Drug & supplement interaction

Lycopene + Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel brand names: Taxol, Abraxane.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Lycopene and Paclitaxel 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.

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Interaction report

Lycopene and Paclitaxel

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 Paclitaxel and Lycopene 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.

Lycopene safety at a glance

Lycopene overall Generally safe Lycopene from food is considered safe, and supplement doses are generally well tolerated.

Pregnancy Likely Safe When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of lycopene supplements during pregnancy... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Likely Safe When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of lycopene supplements during lactation... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Paclitaxel and Lycopene? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Paclitaxel

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Paclitaxel is filed under 6 classifications — including cytochrome p450 2c8 (cyp2c8) substrates, organic anion-transporting polypeptide substrates (oatp), p-glycoprotein substrates. Lycopene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) — and none of Paclitaxel’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

Lycopene Does Interact With Other Medications

Lycopene has 122 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Paclitaxel isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 122 No known interaction 2,708 (incl. Paclitaxel)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lycopene

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

What to actually watch for

What Lycopene Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Paclitaxel. It is the side-effect record for Lycopene on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Lycopene, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail
“A case of chest pain has been reported in a pregnant patient who was taking a specific lycopene product (LycoRed, Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals) 2 mg daily. The role of lycopene in this event has not been determined.”

Lycopene · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.
1 source cited

60428. Banerjee, S., Jeyaseelan, S., and Guleria, R. Trial of lycopene to prevent pre-eclampsia in healthy primigravidas: results show some adverse effects. J.Obstet.Gynaecol.Res. 2009;35(3):477-482. PubMed
Bloating or gas / Reduced appetite / Stomach upset / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail
“Orally, gastrointestinal side effects associated with use of lycopene supplements include diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, and anorexia.”

Lycopene · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.
5 sources cited

60372. Clark, P. E., Hall, M. C., Borden, L. S., Jr., Miller, A. A., Hu, J. J., Lee, W. R., Stindt, D., D'Agostino, R., Jr., Lovato, J., Harmon, M., and Torti, F. M. Phase I-II prospective dose-escalating trial of lycopene in patients with biochemical relapse o

60384. Jatoi, A., Burch, P., Hillman, D., Vanyo, J. M., Dakhil, S., Nikcevich, D., Rowland, K., Morton, R., Flynn, P. J., Young, C., and Tan, W. A tomato-based, lycopene-containing intervention for androgen-independent prostate cancer: results of a Phase II stu

60417. Schwenke, C., Ubrig, B., Thurmann, P., Eggersmann, C., and Roth, S. Lycopene for advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer: a prospective, open phase II pilot study. J.Urol. 2009;181(3):1098-1103. PubMed

60433. Haseen, F., Cantwell, M. M., O'Sullivan, J. M., and Murray, L. J. Is there a benefit from lycopene supplementation in men with prostate cancer? A systematic review. Prostate Cancer Prostatic.Dis. 2009;12(4):325-332. PubMed

60464. Ilic, D., Forbes, K. M., and Hassed, C. Lycopene for the prevention of prostate cancer. Cochrane.Database.Syst.Rev. 2011;(11):CD008007. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Lycopene — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Paclitaxel’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Paclitaxel column appears here.

Special populations

Lycopene in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Safe

When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of lycopene supplements during pregnancy. Small, low-quality clinical studies have shown conflicting results about the safety of using lycopene 2-4 mg daily during pregnancy.

Lactation Likely Safe

When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of lycopene supplements during lactation; avoid using in amounts greater than those typically found in foods.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Paclitaxel Is Prescribed For, and What Lycopene Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Paclitaxel is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Lycopene is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Paclitaxel is prescribed for: Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound) is used to treat three types of cancer. It treats metastatic breast cancer in patients whose prior chemotherapy has stopped working or who relapsed within 6 months of completing adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy. It is also used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — given together with carboplatin — in patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy. Additionally, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given in combination with gemcitabine.

Read the rest of what Paclitaxel is prescribed for

All three uses apply specifically to Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), including the brands Abraxane and related albumin-bound formulations.

Lycopene has been studied for:

Breast cancer studied, not established Lycopene has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

Lycopene for breast cancer

It is unclear if oral lycopene reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Paclitaxel on your own; if you are taking Lycopene for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Paclitaxel

This page covers Lycopene only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Paclitaxel page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Sweet Orange (major).

By severity: 5 major · 108 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Paclitaxel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,889 real supplement products containing Lycopene, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lycopene. Even though Lycopene itself has no known interaction with Paclitaxel, 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 Lycopene and Paclitaxel 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 Lycopene

Top 5%

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

29 days ago today

Medication Paclitaxel

Steady interest

#1,976 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 Lycopene reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Lycopene and Paclitaxel records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Lycopene

What is Lycopene?

Heart health
Prostate health
Antioxidant support
Sun/skin protection
General wellness

Lycopene is a red plant pigment and antioxidant found mainly in tomatoes and other red fruits. Eating lycopene-rich foods is linked with possible heart and prostate benefits, but evidence from supplements is mixed and far from conclusive. For most people, getting lycopene from food is a safe and reasonable choice; talk to your pharmacist before taking high-dose supplements.

