Drug & supplement interaction

Krill Oil + Defibrotide Sodium

Defibrotide Sodium brand name: Defitelio.

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

Krill Oil has a moderate interaction with Defibrotide Sodium. Theoretically, krill oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil interacts with.

Theoretically, krill oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Taking high doses of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil can modestly decrease platelet aggregation. Since krill oil also contains these fatty acids, taking high doses of krill oil might also inhibit platelet aggregation. Theoretically, taking high doses of krill oil with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bleeding. However, the omega-3 content of krill oil is much lower than that of fish oil.
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 short version: defibrotide is a powerful clot-preventing medicine given in the hospital for a serious liver complication after a stem-cell transplant. Krill oil, in high doses, may very slightly make platelets less sticky because of its omega-3 fats. Put those two together and the theoretical concern is a bit more bleeding, things like easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's harder to stop.

In reality, this worry is theoretical and based on pharmacology, not solid studies, and krill oil has far less omega-3 than fish oil. Honestly, if you're sick enough to be getting defibrotide, you're in a closely monitored setting and your medical team is already watching your bleeding risk carefully. Don't start or stop any supplement on your own, just let your doctor and pharmacist know what you're taking.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Leaf A. On the reanalysis of the GISSI-Prevenzione. Circulation 2002;105:1874-5. PubMed
  2. Connor WE. n-3 Fatty acids from fish and fish oil: panacea or nostrum? Am J Clin Nutr 2001;74;415-6. PubMed
  3. Calder PC. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and immunity: pouring oil on troubled waters or another fishy tale? Nutr Res 2001;21:309-41. DOI
  4. Harris WS, Miller M, Tighe AP, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk: clinical and mechanistic perspectives. Atherosclerosis 2008;197:12-24. 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

Krill Oil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Krill Oil 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.

Moderate 207 No known interaction 2,623 (incl. Defibrotide Sodium)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Krill Oil

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 605 real supplement products containing Krill Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Krill Oil. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Defibrotide Sodium too, on top of Krill Oil — 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 Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Defibrotide Sodium
Top half

#987 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 Krill Oil

What is Krill Oil?

Krill Oil
  • Heart and cholesterol support
  • High triglycerides
  • Joint pain and inflammation
  • Brain and eye health
  • PMS symptoms
  • General omega-3 supplementation

Krill oil is a source of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) bound to phospholipids, which may help absorption. It is most studied for lowering triglycerides and supporting heart health, but the evidence for many other uses is limited. It is generally well tolerated, but people with shellfish allergy should avoid it, and anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, or on blood thinners should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Krill Oil 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 & Krill Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Krill Oil — 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
207 Moderate 2,622 No interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Krill Oil page.

No interaction 2,622 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,622 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Krill Oil list.

See the full Krill Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Defibrotide Sodium, 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
Krill Oil monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Defibrotide Sodium supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Defibrotide Sodium, ranked by severity Defibrotide Injection 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 Krill Oil and Defibrotide Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Krill Oil 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 Krill Oil 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

Still Have a Question About Defibrotide Sodium and Krill Oil?

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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.