Drug & supplement interaction

Danshen + Dasatinib

Dasatinib brand names: Sprycel, Phyrago.

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

Danshen has a moderate interaction with Dasatinib. Danshen might alter the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Danshen and Dasatinib

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Dasatinib

Dasatinib falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Danshen interacts with.

Danshen might alter the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Preliminary clinical research in healthy males shows that the administration of danshen for 10-14 days induces intestinal CYP3A4 and increases the clearance of midazolam, a CYP3A4 substrate. The maximum concentration of midazolam was decreased by 31% to 67%, and drug levels were decreased by 27% to 80%. However, a single dose of danshen has the opposite effect, increasing maximum concentrations of midazolam by 87%.
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 thing to know with Sprycel (dasatinib): your body relies on a liver and gut enzyme called CYP3A4 to clear it out. Danshen can nudge that enzyme, and in one small study in healthy men, taking Danshen for 10 to 14 days actually sped up the enzyme. For a leukemia drug like dasatinib, faster clearance could mean lower blood levels, and that risks the medicine working less well against your cancer (something you really don't want).

To make it trickier, a single dose of Danshen seemed to do the opposite, raising levels, which could worsen side effects like low blood counts, bruising, fluid buildup, or shortness of breath. Because the direction is unpredictable and dasatinib is too important to gamble with, please don't pair them without checking with your oncologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Qiu F, Wang G, Zhang R, Sun J, et al. Effect of danshen extract on the activity of CYP3A4 in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2010;69:656-62. PubMed
  2. Qiu F, Jiang J, Ma Y, Wang G, Gao C, Zhang X, Zhang L, Liu S, He M, Zhu L, Ye Y, Li Q, Miao P. Opposite Effects of Single-Dose and Multidose Administration of the Ethanol Extract of Danshen on CYP3A in Healthy Volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Me PubMed

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

Danshen Also Interacts With Other Medications

Danshen has 123 major, 936 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Dasatinib one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 123 Moderate 936 No known interaction 1,771 (incl. Dasatinib)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Danshen

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Dasatinib

This page covers Danshen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dasatinib page lists 146 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), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 8 major · 98 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dasatinib page

“Grapefruit is the first thing I would take off the table for anyone on dasatinib (Sprycel, Phyrago), a targeted leukemia therapy where a steady blood level is the whole point of treatment. It blocks CYP3A4, the enzyme that clears dasatinib, letting levels climb, and 121 of the 146 supplements on file act on that same pathway.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dasatinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 18 real supplement products containing Danshen, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Danshen. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Dasatinib too, on top of Danshen — 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 Danshen and Dasatinib 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 Danshen
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dasatinib
Steady interest

#1,923 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 Danshen

What is Danshen?

Danshen
  • Heart and circulation support
  • Angina (chest pain)
  • High blood pressure
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Liver health

Danshen is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly for heart and circulation problems. Some early research is promising, but the evidence is not strong enough to confirm it works for any condition, and it may affect blood clotting. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition.

Read the full Danshen monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dasatinib

What Is Dasatinib Used For?

Brand names: Sprycel, Phyrago

Dasatinib treats certain blood cancers that carry the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+). In adults, it is used for newly diagnosed chronic phase CML. It is also used for CML in any phase that has stopped responding to, or could not be tolerated with, earlier treatment including imatinib.

It is also used in adults for Ph+ ALL after earlier therapy failed or was not tolerated. In children 1 year and older, Sprycel, Phyrago and one generic dasatinib tablet product are labeled for chronic phase Ph+ CML. Sprycel, Phyrago and another generic dasatinib tablet product are also labeled for newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL together with chemotherapy. The dasatinib film-coated tablet product is not labeled with the pediatric ALL use.

See full Dasatinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Danshen

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

123Major
936Moderate
0Minor
1,770No known interaction
123 Major 936 Moderate 1,770 No interaction
Major

123 interactions

Showing 60 of 123 major interactions — see all 123 on the Danshen page.

Moderate

936 interactions

Showing 60 of 936 moderate interactions — see all 936 on the Danshen page.

No interaction 1,770 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,770 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Danshen list.

See the full Danshen interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dasatinib, 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
Danshen monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Dasatinib supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Dasatinib, ranked by severity Dasatinib 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 Danshen and Dasatinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Danshen with Dasatinib?
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 Danshen and Dasatinib 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 Dasatinib and Danshen?

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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.