Drug & supplement interaction

Indian Gooseberry + Defibrotide Sodium

Defibrotide Sodium brand name: Defitelio.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Indian Gooseberry has a moderate interaction with Defibrotide Sodium. Theoretically, Indian gooseberry may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs; however, research is conflicting.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Indian Gooseberry and Defibrotide Sodium

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Defibrotide Sodium

Defibrotide Sodium falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Indian Gooseberry interacts with.

Theoretically, Indian gooseberry may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs; however, research is conflicting.
Clinical research shows that taking Indian gooseberry 500 mg as a single dose or twice daily for 10 days reduces platelet aggregation by about 24% to 36%, increases bleeding time by about 3.8-5.9 seconds, and increases clotting time by about 9.8-12.7 seconds when compared to baseline. However, taking Indian gooseberry 500 mg along with clopidogrel 75 mg or ecosprin 75 mg, as a single dose or for 10 days, does not significantly reduce platelet aggregation or increase bleeding time or clotting time when compared with clopidogrel 75 mg or ecosprin 75 mg alone. Until more is known, use caution when taking Indian gooseberry in combination with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 basic idea: defibrotide is a clot-fighting medicine that already lowers your blood's ability to form clots. Indian gooseberry (amla) may also gently thin the blood on its own. In studies, amla taken by itself reduced platelet stickiness and lengthened bleeding and clotting times a bit. So stacking the two could, in theory, raise your bleeding risk, with signs like easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or blood in urine or stool.

That said, the evidence here is mixed and mostly theoretical. Interestingly, when amla was combined with blood thinners in one study, it didn't add much extra effect. Keep in mind defibrotide is given in the hospital for a serious liver condition, so your care team is watching you closely. Still, always tell them about any amla supplement before starting.

References
  1. Fatima N, Pingali U, Muralidhar N. Study of pharmacodynamic interaction of Phyllanthus emblica extract with clopidogrel and ecosprin in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Phytomedicine. 2014;21(5):579-85. 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

Indian Gooseberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Indian Gooseberry has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Defibrotide Sodium 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 Indian Gooseberry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Indian Gooseberry or Defibrotide Sodium

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Indian Gooseberry or Defibrotide Sodium, 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 Defibrotide Sodium

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

The most serious there right now: Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

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

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Defibrotide Sodium page

“Defibrotide (Defitelio) is an intravenous drug for severe veno-occlusive disease of the liver after a stem cell transplant, and part of how it works is by reducing the blood's tendency to clot. That makes bleeding the single thread running through this entire list, and it deserves real care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Defibrotide Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,248 real supplement products containing Indian Gooseberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Indian Gooseberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Defibrotide Sodium too, on top of Indian Gooseberry — 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 Indian Gooseberry and Defibrotide Sodium 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 Indian Gooseberry
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Defibrotide Sodium
Top half

#978 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 Indian Gooseberry

What is Indian Gooseberry?

Indian Gooseberry
  • Antioxidant support
  • Cholesterol and heart health
  • Immune support
  • Digestive health
  • Skin and hair care

Indian gooseberry (amla) is a vitamin C-rich fruit used in Ayurvedic medicine for many purposes, from antioxidant support to cholesterol and digestion. Early research is promising for some uses like cholesterol, but most claims are not yet proven by strong human studies. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking concentrated supplements.

Read the full Indian Gooseberry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Defibrotide Injection

What Is Defibrotide Injection Used For?

Brand name: Defitelio

Defitelio (defibrotide injection) is used to treat hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) — also called sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) — in adult and pediatric patients. This is a serious condition where small blood vessels in the liver become blocked, most often after a hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT).

Defitelio is specifically indicated when VOD is accompanied by kidney dysfunction or pulmonary (lung) dysfunction, making it a treatment for one of the most severe forms of this complication.

See full Defibrotide Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Indian Gooseberry

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

0Major
207Moderate
0Minor
2,622No known interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Indian Gooseberry page.

No interaction 2,622 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 Indian Gooseberry and Defibrotide Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Indian Gooseberry with Defibrotide Sodium?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Indian Gooseberry and Defibrotide Sodium interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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.