Drug & supplement interaction

Fucus Vesiculosus + Cilostazol

Cilostazol brand name: Pletal.

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

Cilostazol falls into 2 drug categories that Fucus Vesiculosus can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Theoretically, concomitant use of Fucus vesiculosus with CYP3A4 substrates might increase the risk for adverse effects.

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

Fucus Vesiculosus and Cilostazol

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Cilostazol

Cilostazol falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Fucus Vesiculosus interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of Fucus vesiculosus with CYP3A4 substrates might increase the risk for adverse effects.
In vitro research shows that fucoidan, a constituent of Fucus vesiculosus, inhibits CYP3A4. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor 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 gist with bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) and your cilostazol (Pletal). Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to clear cilostazol out of your body. A compound in bladderwrack called fucoidan may slow that enzyme down a bit. In theory, if the enzyme works slower, more cilostazol could linger in your blood, which might mean a little more chance of side effects like headache, dizziness, a fast or pounding heartbeat, loose stools, or easier bruising.

I want to be honest about how soft this is: it's based only on lab studies, never shown in real people, and it's rated as a minor interaction. So please don't panic. Still, since bladderwrack also packs a lot of iodine that can mess with your thyroid, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mathew L, Burney M, Gaikwad A, et al. Preclinical evaluation of safety of fucoidan extracts from Undaria pinnatifida and Fucus vesiculosus for use in cancer treatment. Integr Cancer Ther 2017;16(4):572-84.
Minor

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Cilostazol also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Theoretically, taking Fucus vesiculosus with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
In vitro evidence suggests that a constituent of Fucus vesiculosus, known as fucoidan, has anticoagulant effects. However, in clinical research, fucoidan does not seem to have significant anticoagulant activity when taken orally, possibly due to poor absorption.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

Here's the short version on combining bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) with cilostazol. Cilostazol already works by making your platelets less sticky to improve blood flow in your legs. One compound in bladderwrack, called fucoidan, has shown blood-thinning activity in lab dishes. The worry is that stacking the two could, in theory, nudge up your odds of easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's slow to stop.

That said, I want to keep this in perspective. This is a theoretical, lab-only concern, and in actual human studies fucoidan taken by mouth doesn't seem to thin the blood much, likely because it's poorly absorbed. So the real-world risk is low. Still, since bladderwrack can also disrupt your thyroid because of its iodine, it's worth a quick check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Durig J, Bruhn T, Zurborn KH, et al. Anticoagulant fucoidan fractions from Fucus vesiculosus induce platelet activation in vitro. Thromb Res 1997;85:479-91. PubMed
  2. Cumashi, A., Ushakova, N. A., Preobrazhenskaya, M. E., D'Incecco, A., Piccoli, A., Totani, L., Tinari, N., Morozevich, G. E., Berman, A. E., Bilan, M. I., Usov, A. I., Ustyuzhanina, N. E., Grachev, A. A., Sanderson, C. J., Kelly, M., Rabinovich, G. A., I
  3. Irhimeh, M. R., Fitton, J. H., and Lowenthal, R. M. Pilot clinical study to evaluate the anticoagulant activity of fucoidan. Blood Coagul.Fibrinolysis 2009;20(7):607-610. PubMed
  4. Church FC, Meade JB, Treanor RE, and et al. Antithrombin activity of fucoidan. The interaction of fucoidan with heparin cofactor II, antithrombin III, and thrombin. J Biol Chem 2-25-1989;264(6):3618-3623. DOI

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

Fucus Vesiculosus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Fucus Vesiculosus has 23 moderate, 867 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Cilostazol one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 23 Minor 867 No known interaction 1,940 (incl. Cilostazol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Fucus Vesiculosus

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Fucus Vesiculosus or Cilostazol

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Fucus Vesiculosus or Cilostazol, 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 Cilostazol

This page covers Fucus Vesiculosus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cilostazol page lists 286 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 41 minor.

Open the Cilostazol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Fucus Vesiculosus and Cilostazol 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 Fucus Vesiculosus
Steady interest

#1,090 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cilostazol
Steady interest

#1,640 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 Fucus Vesiculosus

What is Fucus Vesiculosus?

Fucus Vesiculosus
  • Thyroid support
  • Iodine source
  • Weight management
  • Joint and skin care (topical)
  • Constipation and digestive support

Fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack) is a brown seaweed rich in iodine that has been used traditionally for thyroid concerns, weight, and skin. There is little solid human evidence to support most of these uses, and its high and variable iodine content can actually harm the thyroid. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a thyroid condition.

Read the full Fucus Vesiculosus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cilostazol

What Is Cilostazol Used For?

Brand name: Pletal

Cilostazol tablets are approved to reduce the symptoms of intermittent claudication (cramping leg pain that comes on during walking due to reduced blood flow in the arteries). The goal is to help you walk farther before pain forces you to stop.

See full Cilostazol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Fucus Vesiculosus

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

0Major
23Moderate
867Minor
1,939No known interaction
23 Moderate 867 Minor 1,939 No interaction
Moderate

23 interactions

Minor

867 interactions

Showing 60 of 867 minor interactions — see all 867 on the Fucus Vesiculosus page.

No interaction 1,939 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,939 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Fucus Vesiculosus list.

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

Can you take Fucus Vesiculosus with Cilostazol?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Fucus Vesiculosus and Cilostazol?
Cilostazol belongs to more than one drug category, and Fucus Vesiculosus 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 Fucus Vesiculosus and Cilostazol interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Cilostazol and Fucus Vesiculosus?

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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.