Drug & supplement interaction

Cistanche Deserticola + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated June 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine 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.

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Interaction report

Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine

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 Gemcitabine and Cistanche Deserticola 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Cistanche Deserticola at all — not against Gemcitabine, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Cistanche Deserticola safety at a glance

Cistanche Desertic... overall Use caution Generally tolerated in traditional use, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data, so avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Gemcitabine and Cistanche Deserticola? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Gemcitabine’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Cistanche Deserticola. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Gemcitabine’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A stroke or mini-stroke Worth acting on
  • A heart attack Worth acting on
  • A low platelet count Worth acting on mentioned in 7.0% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine
  • An irregular heartbeat Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on mentioned in 5.8% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine
  • A low white blood cell count Worth acting on mentioned in 6.2% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on
  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 16 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gemcitabine. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 53,020 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gemcitabine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Cistanche Deserticola’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Cistanche Deserticola side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Cistanche Deserticola has no side effects.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gemcitabine

This page covers Cistanche Deserticola only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Cistanche Deserticola, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cistanche Deserticola. Even though Cistanche Deserticola itself has no known interaction with Gemcitabine, 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 Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine 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 Cistanche Deserticola
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gemcitabine
Steady interest

#2,195 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. Cistanche Deserticola is not yet covered by that licensed database, so its write-up cites publicly available medical sources directly (see the references below).
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Cistanche Deserticola reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Cistanche Deserticola

What is Cistanche Deserticola?

  • Energy and fatigue
  • Sexual health and libido
  • Constipation
  • Healthy aging and cognition
  • General tonic/immune support

Cistanche deserticola is a parasitic desert plant long used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for energy, sexual health, and constipation. Modern evidence in humans is very limited, so its benefits remain unproven. If you want to try it, choose a reputable product and check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Cistanche deserticola · Orobanchaceae · Dried fleshy stem (the part above the host root) · Capsules, tablets, powder, dried slices, tea, tinctures, and liquid extracts

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

Cistanche Deserticola: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for Cistanche deserticola. Traditional preparations and modern supplements vary widely in strength and form, which makes it hard to recommend a specific amount.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them.

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

Read the full Cistanche Deserticola monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug).

It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gemcitabine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (53,020 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 4,850 reports
Thrombocytopenia 3,706 reports
Neutropenia 3,295 reports
Anemia 3,084 reports
Malignant neoplasm progression 2,912 reports
See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cistanche Deserticola

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cistanche Deserticola list.

See the full Cistanche Deserticola interactions page
See every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Cistanche Deserticola References

The 2 sources that drive our Cistanche Deserticola monograph — publicly available pages from reputable medical and government organizations. Every link was verified to work before publishing. Cistanche Deserticola is not covered by the licensed Natural Medicines interaction database, so its page cites these public sources directly.

  1. Herbs at a Glance — NIH NCCIH Source
  2. Herbs and Supplements — MedlinePlus Source

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 Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Cistanche Deserticola with Gemcitabine?
We do not list a known interaction between Cistanche Deserticola and Gemcitabine. 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.
Does Gemcitabine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gemcitabine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Cistanche Deserticola is not one of them. The Gemcitabine 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

Cistanche Deserticola monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Gemcitabine Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Gemcitabine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Gemcitabine and Cistanche Deserticola?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.