Drug & supplement interaction

Lorenzo's Oil + Tafenoquine

Tafenoquine brand names: Krintafel, Arakoda.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine 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 Tafenoquine states a food rule worth keeping to, and 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine

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 Tafenoquine and Lorenzo's Oil 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 Lorenzo's Oil at all — not against Tafenoquine, 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.

Lorenzo's Oil safety at a glance

Lorenzo's Oil overall Use caution It is a medical treatment for a rare disease and should only be used under specialist supervision, not as a general supplement.
Pregnancy Avoid Safety in pregnancy is not established; use only if a specialist directs it.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is not established; talk to your doctor first.

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

Still wondering about combining Tafenoquine and Lorenzo's Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine May Share a Side Effect

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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A low platelet count Worth acting on Additional detail

    Lorenzo's Oil

    “Orally, Lorenzo's oil can cause thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, purpura, petechiae, and bleeding (6,924,926,927).”

    Lorenzo's Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in thrombocytopenia.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
    2. 924. Aubourg P, Adamsbaum C, Lavallard-Rousseau MC, et al. A two-year trial of oleic and erucic acids (Lorenzo's oil) as treatment for adrenomyeloneuropathy. N Engl J Med 1993;329:745-52. PubMed
    3. 926. Chai BC, Etches WS, Stewart MW, Siminoski K. Bleeding in a patient taking Lorenzo's oil: evidence for a vascular defect. Postgrad Med J 1996;72:113-4.
    4. 927. Revell P, Green A, Green S. Platelets in treated adrenoleukodystrophy: a brief report. J Inherit Metab Dis 1995;18:635-7. PubMed

    “Orally, Lorenzo's oil can cause thrombocytopenia, purpura, petechiae, bleeding, and neutropenia (6,924,926,927).”

    Lorenzo's Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in thrombocytopenia.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
    2. 924. Aubourg P, Adamsbaum C, Lavallard-Rousseau MC, et al. A two-year trial of oleic and erucic acids (Lorenzo's oil) as treatment for adrenomyeloneuropathy. N Engl J Med 1993;329:745-52. PubMed
    3. 926. Chai BC, Etches WS, Stewart MW, Siminoski K. Bleeding in a patient taking Lorenzo's oil: evidence for a vascular defect. Postgrad Med J 1996;72:113-4.
    4. 927. Revell P, Green A, Green S. Platelets in treated adrenoleukodystrophy: a brief report. J Inherit Metab Dis 1995;18:635-7. PubMed

    Tafenoquine

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

Reported for Lorenzo's Oil but not commonly for Tafenoquine: a low white blood cell count, bleeding or bruising and a higher chance of infection.

Effects for Tafenoquine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Lorenzo's Oil come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 70 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tafenoquine 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.

How to take them

Some Tafenoquine Products Have a Food Rule — Lorenzo's Oil Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Tafenoquine says to take it with food. If you take Lorenzo's Oil on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Tafenoquine 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 Tafenoquine 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.

( 2.1 ) Regimen Name Timing Dosage Loading regimen For each of the 3 days before travel to a malarious area 200 mg (2 of the 100 mg tablets) once daily for 3 days Maintenance regimen While in the malarious area 200 mg (2 of the 100 mg tablets) once weekly – start 7 days after the last loading regimen dose Terminal prophylaxis regimen In the week following exit from the malarious area 200 mg (2 of

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Tafenoquine — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tafenoquine

This page covers Lorenzo's Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tafenoquine page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tafenoquine page

“Tafenoquine (Krintafel, Arakoda) protects against malaria, including the relapsing kind that hides in the liver, and every supplement known to interact with it threatens the same thing, how much of the pill actually reaches your blood. That deserves genuine care, since a partly absorbed antimalarial can let parasites survive and resurf…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tafenoquine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine 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 Lorenzo's Oil
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tafenoquine
Steady interest

#2,713 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 Lorenzo's Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine 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 Lorenzo's Oil

What is Lorenzo's Oil?

  • Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)
  • Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN)
  • Lowering very long-chain fatty acids in blood
  • Slowing progression of certain inherited disorders

Lorenzo's Oil is not a typical herbal supplement—it is a specially formulated mixture of two fatty acids (glyceryl trioleate and glyceryl trierucate, in a 4:1 ratio) developed to lower very long-chain fatty acids in people with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). It can normalize blood fatty acid levels and may help delay disease in some boys who are not yet showing symptoms, but it is not a cure and should only be used under specialist medical supervision.

