Drug & supplement interaction

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) + Hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea brand names: Droxia, Hydrea, Siklos, Xromi.

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

We found no known interaction between Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea 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 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

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea

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 Hydroxyurea and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) 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.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) safety at a glance

Conjugated Linolei... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term, but long-term safety is not fully established.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of CLA when used in medicinal amounts during p... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of CLA when used in medicinal amounts during p... 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 Hydroxyurea and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Hydroxyurea

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Hydroxyurea is filed under 2 classifications — antineoplastics, oral drugs. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and ramipril (altace) (moderate) — and none of Hydroxyurea’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

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) Does Interact With Other Medications

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) has 289 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Hydroxyurea isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 289 No known interaction 2,541 (incl. Hydroxyurea)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla). Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea 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.

  • Tiredness reported in 7.4% of FDA reports for Hydroxyurea Additional detail

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

    “Orally, clinical research shows that CLA 3 grams daily for 12 weeks does not affect liver outcome measures. However, there are at least two case reports of hepatotoxicity. Asthenia, jaundice, and pruritus were reported in a 46-year-old female who consumed CLA for two weeks. Abnormal liver enzyme levels returned to normal following discontinuation of CLA supplementation.”

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 105809. Madry E, Malesza IJ, Subramaniapillai M, et al. Body fat changes and liver safety in obese and overweight women supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid: A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1811. PubMed
    2. 45483. Ramos, R., Mascarenhas, J., Duarte, P., Vicente, C., and Casteleiro, C. Conjugated linoleic acid-induced toxic hepatitis: first case report. Dig.Dis.Sci 2009;54(5):1141-1143. PubMed
    3. 91589. Nortadas R, Barata J. Fulminant hepatitis during self-medication with conjugated linoleic acid. Ann Hepatol. 2012;11(2):265-7. DOI

    “Orally, CLA may cause headache or fatigue. In one case report, a 50-year-old female presented with headache and subarachnoid hemorrhage due to reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) after taking a combination product containing green tea, L-carnitine, and CLA for one week.”

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    3 sources cited
    1. 3153. Blankson H, Stakkestad JA, Fagertun H, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans. J Nutr 2000;130:2943-8. PubMed
    2. 45787. MacRedmond, R., Singhera, G., Attridge, S., Bahzad, M., Fava, C., Lai, Y., Hallstrand, T. S., and Dorscheid, D. R. Conjugated linoleic acid improves airway hyper-reactivity in overweight mild asthmatics. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2010;40(7):1071-1078. PubMed
    3. 97007. Costa I, Mendonca MD, Cruz E Silva V, Calado S, Viana-Baptista M. Herbal supplements association with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: a case report. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2017;26(3):673-76. PubMed

    Hydroxyurea

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Hydroxyurea, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Constipation Additional detail

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

    “Orally, the most common adverse effect reported with CLA is gastrointestinal upset including diarrhea, constipation, nausea, loose stools, dyspepsia, bloating, and flatulence. Esophageal irritation was reported in one patient who bit open and swallowed a capsule containing CLA.”

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    6 sources cited
    1. 3153. Blankson H, Stakkestad JA, Fagertun H, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans. J Nutr 2000;130:2943-8. PubMed
    2. 4947. Gaullier JM, Halse J, Hoye K, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79:1118-25. PubMed
    3. 45280. Lambert, E. V., Goedecke, J. H., Bluett, K., Heggie, K., Claassen, A., Rae, D. E., West, S., Dugas, J., Dugas, L., Meltzeri, S., Charlton, K., and Mohede, I. Conjugated linoleic acid versus high-oleic acid sunflower oil: effects on energy metabolism, glu
    4. 45705. Wanders, A. J., Brouwer, I. A., Siebelink, E., and Katan, M. B. Effect of a high intake of conjugated linoleic acid on lipoprotein levels in healthy human subjects. PLoS.One. 2010;5(2):e9000. PubMed
    5. 45730. Aryaeian, N., Shahram, F., Djalali, M., Eshragian, M. R., Djazayeri, A., Sarrafnejad, A., Salimzadeh, A., Naderi, N., and Maryam, C. Effect of conjugated linoleic acids, vitamin E and their combination on the clinical outcome of Iranian adults with activ
    6. 111056. Liang CW, Cheng HY, Lee YH, Liou TH, Liao CD, Huang SW. Effects of conjugated linoleic acid and exercise on body composition and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev 2023;81(4):397-415. PubMed

    Hydroxyurea

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

  • Diarrhea reported in 6.7% of FDA reports for Hydroxyurea Additional detail

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

    “Orally, CLA is well tolerated when found in foods. When taken in medicinal amounts, CLA seems to be well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, loose stools, and nausea.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare) :

    Orally: Cases of hepatotoxicity have been reported.”

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    Hydroxyurea

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Hydroxyurea, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Headache reported in 5.1% of FDA reports for Hydroxyurea Additional detail

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

    Recorded for Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Tiredness above.

    Hydroxyurea

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Hydroxyurea, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea reported in 6.2% of FDA reports for Hydroxyurea Additional detail

    Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

    Recorded for Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Diarrhea above.

    Hydroxyurea

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Hydroxyurea, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) but not commonly for Hydroxyurea: stomach upset, liver problems, weight loss and bloating or gas.

Effects for Hydroxyurea come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 21,027 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Hydroxyurea 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

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of CLA when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or lactation; avoid using.

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) or Hydroxyurea

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) or Hydroxyurea, 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 Hydroxyurea

This page covers Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydroxyurea page lists 18 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Hydroxyurea page

“People take hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea, Siklos, Xromi) for serious reasons, most often sickle cell disease or certain blood cancers, and it only works if a steady dose reaches the bloodstream. That is exactly what nearly all 18 supplements listed here can undermine, so this page earns real vigilance rather than a skim.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Hydroxyurea interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea 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 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)
Steady interest

#1,024 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Hydroxyurea
Top 5%

#39 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 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea 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 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

What is Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)?

