Drug & supplement interaction

Cordyceps + Pazopanib

Pazopanib brand name: Votrient.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Pazopanib falls into 2 drug categories that Cordyceps can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, cordyceps may increase the risk of bleeding when used with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cordyceps and Pazopanib

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Cordyceps interacts with whole categories of medication. Pazopanib falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Cordyceps in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Pazopanib

Pazopanib falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Cordyceps interacts with.

Theoretically, cordyceps may increase the risk of bleeding when used with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.
In vitro and animal research suggests that cordyceps extract inhibits platelet aggregation and function. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction 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.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing with cordyceps and pazopanib (Votrient): pazopanib already carries its own bleeding risk on its own. It can affect blood vessels and platelets, so bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's slow to stop can happen even without anything added. In lab and animal studies, cordyceps appeared to make platelets less sticky, which could in theory nudge that bleeding risk a little higher.

I want to be honest about the evidence though, this is theoretical. It hasn't actually been reported in people, and it comes from test-tube and animal work, not human studies. Still, since pazopanib is a serious cancer medicine, I'd run any cordyceps supplement past your oncologist or pharmacist before adding it, so they can keep an eye on you.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. 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.
  2. 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
Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

2 of 2

Pazopanib also falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS.

Theoretically, concurrent use of cordyceps might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy.
Animal and in vitro research suggests that cordyceps stimulates the immune system. However, limited clinical research suggests that taking cordyceps may lower the necessary therapeutic dose of the immunosuppressant cyclosporine, which suggests that cordyceps may have an immunosuppressive effect.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction 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.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the honest picture: the interaction we have on file is about cordyceps and the immune system, and it's really geared toward classic immunosuppressants like cyclosporine. Pazopanib (Votrient) is a bit of a different animal. It's a kinase inhibitor used for kidney cancer, not a traditional immunosuppressant, so applying this exact interaction to it is more theoretical than proven.

The evidence here is limited and mixed, with cordyceps showing both immune-stimulating and immune-lowering signals in small or lab studies. We don't have solid data on how it behaves alongside pazopanib specifically. To be safe, I'd loop in your oncology team or pharmacist before adding cordyceps, since they're closely tracking your cancer treatment and side effects like fatigue, high blood pressure, and liver changes.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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

Cordyceps Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cordyceps has 240 moderate, 8 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Pazopanib one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 240 Minor 8 No known interaction 2,582 (incl. Pazopanib)
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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pazopanib

This page covers Cordyceps only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pazopanib page lists 349 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Asarabacca (major) and Beer (major).

By severity: 14 major · 297 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pazopanib page

“Take a careful look before mixing supplements with pazopanib (Votrient), an oral pill for advanced kidney cancer and certain sarcomas. Fourteen of the 349 ingredients on file are rated major, grapefruit among them, since it can raise pazopanib levels enough to intensify side effects.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pazopanib 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pazopanib too, on top of Cordyceps — 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 Cordyceps and Pazopanib 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pazopanib
Steady interest

#2,268 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 Cordyceps

What is Cordyceps?

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.

Read the full Cordyceps monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pazopanib

What Is Pazopanib Used For?

Brand name: Votrient

Pazopanib tablets — sold as the brand Votrient and as generic pazopanib — are used to treat two types of advanced cancer in adults: advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common form of kidney cancer, and advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in patients who have already received prior chemotherapy.

Important limitation: Pazopanib has not been shown to work in adipocytic soft tissue sarcoma (a subtype involving fat cells) or in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), so it is not used for those cancers.

See full Pazopanib 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
240Moderate
8Minor
2,581No known interaction
240 Moderate 8 Minor 2,581 No interaction
Moderate

240 interactions

Showing 60 of 240 moderate interactions — see all 240 on the Cordyceps page.

Minor

8 interactions

No interaction 2,581 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 2,581 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cordyceps list.

See the full Cordyceps interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pazopanib, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Cordyceps monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Pazopanib supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Pazopanib, ranked by severity Pazopanib drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cordyceps and Pazopanib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cordyceps with Pazopanib?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Cordyceps and Pazopanib?
Pazopanib belongs to more than one drug category, and Cordyceps interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Cordyceps and Pazopanib 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 Pazopanib 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.