also used to prevent clot-related complications in people with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm) or who have had a heart valve replaced.

In people who have had a heart attack, warfarin is used to reduce the risk of death, another heart attack, stroke, or other clotting events. It does not dissolve an existing clot, but it helps prevent the clot from growing and stops new dangerous clots from forming.

See full Warfarin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chondroitin Sulfate

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

0Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,828No known interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 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 Chondroitin Sulfate and Warfarin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chondroitin Sulfate with Warfarin?
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 Chondroitin Sulfate and Warfarin 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 Warfarin and Chondroitin Sulfate?

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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.