Drug & supplement interaction

Lemon + Itraconazole

Itraconazole brand names: Sporanox, Sporanox Injection, Tolsura.

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

Lemon has a minor interaction with Itraconazole. Theoretically, taking itraconazole capsules or tablets with a beverage containing lemon might increase the levels and clinical effects of itraconazole.

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

Lemon and Itraconazole

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

Minor

ITRACONAZOLE (Sporanox)

Theoretically, taking itraconazole capsules or tablets with a beverage containing lemon might increase the levels and clinical effects of itraconazole.
In one case report, dissolving itraconazole tablets in a small amount of specific beverages containing lemon prior to administration increased the level of itraconazole in a lung transplant patient. In this case, the increased bioavailability was desirable and was likely due to improved tablet dissolution in the acidic beverage.
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 with itraconazole and lemon. Itraconazole capsules need an acidic stomach to dissolve and get absorbed well. Something tart like lemon may lower the pH a bit, which could nudge a little more of the drug into your system. This is mostly a theory based on how the medicine behaves, plus one case in a transplant patient where dissolving the tablet in a lemony drink actually helped absorption.

So this isn't a scary interaction. In real life, a slice of lemon in your water is very unlikely to cause trouble. If anything, more absorption usually means the medicine works a little better, though in theory it could also mean slightly more side effects like nausea or stomach upset. To keep your dosing consistent, just take it the same way each time and check with your pharmacist if you have questions.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Umemura K, Katada Y, Nakagawa S, et al. Improved absorption of itraconazole tablet by co-administration with lemon beverages in a lung transplant recipient: A case report. J Infect Chemother 2022;28(8):1203-1207. 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Lemon or Itraconazole

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

This page covers Lemon only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Itraconazole page lists 182 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 136 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Itraconazole page

“Serious fungal infections are what itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) is for, and the drug travels through CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that also handles a large share of supplements. That overlap is why this list reaches 182 ingredients, and it earns genuine care; start with the six rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Itraconazole interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,390 real supplement products containing Lemon, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lemon. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Itraconazole too, on top of Lemon — 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 Lemon and Itraconazole 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 Lemon
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Itraconazole
Top half

#859 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 Lemon

What is Lemon?

  • Vitamin C source
  • Digestive support
  • Flavoring and aromatherapy
  • Skin and hair care
  • Sore throat and cold relief
  • Kidney stone prevention (dietary)

Lemon is a common citrus fruit that is a good source of vitamin C and citric acid, and it is widely used in food, drinks, and home remedies. While it can support hydration and a healthy diet, most claimed medicinal benefits are not strongly proven. As a food, lemon is very safe for most people, but concentrated essential oils and extracts call for more caution.

Read the full Lemon monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Itraconazole

What Is Itraconazole Used For?

Brand names: Sporanox, Sporanox Injection, Tolsura

Itraconazole capsules (including Sporanox capsules and generic itraconazole capsules) treat serious fungal infections — blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and aspergillosis — in both people with normal immune systems and those who are immunocompromised. Capsule forms are also approved for nail fungus (onychomycosis) caused by dermatophytes in non-immunocompromised patients. Tolsura (a gelatin-coated capsule formulation) treats blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and aspergillosis in adults, but is not approved for nail fungus and is not interchangeable with other itraconazole products.

Itraconazole oral solution is specifically approved for oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush — a fungal infection of the mouth) and esophageal candidiasis (a fungal infection of the food pipe). Only the oral solution has been shown to work for these mouth and throat infections; capsules cannot be substituted for this use.

See full Itraconazole drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lemon

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lemon list.

See the full Lemon interactions page
See every supplement checked against Itraconazole, 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
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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Lemon and Itraconazole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lemon with Itraconazole?
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.
How serious is the Lemon and Itraconazole 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

Still Have a Question About Itraconazole and Lemon?

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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.