Pigment extracted from the fruit (mainly tomato) · Capsules, softgels, and as a natural food source (tomatoes, watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit)

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

Lycopene: dosing

There is no official standard dose of lycopene for any health condition. Amounts used in studies have varied widely, and it is unclear what dose, if any, provides a benefit.If you choose to take a supplement, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount. For many people, getting lycopene from a balanced diet rich in tomatoes and other red fruits is a simple and reasonable approach.

From our Lycopene monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Lycopene monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection

What Is Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection Used For?

Brand names: Taxol, Abraxane

Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound) is used to treat three types of cancer. It treats metastatic breast cancer in patients whose prior chemotherapy has stopped working or who relapsed within 6 months of completing adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy. It is also used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — given together with carboplatin — in patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy.

Additionally, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given in combination with gemcitabine. All three uses apply specifically to Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), including the brands Abraxane and related albumin-bound formulations.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Paclitaxel

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (98,465 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 5,500 reports

Neutropenia 5,424 reports

Diarrhea 5,152 reports

Dyspnea 5,113 reports

Anemia 4,794 reports

See full Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lycopene

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

0Major

122Moderate

0Minor

2,707No known interaction

122 Moderate 2,707 No interaction

Moderate

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 moderate interactions — see all 122 on the Lycopene page.

No interaction 2,707 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,707 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lycopene list.

See the full Lycopene interactions page

See every supplement checked against Paclitaxel, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Lycopene References

The 10 references that drive our Lycopene 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.

Sharma, J. B., Kumar, A., Kumar, A., Malhotra, M., Arora, R., Prasad, S., and Batra, S. Effect of lycopene on pre-eclampsia and intra-uterine growth retardation in primigravidas. Int J Gynaecol.Obstet. 2003;81(3):257-262. PubMed
Hsiao, G., Wang, Y., Tzu, N. H., Fong, T. H., Shen, M. Y., Lin, K. H., Chou, D. S., and Sheu, J. R. Inhibitory effects of lycopene on in vitro platelet activation and in vivo prevention of thrombus formation. J Lab Clin Med 2005;146(4):216-226. PubMed
Clark, P. E., Hall, M. C., Borden, L. S., Jr., Miller, A. A., Hu, J. J., Lee, W. R., Stindt, D., D'Agostino, R., Jr., Lovato, J., Harmon, M., and Torti, F. M. Phase I-II prospective dose-escalating trial of lycopene in patients with biochemical relapse o
O'Kennedy, N., Crosbie, L., Whelan, S., Luther, V., Horgan, G., Broom, J. I., Webb, D. J., and Duttaroy, A. K. Effects of tomato extract on platelet function: a double-blinded crossover study in healthy humans. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 2006;84(3):561-569. PubMed
Jatoi, A., Burch, P., Hillman, D., Vanyo, J. M., Dakhil, S., Nikcevich, D., Rowland, K., Morton, R., Flynn, P. J., Young, C., and Tan, W. A tomato-based, lycopene-containing intervention for androgen-independent prostate cancer: results of a Phase II stu
Schwenke, C., Ubrig, B., Thurmann, P., Eggersmann, C., and Roth, S. Lycopene for advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer: a prospective, open phase II pilot study. J.Urol. 2009;181(3):1098-1103. PubMed
Banerjee, S., Jeyaseelan, S., and Guleria, R. Trial of lycopene to prevent pre-eclampsia in healthy primigravidas: results show some adverse effects. J.Obstet.Gynaecol.Res. 2009;35(3):477-482. PubMed
Haseen, F., Cantwell, M. M., O'Sullivan, J. M., and Murray, L. J. Is there a benefit from lycopene supplementation in men with prostate cancer? A systematic review. Prostate Cancer Prostatic.Dis. 2009;12(4):325-332. PubMed
Ilic, D., Forbes, K. M., and Hassed, C. Lycopene for the prevention of prostate cancer. Cochrane.Database.Syst.Rev. 2011;(11):CD008007. PubMed
Sawardekar SB, Patel TC, Uchil D. Comparative evaluation of antiplatelet effect of lycopene with aspirin and the effect of their combination on platelet aggregation: an in vitro study. Indian J Pharmacol 2016;48:26-31. 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 Lycopene and Paclitaxel Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Lycopene with Paclitaxel?

We do not list a known interaction between Lycopene and Paclitaxel. 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.

Are Lycopene and Paclitaxel used for the same thing?

They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Lycopene in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Paclitaxel is being adjusted to a target.

How was the Lycopene and Paclitaxel combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Paclitaxel is filed under 6 classifications, and Lycopene has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Paclitaxel'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 Lycopene interact with any other medications?

Yes. Lycopene has 122 documented drug interactions in our database — Paclitaxel 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 Paclitaxel interact with any supplements?

Yes. Paclitaxel has documented interactions with 152 supplements in our database — Lycopene is not one of them. The Paclitaxel 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

Lycopene monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Paclitaxel supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Paclitaxel, 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 10 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Paclitaxel and Lycopene?

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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.