Drug & supplement interaction

Cordyceps + Alectinib Hydrochloride

Alectinib Hydrochloride brand name: Alecensa.

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 Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride 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 Alectinib Hydrochloride 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

Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride

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 Alectinib Hydrochloride and Cordyceps 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.

Cordyceps safety at a glance

Cordyceps overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term, but evidence is limited and product quality varies widely.

Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Alectinib Hydrochloride and Cordyceps? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Alectinib Hydrochloride

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Alectinib Hydrochloride is filed under 3 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs, oral drugs. Cordyceps has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), immunosuppressants (moderate) and testosterone (minor) — and none of Alectinib Hydrochloride’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

Cordyceps Does Interact With Other Medications

Cordyceps has 241 moderate, 8 minor known drug interactions in our database — Alectinib Hydrochloride isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 241 Minor 8 No known interaction 2,581 (incl. Alectinib Hydrochloride)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cordyceps

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail
Cordyceps
“There is a case report of acute cholestatic hepatitis probably associated with the use of a product containing cordyceps. The 64-year-old male was asymptomatic except for jaundice and laboratory markers and recovered once the supplement was stopped. However, it is unclear whether the hepatitis is associated with the cordyceps or with an unknown contaminant.”

Cordyceps · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.
1 source cited

109704. Thurian D, Montani M, Stickel F. Drug-induced, mixed-type hepatitis following ingestion of Cordyceps sinensis. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2022;60(2):115-120. PubMed
Alectinib Hydrochloride

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Alectinib Hydrochloride. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Constipation / Stomach upset / Diarrhea reported in 6.1% of FDA reports for Alectinib Hydrochloride Additional detail
Cordyceps
“Orally, cordyceps has been associated with diarrhea, constipation, abdominal discomfort, dry mouth, and throat discomfort in clinical research. However, these events were uncommon, and in some cases symptoms could be reduced by taking cordyceps after eating.”

Cordyceps · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.
3 sources cited

92829. Zhang HW, Lin ZX, Tung YS, Kwan TH, Mok CK, Leung C, Chan LS. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease (Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(12):CD008353. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008353.pub2. PubMed

105076. Bee Yean O, Zoriah A. Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. J Tradit Chin Med. 2019;39(1):1-14.

109705. Yu X, Mao Y, Shergis JL, et al. Effectiveness and safety of oral Cordyceps sinensis on stable COPD of GOLD stages 2-3: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:4903671.
Alectinib Hydrochloride

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

Reported for Cordyceps but not commonly for Alectinib Hydrochloride: reduced appetite and dry mouth.

Effects for Alectinib Hydrochloride come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Cordyceps come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 7,249 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Alectinib Hydrochloride 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.

How to take them

Some Alectinib Hydrochloride Products Have a Food Rule — Cordyceps Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Alectinib Hydrochloride says to take it with food. If you take Cordyceps on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Alectinib Hydrochloride 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 Alectinib Hydrochloride 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.

Administer ALECENSA with food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Alectinib Hydrochloride — 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.

Overlapping uses

What Alectinib Hydrochloride Is Prescribed For, and What Cordyceps Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Alectinib Hydrochloride is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Cordyceps is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Alectinib Hydrochloride is prescribed for: Alecensa (alectinib) is used in adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have a specific genetic change called ALK-positive (anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive), confirmed by an FDA-approved test. Alecensa is used in two situations: as adjuvant treatment — meaning after surgical removal of the tumor — in patients whose tumors were at least 4 cm or had spread to nearby lymph nodes; and as treatment for metastatic NSCLC, meaning cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Cordyceps has been studied for:

Lung cancer studied, not established Cordyceps has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

Cordyceps for lung cancer

It is unclear if oral cordyceps is beneficial in patients with lung cancer on chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Alectinib Hydrochloride on your own; if you are taking Cordyceps for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Alectinib Hydrochloride

This page covers Cordyceps only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alectinib Hydrochloride page lists 74 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Alfalfa (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 60 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alectinib Hydrochloride page

“Alectinib (Alecensa) treats ALK-positive lung cancer, and because your liver already has to tolerate this drug, check this page before adding any supplement, not after. Of the 74 ingredients on file, 38 can add stress to the liver, and three of the four major-rated entries (beer, wine, and Siberian cocklebur) are the clearest examples…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alectinib Hydrochloride interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,140 real supplement products containing Cordyceps, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cordyceps. Even though Cordyceps itself has no known interaction with Alectinib Hydrochloride, 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 Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride 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 Cordyceps

Top 10%

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

29 days ago today

Medication Alectinib Hydrochloride

Steady interest

#1,935 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 Cordyceps reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride 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 Cordyceps

What is Cordyceps?

Fatigue and low energy
Athletic performance and stamina
Respiratory and lung support
Immune support
Kidney health support
General wellness/anti-aging

Cordyceps is a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine for energy, exercise performance, and lung and immune support. Human research is limited and mostly low quality, so its benefits are not well proven. It appears generally well tolerated in the short term, but quality varies and it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to lack of safety data.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis · Ophiocordycipitaceae · Whole fungus (fruiting body and mycelium), often grown in culture as the Cs-4 strain · Capsules, tablets, powders, extracts, teas, and tinctures

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

Cordyceps: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for cordyceps. Doses used in studies have varied widely depending on the product, species, and extract type.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Cordyceps monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Alectinib

What Is Alectinib Used For?

