Drug & supplement interaction

Japanese Apricot + dabigatran

dabigatran brand names: Pradaxa, Pradax.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Japanese Apricot has a moderate interaction with dabigatran. Some constituents of Japanese apricot flower extract might have antiplatelet properties.

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

Japanese Apricot and dabigatran

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to dabigatran

dabigatran falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Japanese Apricot interacts with.

Some constituents of Japanese apricot flower extract might have antiplatelet properties. Theoretically, combining Japanese flower extract with drugs that have antiplatelet or anticoagulant effects might increase the risk of bruising or bleeding. Some of these drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, indomethacin (Indocin), ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Severity Moderate 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 simple version: dabigatran (Pradaxa) is already a powerful blood thinner that helps stop dangerous clots. Japanese Apricot, especially the concentrated flower extract, may have mild blood-thinning (antiplatelet) properties of its own. Stacking the two together could, in theory, nudge your bleeding risk a little higher. That might show up as easier bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or longer bleeding from small cuts.

I want to be honest about how strong this concern is: it comes from lab and test-tube studies, not from people, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Eating umeboshi or apricot as a normal food is far less likely to matter than taking concentrated extract capsules. Since dabigatran is one to be careful with, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding any concentrated supplement.

References
  1. Matsuda H, Morikawa T, Ishiwada T, et al. Medicinal flowers. VIII. Radical scavenging constituents from the flowers of Prunus mume: structure of prunose III. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2003;51:440-3.. 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

Japanese Apricot Also Interacts With Other Medications

Japanese Apricot has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the dabigatran 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 Japanese Apricot

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Japanese Apricot or dabigatran

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

This page covers Japanese Apricot only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the dabigatran page lists 235 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 4 major · 201 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the dabigatran page

“Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is a blood thinner prescribed to prevent strokes and dangerous clots, which makes the stakes for mixing in supplements higher than for most medicines, and I would go through this list with real care. Of the 235 ingredients on file, 202 could add to dabigatran's blood-thinning effect and increase bruising or bleedin…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the dabigatran interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 12 real supplement products containing Japanese Apricot, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Japanese Apricot. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with dabigatran too, on top of Japanese Apricot — 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 Japanese Apricot and dabigatran 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 Japanese Apricot
Steady interest

#1,069 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication dabigatran
Top 10%

#150 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 Japanese Apricot

What is Japanese Apricot?

  • Digestive upset
  • Fatigue and general wellness
  • Sore throat and cough
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Liver and detox support (traditional)

Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume) is a tart fruit used widely in East Asian foods and traditional medicine, often as pickled umeboshi or a concentrated extract. It has a long history of culinary and folk use, but high-quality human studies are limited, so most health claims remain unproven. The processed fruit is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Japanese Apricot monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dabigatran

What Is Dabigatran Used For?

Brand names: Pradaxa, Pradax

Dabigatran etexilate capsules are used in adults to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm not caused by a heart valve problem). They are also used to treat deep venous thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in a deep vein) and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs), to lower the risk of those clots coming back, and to prevent DVT and PE in adults who have had hip replacement surgery.

In children ages 8 to under 18, dabigatran etexilate capsules are used to treat venous thromboembolic events (VTE — blood clots in the veins) and to reduce the risk of those clots recurring. Pradaxa Oral Pellets — a separate formulation — are indicated for the treatment and prevention of recurrent VTE in younger children ages 3 months to under 12 years.

See full Dabigatran drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Japanese Apricot

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Japanese Apricot — 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 Japanese Apricot 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 Japanese Apricot and dabigatran Together: Common Questions

Can you take Japanese Apricot with dabigatran?
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 Japanese Apricot and dabigatran 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

Still Have a Question About dabigatran and Japanese Apricot?

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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.