Drug & supplement interaction

Lychee + Fingolimod

Fingolimod brand names: Gilenya, Tascenso ODT.

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

Lychee has a minor interaction with Fingolimod. Theoretically, lychee might reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressant drugs.

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

Lychee and Fingolimod

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

Minor

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Fingolimod

Fingolimod falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Lychee interacts with.

Theoretically, lychee might reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressant drugs.
In vitro, flavonoids extracted from lychee show immunostimulant effects. So far, this effect has not been reported in humans.
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 fingolimod (Gilenya, Tascenso ODT): this medicine works by quieting down certain immune cells so they can't attack the nerves in MS. Some lab studies suggest that flavonoids from lychee can nudge the immune system in the opposite direction, giving it a little boost. In theory, that could work against what fingolimod is trying to do, possibly making it less effective at preventing relapses.

But I want to keep this in perspective. This concern comes only from test-tube research, not from people, and it's rated as a minor, theoretical interaction. Enjoying lychee as a fruit is very unlikely to cause a problem. Concentrated lychee extract supplements are the bigger question mark, so before starting any of those, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Zhao M, Yang B, Wang J, et al. Immunomodulatory and anticancer activities of flavonoids extracted from litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn) pericarp. Int Immunopharmacol 2007;7(2):162-6. 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

Lychee Also Interacts With Other Medications

Lychee has 86 moderate, 120 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Fingolimod one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 Minor 120 No known interaction 2,624 (incl. Fingolimod)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lychee

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Lychee or Fingolimod

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

This page covers Lychee only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Fingolimod page lists 106 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 92 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Fingolimod page

“Fingolimod (Gilenya, Tascenso ODT) reins in the immune system to keep multiple sclerosis quiet, and its supplement file calls for genuine wariness. Half of the entries are herbs and extracts thought to stimulate immunity, which could blunt the drug's whole purpose.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Fingolimod interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 98 real supplement products containing Lychee, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lychee. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Fingolimod too, on top of Lychee — 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 Lychee and Fingolimod 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 Lychee
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Fingolimod
Steady interest

#2,114 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 Lychee

What is Lychee?

  • General nutrition and antioxidant support
  • Digestive complaints (traditional use)
  • Cough and sore throat (traditional use)
  • Blood sugar support (preliminary)
  • Weight and metabolic support (preliminary)

Lychee is a sweet tropical fruit that is nutritious and a source of vitamin C and antioxidant plant compounds. While the fruit is a healthy food for most people, supplement-strength extracts have only limited research behind specific health claims, and eating large amounts of unripe lychee on an empty stomach has been linked to dangerous low blood sugar in undernourished children. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using lychee extracts for any health condition.

Read the full Lychee monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Fingolimod

What Is Fingolimod Used For?

Brand names: Gilenya, Tascenso ODT

Fingolimod — available as capsules (Fingolimod, Fingolimod Hydrochloride, and Gilenya) and as an orally disintegrating tablet (Tascenso ODT) — is approved for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients 10 years of age and older. This includes clinically isolated syndrome (a first MS episode), relapsing-remitting MS (the most common type with flare-ups and periods of stability), and active secondary progressive MS (a later stage where disability gradually worsens but relapses still occur).

All supported formulations share these same approved uses. The goal of treatment is to reduce the frequency of relapses and slow disease activity.

See full Fingolimod drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lychee

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

0Major
86Moderate
120Minor
2,623No known interaction
86 Moderate 120 Minor 2,623 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Lychee page.

Minor

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 minor interactions — see all 120 on the Lychee page.

No interaction 2,623 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,623 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lychee list.

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

Can you take Lychee with Fingolimod?
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 Lychee and Fingolimod 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 Fingolimod and Lychee?

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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.