Drug & supplement interaction

Danshen + Tirofiban

Tirofiban brand name: Aggrastat.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Danshen has a major interaction with Tirofiban. Theoretically, danshen may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Danshen and Tirofiban

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

Major

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Tirofiban

Tirofiban falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Danshen interacts with.

Theoretically, danshen may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Danshen has been reported to have antithrombotic effects. Animal research also suggests that taking a danshen combination formula with clopidogrel exhibits a synergistic increase in antiplatelet aggregation and prolongation of coagulation time when compared with either taken alone.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction 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..

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

Here's the thing to know about Tirofiban (Aggrastat): it's a powerful clot-blocking medicine given by IV in the hospital, usually during heart procedures or for certain heart attacks. It works by stopping your platelets from sticking together, which already raises your bleeding risk on its own.

Danshen seems to thin the blood in a similar way, so combining the two could stack those effects and make bleeding more likely or harder to stop. That might show up as easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, or more serious internal bleeding. Honestly, this is mostly a hospital setting where your care team controls everything, and the evidence here is more theoretical than proven. Still, always tell your doctors and pharmacist about any Danshen you take so they can keep you safe.

References
  1. Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2000;57:1221-7. DOI
  2. Yin QS, Chen L, Mi RH, Ai H, Yin JJ, Liu XJ, Wei XD. Efficacy and safety of danshen compound tablets in preventing thalidomide-associated thromboembolism in patients with multiple myeloma: a multicenter retrospective study. Med Sci Monit. 2016 Oct 20;22:3 PubMed
  3. Zheng D, Zhang W, Hou M, et al. Evaluation of herb-drug interactions between compound Danshen dripping pills and clopidogrel based on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in rats. Biomed Chromatogr. 2023;37(9):e5684. 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 122 major, 936 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Tirofiban one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Tirofiban

This page covers Danshen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tirofiban page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate), Aloe (moderate) and Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 183 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tirofiban page

“Danshen, an herb taken for heart and circulation problems, tops my concerns for anyone receiving tirofiban (Aggrastat). Tirofiban is an intravenous antiplatelet drug used during heart attacks and cardiac procedures to keep platelets from clumping, so a supplement that also thins the blood compounds the one danger that matters here, ser…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tirofiban 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 Tirofiban 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 Tirofiban 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tirofiban
Steady interest

#2,830 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 Tirofiban

What Is Tirofiban Used For?

Brand name: Aggrastat

Tirofiban hydrochloride injection — available as Aggrastat and under the generic names Tirofiban and Tirofiban Hydrochloride — is used intravenously in people with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), a type of unstable heart condition where blood flow to the heart is dangerously reduced.

The goal is to lower the combined risk of death, heart attack (myocardial infarction), or persistent ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart) that may require a repeat cardiac procedure.

See full Tirofiban 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.

122Major
936Moderate
0Minor
1,771No known interaction
Major

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 major interactions — see all 122 on the Danshen page.

Moderate

936 interactions

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

No interaction 1,771 drugs checked — show the list
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Danshen and Tirofiban Together: Common Questions

Can you take Danshen with Tirofiban?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Danshen and Tirofiban interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Tirofiban and Danshen?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.