Drug & supplement interaction

Lion's Mane Mushroom + Sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine brand names: SAS, Azulfidine EN-Tabs, Azulfidine.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine 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 two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine

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 Sulfasalazine and Lion's Mane Mushroom 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.

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.

Lion's Mane Mushroom safety at a glance

Lion's Mane Mushro... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated as a food, but supplement safety has not been well studied long-term.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best to avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best to avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Sulfasalazine and Lion's Mane Mushroom? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sulfasalazine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sulfasalazine is filed under 3 classifications — including photosensitizing drugs, oral drugs. Lion's Mane Mushroom has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Sulfasalazine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Lion's Mane Mushroom Does Interact With Other Medications

Lion's Mane Mushroom has 327 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sulfasalazine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lion's Mane Mushroom

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Lion's Mane Mushroom. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • A skin rash reported in 14.1% of FDA reports for Sulfasalazine Additional detail

    Lion's Mane Mushroom

    “Orally, lion's mane mushroom is generally well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, skin rash.”

    Lion's Mane Mushroom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    Sulfasalazine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sulfasalazine, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset / Nausea Additional detail

    Lion's Mane Mushroom

    “Orally, lion's mane mushroom may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and nausea.”

    Lion's Mane Mushroom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 91999. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-72.
    2. 105546. Li IC, Chang HH, Lin CH, et al. Prevention of early Alzheimer's disease by erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia pilot double-blind placebo-controlled study. Front Aging Neurosci 2020 Jun 3;12:155. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00155. PubMed

    Sulfasalazine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sulfasalazine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Sulfasalazine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Lion's Mane Mushroom come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 77,785 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sulfasalazine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

From our Q&A

Questions About Lion's Mane Mushroom or Sulfasalazine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Lion's Mane Mushroom or Sulfasalazine, 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 Sulfasalazine

This page covers Lion's Mane Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sulfasalazine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Alfalfa (moderate), Angelica Archangelica (moderate), Arrach (moderate) and Bergamot (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 28 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sulfasalazine page

“Activated charcoal is the single major-rated risk for sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), because charcoal can bind the drug in the gut and cut how much your body absorbs, weakening a medicine people rely on for rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis. That entry alone earns this list of 39 supplements and herbs a careful read.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sulfasalazine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Lion's Mane Mushroom as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,338 real supplement products containing Lion's Mane Mushroom, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lion's Mane Mushroom. Even though Lion's Mane Mushroom itself has no known interaction with Sulfasalazine, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine 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 Lion's Mane Mushroom
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sulfasalazine
Top half

#911 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Lion's Mane Mushroom reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Lion's Mane Mushroom

What is Lion's Mane Mushroom?

Lion's Mane Mushroom
  • Memory and cognitive support
  • Nerve health
  • Mood and anxiety
  • Immune support
  • General wellness/antioxidant

Lion's mane is an edible mushroom that is popular as a 'nootropic' for memory, focus, and nerve health, but solid human evidence is still limited and early. It is generally well tolerated as a food and supplement, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have allergies.

Hericium erinaceus · Hericiaceae · Fruiting body and mycelium · Capsules, powders, tablets, tinctures, teas, and as a culinary mushroom

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Lion's Mane Mushroom is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Lion's Mane Mushroom record says about it on its own.

Lion's Mane Mushroom: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for lion's mane. The amounts used in studies have varied widely depending on the form (whole mushroom, fruiting body extract, or mycelium).The best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not to exceed them. Because products differ a lot in strength and quality, look for brands that use third-party testing.

From our Lion's Mane Mushroom monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Lion's Mane Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sulfasalazine

What Is Sulfasalazine Used For?

Brand names: SAS, Azulfidine EN-Tabs, Azulfidine

All sulfasalazine tablets are used for ulcerative colitis. That includes mild to moderate disease, add-on treatment in severe disease, and lengthening the time between flares.

The delayed-release tablets (Azulfidine EN-tabs and Sulfasalazine Delayed Release Tablets) are also used for rheumatoid arthritis when salicylates or NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory pain relievers) have not worked well enough. They are also used for polyarticular-course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children with the same inadequate response. The regular (uncoated) tablets are labeled only for ulcerative colitis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sulfasalazine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (77,785 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Rheumatoid arthritis 19,529 reports
Drug intolerance 13,762 reports
Arthralgia 13,481 reports
Fatigue 13,318 reports
Joint swelling 12,744 reports
See full Sulfasalazine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lion's Mane Mushroom

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

0Major
327Moderate
0Minor
2,502No known interaction
Moderate

327 interactions

Showing 60 of 327 moderate interactions — see all 327 on the Lion's Mane Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,502 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Lion's Mane Mushroom against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,502 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lion's Mane Mushroom list.

Evidence & sources

Lion's Mane Mushroom References

The 6 references that drive our Lion's Mane Mushroom monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Product information for <em>Niaspan</em>. Abbott Laboratories. North Chicago, IL 60064. April 2015.
  2. Liang B, Guo Z, Xie F, Zhao A. Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities of aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus in experimental diabetic rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:253. PubMed
  3. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-72.
  4. Mori K, Kikuchi H, Obara Y, et al. Inhibitory effect of hericenone B from Hericium erinaceus on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(14):1082-5. PubMed
  5. Li IC, Chang HH, Lin CH, et al. Prevention of early Alzheimer's disease by erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia pilot double-blind placebo-controlled study. Front Aging Neurosci 2020 Jun 3;12:155. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00155. PubMed
  6. Tian B, Liu R, Xu T, et al. Modulating effects of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides on the immune response by regulating gut microbiota in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. J Sci Food Agric 2023;103(6):3050-3064.

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.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Lion's Mane Mushroom with Sulfasalazine?
We do not list a known interaction between Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Lion's Mane Mushroom and Sulfasalazine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sulfasalazine is filed under 3 classifications, and Lion's Mane Mushroom has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Sulfasalazine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Lion's Mane Mushroom interact with any other medications?
Yes. Lion's Mane Mushroom has 327 documented drug interactions in our database — Sulfasalazine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Sulfasalazine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sulfasalazine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Lion's Mane Mushroom is not one of them. The Sulfasalazine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Sulfasalazine and Lion's Mane Mushroom?

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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.