Kampo Medicine + Imatinib
Imatinib brand name: Gleevec.
We found no known interaction between Kampo Medicine and Imatinib 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Imatinib states a food rule worth keeping to.
Kampo Medicine and Imatinib
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 Imatinib and Kampo Medicine 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 Kampo Medicine at all — not against Imatinib, 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.
Kampo Medicine safety at a glance
Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.
Some Imatinib Products Have a Food Rule — Kampo Medicine Should Not Break It
At least one FDA label for a product containing Imatinib says to take it with food. If you take Kampo Medicine on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Imatinib with a meal where the label says to.
This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Imatinib products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.
Drug Administration The prescribed dose should be administered orally, with a meal and a large glass of water.
From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Imatinib — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›
A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.
See Every Supplement That Interacts With Imatinib
This page covers Kampo Medicine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Imatinib page lists 153 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.
The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).
By severity: 8 major · 106 moderate · 39 minor.
From our pharmacist’s overview on the Imatinib page
“Imatinib (Gleevec) treats certain leukemias and gastrointestinal tumors, and because keeping its blood level steady is what keeps the cancer controlled, this list deserves genuine attention before you add anything to it. Most of the interactions trace back to how the body clears imatinib through an enzyme called CYP3A4.”
Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026
Where Kampo Medicine and Imatinib 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.
#1,364 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days
#1,034 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days
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. Kampo Medicine is not yet covered by that licensed database, so its write-up cites publicly available medical sources directly (see the references below).
- Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Kampo Medicine reference on this page ↓
- Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Kampo Medicine and Imatinib records this page draws on were last updated June 20, 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.
About Kampo Medicine
What is Kampo Medicine?
- Digestive complaints
- Cold and flu symptoms
- Menopausal symptoms
- Fatigue and general weakness
- Constipation
- Pain and inflammation
Kampo is a traditional Japanese system of herbal medicine that uses standardized multi-herb formulas, many of which are prescribed by doctors in Japan. Some formulas have modest supportive evidence for certain conditions, but quality and strength of research vary widely. Because Kampo products combine many ingredients, talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using them, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition.
Roots, rhizomes, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and minerals depending on the formula · Granules, powders, decoctions (teas), tablets, and capsules
An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Kampo Medicine is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Kampo Medicine record says about it on its own.
Kampo Medicine: dosing
There is no single standard dose for "Kampo medicine" because it is a whole system of many different formulas. Each formula has its own typical dosing, which can also depend on the person and the condition being treated.In Japan, doses are often based on standardized extract granules and prescribed by a clinician.
From our Kampo Medicine monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.
About Imatinib
What Is Imatinib Used For?
Brand name: Gleevec
Imatinib treats a range of blood cancers and solid tumors. It is used for Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in adults and children — whether newly diagnosed or in more advanced phases — and for Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) in both adults and pediatric patients.
It is also used for Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), including after surgical removal, and for several rarer conditions: myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD) linked to specific gene changes, aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM), hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and/or chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), and unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP).
Most-Reported Side Effects for Imatinib
From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (41,419 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.
Other Drugs & Kampo Medicine
Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Kampo Medicine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.
No drugs match “”.
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
We also checked Kampo Medicine against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.
- Apixaban ›
- Levothyroxine ›
- Amlodipine ›
- Warfarin ›
- Methylphenidate ›
- Sertraline ›
- Losartan Potassium ›
- Testosterone ›
- Ivermectin ›
- Metoprolol ›
- Abemaciclib ›
- Aspirin ›
- Acetaminophen ›
- Rosuvastatin ›
- Rivaroxaban ›
- Escitalopram ›
- Clopidogrel ›
- Atorvastatin ›
- Tadalafil ›
- Docusate ›
- Tirzepatide ›
- Ibuprofen ›
- Methamphetamine ›
- Hydroxyurea ›
- Warfarin Sodium ›
- Valacyclovir ›
- Sumatriptan ›
- Semaglutide ›
- Prednisone ›
- Lisdexamfetamine ›
- Propranolol ›
- Metformin ›
- Amitriptyline ›
- Lisinopril ›
- Amoxicillin ›
- Isotretinoin ›
- Methotrexate ›
- Amlodipine Besylate ›
- Bendamustine ›
- Bupropion ›
- Amphetamine ›
- Fluoxetine ›
- Doxycycline ›
- Acyclovir ›
- Azithromycin ›
- Lamotrigine ›
- Pregabalin ›
- Dextroamphetamine ›
- Gabapentin ›
- Acetaminophen, Codeine ›
- Quetiapine ›
- Clonazepam ›
- Levothyroxine, Liothyronine ›
- Naproxen ›
- Omeprazole ›
- Letrozole ›
- Methylene Blue ›
- Duloxetine ›
- Buspirone ›
- Citalopram ›
Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Kampo Medicine list.
Kampo Medicine References
The 4 sources that drive our Kampo Medicine monograph — publicly available pages from reputable medical and government organizations. Every link was verified to work before publishing. Kampo Medicine is not covered by the licensed Natural Medicines interaction database, so its page cites these public sources directly.
- Herbs at a Glance — NIH NCCIH Source
- Using Dietary Supplements Wisely — NIH NCCIH Source
- Herbal Medicine — MedlinePlus Source
- About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Source
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.
Taking Kampo Medicine and Imatinib Together: Common Questions
Is it safe to take Kampo Medicine with Imatinib?
Should I take Kampo Medicine and Imatinib at the same time of day?
Does Imatinib interact with any supplements?
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.