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)
  • Weight loss
  • Improving body composition
  • Sports and muscle support
  • Reducing inflammation
  • General wellness

CLA is a fatty acid found naturally in meat and dairy, and supplements are usually made from safflower oil. While it is popular for fat loss and body composition, research results are mixed and any real-world effect appears small at best. It is likely safe for short-term use in most healthy adults, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Fatty acid (often sourced from safflower or sunflower oil) · Softgels, capsules, oil

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

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla): dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of CLA. Doses used in studies have varied widely, and it is not clear which amount, if any, is most effective.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Hydroxyurea

What Is Hydroxyurea Used For?

Brand names: Droxia, Hydrea, Siklos, Xromi

Hydroxyurea is used for several serious conditions. Droxia, Siklos, and Xromi are each indicated to reduce the frequency of painful crises and reduce the need for blood transfusions in patients with sickle cell anemia who have recurrent moderate to severe painful crises. Siklos is approved for adults and children 2 years and older; Xromi is approved for children 6 months and older; Droxia is approved for adults.

Hydrea capsules and Hydroxyurea capsules are indicated for resistant chronic myeloid leukemia and for locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (excluding the lip) when used together with chemoradiation.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Hydroxyurea

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (21,027 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 1,548 reports
Sickle cell anaemia with crisis 1,486 reports
Diarrhea 1,408 reports
Nausea 1,306 reports
Headache 1,068 reports
See full Hydroxyurea drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
289Moderate
0Minor
2,540No known interaction
289 Moderate 2,540 No interaction
Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) page.

No interaction 2,540 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,540 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) list.

See the full Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Hydroxyurea, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) References

The 27 references that drive our Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) 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. Riserus U, Arner P, Brismar K, Vessby B. Treatment with dietary trans10cis12 conjugated linoleic acid causes isomer-specific insulin resistance in obese men with the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Care 2002;25:1516-21.
  2. Blankson H, Stakkestad JA, Fagertun H, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans. J Nutr 2000;130:2943-8. PubMed
  3. Gaullier JM, Halse J, Hoye K, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79:1118-25. PubMed
  4. Pariza M, Park Y, Cook ME. Conjugated linoleic acid and the control of cancer and obesity. Toxicol Sci 1999;52:107-10. DOI
  5. Kelly ML, Berry JR, Dwyer DA, et al. Dietary fatty acid sources affect conjugated linoleic acid concentrations in milk from lactating dairy cows. J Nutr 1998;128:881-5. PubMed
  6. Herbel BK, McGuire MK, McGuire MA, Shultz TD. Safflower oil consumption does not increase plasma conjugated linoleic acid concentrations in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:332-7. PubMed
  7. Riserus U, Vessby B, Arner P, Zethelius B. Supplementation with trans10cis12-conjugated linoleic acid induces hyperproinsulinaemia in obese men: close association with impaired insulin sensitivity. Diabetologia 2004;47:1016-9. PubMed
  8. Nagao, K., Inoue, N., Wang, Y. M., Hirata, J., Shimada, Y., Nagao, T., Matsui, T., and Yanagita, T. The 10trans,12cis isomer of conjugated linoleic acid suppresses the development of hypertension in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats. Biochem.Biophys PubMed
  9. Riserus, U., Vessby, B., Arnlov, J., and Basu, S. Effects of cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on insulin sensitivity, lipid peroxidation, and proinflammatory markers in obese men. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80(2):279-283. PubMed
  10. Tricon, S., Burdge, G. C., Kew, S., Banerjee, T., Russell, J. J., Jones, E. L., Grimble, R. F., Williams, C. M., Yaqoob, P., and Calder, P. C. Opposing effects of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on blood lipids in healthy huma
  11. Moloney, F., Yeow, T. P., Mullen, A., Nolan, J. J., and Roche, H. M. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation, insulin sensitivity, and lipoprotein metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80(4):887-895. PubMed
  12. Lambert, E. V., Goedecke, J. H., Bluett, K., Heggie, K., Claassen, A., Rae, D. E., West, S., Dugas, J., Dugas, L., Meltzeri, S., Charlton, K., and Mohede, I. Conjugated linoleic acid versus high-oleic acid sunflower oil: effects on energy metabolism, glu
  13. Tholstrup, T., Raff, M., Straarup, E. M., Lund, P., Basu, S., and Bruun, J. M. An oil mixture with trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid increases markers of inflammation and in vivo lipid peroxidation compared with cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linolei
  14. Ramos, R., Mascarenhas, J., Duarte, P., Vicente, C., and Casteleiro, C. Conjugated linoleic acid-induced toxic hepatitis: first case report. Dig.Dis.Sci 2009;54(5):1141-1143. PubMed
  15. Ingelsson, E. and Riserus, U. Effects of trans10cis12CLA-induced insulin resistance on retinol-binding protein 4 concentrations in abdominally obese men. Diabetes Res Clin.Pract. 2008;82(3):e23-e24. 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.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) with Hydroxyurea?
We do not list a known interaction between Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea. 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 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 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.
How was the Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) and Hydroxyurea combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Hydroxyurea is filed under 2 classifications, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Hydroxyurea'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 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) interact with any other medications?
Yes. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) has 289 documented drug interactions in our database — Hydroxyurea 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 Hydroxyurea interact with any supplements?
Yes. Hydroxyurea has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) is not one of them. The Hydroxyurea 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

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla) monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Hydroxyurea drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Hydroxyurea supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Hydroxyurea, 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 27 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Hydroxyurea and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (cla)?

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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.