Refined plant-derived oils (rapeseed/olive oil sources) · Oral liquid oil (prescription-style medical formulation)

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

Lorenzo's Oil: dosing

There is no standard over-the-counter dose for Lorenzo's Oil. When used medically, the amount is calculated by a specialist based on the person's body and is adjusted using blood tests and a carefully controlled low-fat diet.Because dosing must be individualized and monitored, you should not try to dose this product yourself. Do not use it as a casual supplement.

From our Lorenzo's Oil monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Lorenzo's Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tafenoquine

What Is Tafenoquine Used For?

Brand names: Krintafel, Arakoda

Tafenoquine is used for two distinct purposes depending on the product. Arakoda and Kodatef are used for malaria prophylaxis — that is, preventing malaria in adults 18 and older who are traveling to or living in areas where malaria is present.

Krintafel is used for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria — meaning it prevents the malaria parasite from coming back (relapsing) in patients 16 and older who are already being treated with chloroquine for an active P. vivax infection. Krintafel is not used to treat an active malaria attack on its own, and it should only be used alongside chloroquine, not other antimalarials.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Tafenoquine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (70 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Depression 20 reports
Anxiety 18 reports
Post-traumatic stress disorder 15 reports
Anger 14 reports
Nausea 14 reports
See full Tafenoquine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lorenzo's Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Lorenzo's Oil — 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 Lorenzo's Oil against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

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

See the full Lorenzo's Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tafenoquine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Lorenzo's Oil References

The 12 references that drive our Lorenzo's Oil 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. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Kaplan PW, Tusa RJ, Shankroff J, et al. Visual evoked potentials in adrenoleukodystrophy: a trial with glycerol trioleate and Lorenzo oil. Ann Neurol 1993;34:169-74.
  3. Poulos A, Gibson R, Sharp P, et al. Very long chain fatty acids in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy brain after treatment with Lorenzo's oil. Ann Neurol 1994;36:741-6. PubMed
  4. Duchesne N, Dufour M, Bouchard G, et al. Adrenoleukodystrophy: magnetic resonance follow-up after Lorenzo's oil therapy. Can Assoc Radiol J 1995;46:386-91.
  5. Moser HW. Clinical and therapeutic aspects of adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenomyeloneuropathy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 1995;54:740-5. PubMed
  6. Aubourg P, Adamsbaum C, Lavallard-Rousseau MC, et al. A two-year trial of oleic and erucic acids (Lorenzo's oil) as treatment for adrenomyeloneuropathy. N Engl J Med 1993;329:745-52. PubMed
  7. Chai BC, Etches WS, Stewart MW, Siminoski K. Bleeding in a patient taking Lorenzo's oil: evidence for a vascular defect. Postgrad Med J 1996;72:113-4.
  8. Revell P, Green A, Green S. Platelets in treated adrenoleukodystrophy: a brief report. J Inherit Metab Dis 1995;18:635-7. PubMed
  9. Maeda K, Suzuki Y, Yajima S, et al. Improvement of clinical and MRI findings in a boy with adrenoleukodystrophy by dietary erucic acid therapy. Brain Dev 1992;14:409-12.
  10. Wong V. Adrenoleukodystrophy in a Chinese boy. Brain Dev 1992;14:276-7. PubMed
  11. Moser HW, Raymond GV, Lu SE, et al. Follow-up of 89 asymptomatic patients with adrenoleukodystrophy treated with Lorenzo's Oil. Arch Neurol 2005;62:1073-80. PubMed
  12. Majori M, Scarascia A, Anghinolfi M, et al. Lipoid pneumonia as a complication of Lorenzo's oil therapy in a patient with adrenoleukodystrophy. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol 2014;21(3):271-3. doi: 10.1097/LBR.0000000000000084. PubMed

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 Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Lorenzo's Oil with Tafenoquine?
We do not list a known interaction between Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine. 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 Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
Should I take Lorenzo's Oil and Tafenoquine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Tafenoquine says to take it with food. If you take Lorenzo's Oil on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Tafenoquine with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Tafenoquine products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Tafenoquine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tafenoquine has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Lorenzo's Oil is not one of them. The Tafenoquine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Lorenzo's Oil monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Tafenoquine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Tafenoquine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Tafenoquine, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Tafenoquine and Lorenzo's Oil?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.