Drug & supplement interaction

Durian + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Durian and Gemcitabine 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

Durian and Gemcitabine

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 Gemcitabine and Durian 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.

Durian safety at a glance

Durian overall Use caution Generally safe as a food in moderation, but high in sugar and calories.
Pregnancy Use caution Likely fine as an occasional food, but avoid large amounts and supplement forms; ask your provider.
Breastfeeding Use caution Likely fine in normal food amounts, but data on supplements is lacking.

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

Still wondering about combining Gemcitabine and Durian? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Gemcitabine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications — antineoplastics, hepatotoxic drugs. Durian has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being alcohol (ethanol) (moderate) — and none of Gemcitabine’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

Durian Does Interact With Other Medications

Durian has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — Gemcitabine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Durian

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Durian and Gemcitabine 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Durian

    “A case report describes a patient who experienced an allergic reaction after eating durian fruit. Symptoms included hives, nasal congestion, runny nose, and laryngeal discomfort with hoarseness.”

    Durian · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in urticaria.

    1 source cited
    1. 25476. Olivieri, J., Quiliquini-Chambard, A. M., and Hauser, C. Allergy to durian. Allergy 2002;57(3):263.

    Gemcitabine

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

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Durian

    “A case report describes a patient who experienced abdominal discomfort and flatulence after eating durian fruit along with alcohol. There has also been a case report of a patient experiencing diarrhea and vomiting after eating durian.”

    Durian · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    2 sources cited
    1. 25477. Ogle, C. W. and Teh, Y. F. Durian and alcohol. A preliminary report. Singapore Med J 1969;10(4):288-290.
    2. 25476. Olivieri, J., Quiliquini-Chambard, A. M., and Hauser, C. Allergy to durian. Allergy 2002;57(3):263.

    Gemcitabine

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

Reported for Durian but not commonly for Gemcitabine: stomach upset, a stuffy or runny nose, bloating or gas and diarrhea.

Effects for Gemcitabine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Durian come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 53,020 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gemcitabine 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gemcitabine

This page covers Durian only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 15 real supplement products containing Durian, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Durian. Even though Durian itself has no known interaction with Gemcitabine, 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 Durian and Gemcitabine 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 Durian
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gemcitabine
Steady interest

#2,588 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 Durian reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Durian and Gemcitabine 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 Durian

What is Durian?

  • General nutrition and energy
  • Traditional tonic or aphrodisiac
  • Digestive support
  • Source of antioxidants
  • Fever and traditional folk remedies

Durian is a popular tropical fruit valued mainly as a nutritious food rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. While it has many traditional medicinal uses, there is little solid human research to support health claims beyond basic nutrition, and it is very high in calories. Enjoy it as a food in moderation, and check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have diabetes or other health concerns.

Durio zibethinus · Malvaceae · Fruit (pulp and seeds); rind, leaves, and roots in traditional medicine · Fresh fruit, frozen pulp, dried snacks, powder, capsules, candy, and flavorings

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

Durian: dosing

There is no established medicinal dose for durian. As a food, a small serving of the pulp is typical, and because it is high in calories and sugar, moderation is wise.For any durian supplement, powder, or extract product, follow the directions on the label.

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

Read the full Durian monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug).

It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gemcitabine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (53,020 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 4,850 reports
Thrombocytopenia 3,706 reports
Neutropenia 3,295 reports
Anemia 3,084 reports
Malignant neoplasm progression 2,912 reports
See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Durian

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

0Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,828No known interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Durian References

The 5 references that drive our Durian 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. Singh, P. Journal of the Malaya Branch British Medical Association 1941;5(1):62-63.
  2. Olivieri, J., Quiliquini-Chambard, A. M., and Hauser, C. Allergy to durian. Allergy 2002;57(3):263.
  3. Ogle, C. W. and Teh, Y. F. Durian and alcohol. A preliminary report. Singapore Med J 1969;10(4):288-290.
  4. Maninang JS, Lizada, MCC, Gemma, H. Inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme by Durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) fruit extract. Food Chem 2009;117(2):352-355. DOI
  5. Husin NA, Rahman S, Karunakaran R, Bhore SJ. A review on the nutritional, medicinal, molecular and genome attributes of Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) the king of fruits in Malaysia. Bioinformation 2018;14(6):265-70. 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 Durian and Gemcitabine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Durian with Gemcitabine?
We do not list a known interaction between Durian and Gemcitabine. 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 Durian and Gemcitabine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Durian and Gemcitabine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications, and Durian has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Gemcitabine'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 Durian interact with any other medications?
Yes. Durian has 1 documented drug interaction in our database — Gemcitabine 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 Gemcitabine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gemcitabine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Durian is not one of them. The Gemcitabine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Gemcitabine and Durian?

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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.