Drug & supplement interaction

Fucus Vesiculosus + Treprostinil (IV)

Treprostinil (IV) brand name: Remodulin.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Treprostinil (IV) falls into 2 drug categories that Fucus Vesiculosus can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Theoretically, taking Fucus vesiculosus with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

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

Fucus Vesiculosus and Treprostinil (IV)

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. Treprostinil (IV) 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

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Treprostinil (IV)

Treprostinil (IV) falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Fucus Vesiculosus interacts with.

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 gist for treprostinil (Remodulin), which you receive through an IV. Besides widening blood vessels in your lungs, treprostinil can mildly affect platelets and slightly raise your bleeding tendency. The thought here is that bladderwrack contains a compound called fucoidan that, in test tube studies, acts a bit like a blood thinner. Stacked on top of treprostinil, the worry is slightly easier bruising or bleeding.

In real life, though, this concern is mostly theoretical. When people swallow fucoidan, the body barely absorbs it, so it hasn't shown meaningful blood-thinning effects in human studies. I still wouldn't start bladderwrack without checking with your care team first, especially since its iodine can also throw off your thyroid.

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
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) SUBSTRATES

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Treprostinil (IV) also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, concomitant use of Fucus vesiculosus with CYP2C8 substrates might increase the risk for adverse effects.
In vitro research shows that fucoidan, a constituent of Fucus vesiculosus, inhibits CYP2C8. 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 for Remodulin (treprostinil). Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C8 to help clear this medication. Lab studies suggest that fucoidan, one of the compounds in bladderwrack, may slow that enzyme down a bit. In theory, that could let treprostinil build up slightly, which might mean stronger blood-vessel effects like headache, flushing, jaw pain, nausea, diarrhea, or low blood pressure.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is only test-tube research, and it has never actually been seen in people taking the two together, so the real-world risk looks small. Still, IV treprostinil is a powerful, closely-dosed drug, so don't add bladderwrack without first checking with your doctor or pharmacist.

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.

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 Treprostinil (IV) one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Treprostinil (IV)

This page covers Fucus Vesiculosus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Treprostinil (IV) page lists 212 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Mistletoe (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 191 moderate · 18 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Treprostinil (IV) page

“Bleeding risk is the thread running through nearly every supplement flagged for treprostinil (Remodulin), the IV therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. The drug itself discourages platelets from clumping, so the overwhelming majority of these ingredients could push that tendency further, and I would not add anything from this pag…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Treprostinil (IV) interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Fucus Vesiculosus and Treprostinil (IV) 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

#1,030 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Treprostinil (IV)
Top 5%

#103 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 Treprostinil Injection

What Is Treprostinil Injection Used For?

Brand name: Remodulin

Treprostinil injection is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group 1) — high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs. It works to reduce the symptoms that make exercise difficult. Clinical studies included patients with moderate-to-severe PAH symptoms (NYHA Class II–IV) due to idiopathic or heritable PAH, PAH related to congenital heart defects, and PAH related to connective tissue diseases.

It is also used for PAH patients who need to transition off epoprostenol — a related medication — to slow the worsening of their condition during that switch. The risks and benefits of the transition should be carefully discussed with a specialist before starting.

See full Treprostinil Injection 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
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
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Fucus Vesiculosus and Treprostinil (IV) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Fucus Vesiculosus with Treprostinil (IV)?
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 Treprostinil (IV)?
Treprostinil (IV) 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 Treprostinil (IV) 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

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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.