Drug & supplement interaction

Ergothioneine + Acyclovir

Acyclovir brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated June 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Ergothioneine and Acyclovir 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.

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Interaction report

Ergothioneine and Acyclovir

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 Acyclovir and Ergothioneine 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Ergothioneine at all — not against Acyclovir, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Ergothioneine safety at a glance

Ergothioneine overall Use caution Appears well tolerated in foods and short-term studies, but long-term supplement safety is not well established.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety data on supplement doses during pregnancy, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding has not been studied, so avoid supplemental use.

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

Still wondering about combining Acyclovir and Ergothioneine? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Acyclovir’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Ergothioneine. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Acyclovir’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on mentioned in 5.0% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on
  • Joint pain
  • Tiredness mentioned in 7.0% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Stomach pain
  • A skin rash mentioned in 3.7% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea mentioned in 4.9% of FDA reports for Acyclovir

Showing the 10 most notable of 12 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Acyclovir. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 114,761 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Acyclovir that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Ergothioneine’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Ergothioneine side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Ergothioneine has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Ergothioneine or Acyclovir

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Ergothioneine or Acyclovir, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acyclovir

This page covers Ergothioneine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acyclovir page lists 37 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 23 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acyclovir page

“Kidney strain is the risk to understand first. Acyclovir (Zovirax) can stress the kidneys on its own, and a few ingredients here, Siberian cocklebur especially, are toxic to kidney tissue, so pairing them could compound the harm.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acyclovir interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 10 real supplement products containing Ergothioneine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ergothioneine. Even though Ergothioneine itself has no known interaction with Acyclovir, 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 Ergothioneine and Acyclovir 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 Ergothioneine
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acyclovir
Top 5%

#59 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 Ergothioneine reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Ergothioneine and Acyclovir records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Ergothioneine

What is Ergothioneine?

  • Antioxidant support
  • Healthy aging and longevity
  • Cellular protection
  • Cognitive and brain health
  • General wellness

Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid–like compound (an antioxidant) found mostly in mushrooms and made by certain fungi and bacteria. Early laboratory studies suggest it may help protect cells from oxidative stress, but solid human evidence for any specific health benefit is still limited. It appears generally well tolerated, but if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Naturally found in certain mushrooms and other foods; produced by some fungi and bacteria · Capsules, tablets, powders, and as a nutrient in mushroom-based foods

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

Ergothioneine: dosing

There is no officially established dose for ergothioneine supplements. Doses used in research have varied, and a standard recommended amount has not been set.The safest approach is to follow the dosing on the product label and not exceed it. You can also increase your intake naturally by eating more mushrooms.

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

Read the full Ergothioneine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acyclovir

What Is Acyclovir Used For?

Brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr

Acyclovir treats infections caused by herpes viruses. Depending on the form, it is used for cold sores (herpes labialis), genital herpes (initial episodes and recurrent flare-ups), shingles (herpes zoster), and chickenpox (varicella). It can also be used long-term to suppress recurrent genital herpes outbreaks.

Some forms are approved for more serious situations: acyclovir injection is used in hospital settings for herpes simplex encephalitis (herpes infection of the brain), neonatal herpes (in newborns), and herpes or shingles infections in immunocompromised patients. Avaclyr ophthalmic ointment is specifically indicated for acute herpetic keratitis (a herpes ulcer on the cornea of the eye). Sitavig buccal tablet and Zovirax cream are specifically indicated for recurrent cold sores in immunocompetent adults.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Acyclovir

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (114,761 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 8,029 reports
Diarrhea 7,348 reports
Pneumonia 5,700 reports
Nausea 5,643 reports
Fever 4,989 reports
See full Acyclovir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ergothioneine

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ergothioneine list.

See the full Ergothioneine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acyclovir, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Ergothioneine References

The 2 references that drive our Ergothioneine 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. Benson KF, Ager DM, Landes B, Aruoma OI, Jensen GS. Improvement of joint range of motion (ROM) and reduction of chronic pain after consumption of an ergothioneine-containing nutritional supplement. Prev Med. 2012;54 Suppl:S83-9. PubMed
  2. Smith E, Ottosson F, Hellstrand S, et al. Ergothioneine is associated with reduced mortality and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart 2019. pii: heartjnl-2019-315485. 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 Ergothioneine and Acyclovir Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Ergothioneine with Acyclovir?
We do not list a known interaction between Ergothioneine and Acyclovir. 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.
Does Acyclovir interact with any supplements?
Yes. Acyclovir has documented interactions with 37 supplements in our database — Ergothioneine is not one of them. The Acyclovir 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

Ergothioneine monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Acyclovir drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Acyclovir supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Acyclovir, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Acyclovir and Ergothioneine?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.