Brand name: Alecensa

Alecensa (alectinib) is used in adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have a specific genetic change called ALK-positive (anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive), confirmed by an FDA-approved test.

Alecensa is used in two situations: as adjuvant treatment — meaning after surgical removal of the tumor — in patients whose tumors were at least 4 cm or had spread to nearby lymph nodes; and as treatment for metastatic NSCLC, meaning cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Alectinib Hydrochloride

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (7,249 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 518 reports

Constipation 445 reports

Rash 257 reports

Dyspnea 234 reports

Disease progression 210 reports

See full Alectinib drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cordyceps

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

0Major

241Moderate

8Minor

2,580No known interaction

241 Moderate 8 Minor 2,580 No interaction

Moderate

241 interactions

Showing 60 of 241 moderate interactions — see all 241 on the Cordyceps page.

Minor

8 interactions

No interaction 2,580 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,580 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cordyceps list.

See the full Cordyceps interactions page

See every supplement checked against Alectinib Hydrochloride, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Cordyceps References

The 14 references that drive our Cordyceps 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.

Zhu JS, Halpern GM, Jones K. The scientific rediscovery of an ancient Chinese herbal medicine: Cordyceps sinensis: part I. J Altern Complement Med 1998;4:289-303.
Zhu JS, Halpern GM, Jones K. The scientific rediscovery of a precious ancient Chinese herbal regimen: Cordyceps sinensis: part II. J Altern Complement Med 1998;4:429-57.
Chen YJ, Shiao MS, Lee SS, Wang SY. Effect of Cordyceps sinensis on the proliferation and differentiation of human leukemic U937 cells. Life Sci 1997;60:2349-59. PubMed
Zhao Y. [Inhibitory effects of alcoholic extract of Cordyceps sinensis on abdominal aortic thrombus formation in rabbits]. Chung Hua I Hsueh Tsa Chih (Taipei) 1991;71:612-5, 42.
Chen GZ, Chen GL, Sun T, et al. Effects of Cordyceps sinensis on murine T lymphocyte subsets. Chin Med J (English) 1991;104:4-8.
Zhu XY, Yu HY. [Immunosuppressive effect of cultured Cordyceps sinensis on cellular immune response]. Chung Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih 1990;10:485-7, 454.
Hsu, C. C., Huang, Y. L., Tsai, S. J., Sheu, C. C., and Huang, B. M. In vivo and in vitro stimulatory effects of Cordyceps sinensis on testosterone production in mouse Leydig cells. Life Sci 9-5-2003;73(16):2127-2136. PubMed
Ikumoto, T., Sasaki, S., Namba, H., Toyama, R., Moritoki, H., and Mouri, T. [Physiologically active compounds in the extracts from tochukaso and cultured mycelia of Cordyceps and Isaria]. Yakugaku Zasshi 1991;111(9):504-509. PubMed
Wu, T. N., Yang, K. C., Wang, C. M., Lai, J. S., Ko, K. N., Chang, P. Y., and Liou, S. H. Lead poisoning caused by contaminated Cordyceps, a Chinese herbal medicine: two case reports. Sci.Total Environ. 4-5-1996;182(1-3):193-195. PubMed
Hong T, Zhang M, Fan J. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for kidney transplant recipients (Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(10):CD009698. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009698.pub2.
Zhang HW, Lin ZX, Tung YS, Kwan TH, Mok CK, Leung C, Chan LS. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease (Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(12):CD008353. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008353.pub2. PubMed
Bee Yean O, Zoriah A. Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. J Tradit Chin Med. 2019;39(1):1-14.
Thurian D, Montani M, Stickel F. Drug-induced, mixed-type hepatitis following ingestion of Cordyceps sinensis. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2022;60(2):115-120. PubMed
Yu X, Mao Y, Shergis JL, et al. Effectiveness and safety of oral Cordyceps sinensis on stable COPD of GOLD stages 2-3: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:4903671.

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 Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Cordyceps with Alectinib Hydrochloride?

We do not list a known interaction between Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride. 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 Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride 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.

Should I take Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride at the same time of day?

At least one FDA label for a product containing Alectinib Hydrochloride says to take it with food. If you take Cordyceps on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Alectinib Hydrochloride with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Alectinib Hydrochloride products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.

Are Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride used for the same thing?

They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Cordyceps in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Alectinib Hydrochloride is being adjusted to a target.

How was the Cordyceps and Alectinib Hydrochloride combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Alectinib Hydrochloride is filed under 3 classifications, and Cordyceps has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Alectinib Hydrochloride'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 Cordyceps interact with any other medications?

Yes. Cordyceps has 249 documented drug interactions in our database — Alectinib Hydrochloride 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 Alectinib Hydrochloride interact with any supplements?

Yes. Alectinib Hydrochloride has documented interactions with 74 supplements in our database — Cordyceps is not one of them. The Alectinib Hydrochloride 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

Cordyceps monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Alectinib drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Alectinib Hydrochloride supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Alectinib Hydrochloride, 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 14 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Alectinib Hydrochloride and Cordyceps?

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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.