Maca + Palifermin
Palifermin brand name: Kepivance.
We found no known interaction between Maca and Palifermin 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.
Maca and Palifermin
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 Palifermin and Maca 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 Maca at all — not against Palifermin, 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.
Maca safety at a glance
Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.
What Palifermin Is Prescribed For, and What Maca Has Been Studied For
These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Palifermin is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Maca is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.
Palifermin is prescribed for: Kepivance (palifermin) is used to decrease how often and how long severe oral mucositis — painful sores in the mouth and throat — occurs in patients with hematologic malignancies (blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, or multiple myeloma) who are receiving high-dose, cell-damaging (myelotoxic) therapy before an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (a transplant using the patient's own stem cells). Kepivance is specifically indicated when the preparative chemotherapy or radiation regimen is expected to cause severe mucositis in most patients. It is not recommended for use with a high-dose melphalan conditioning regimen, and it was not found to be effective in the setting of allogeneic stem cell transplant (using a donor's cells). Its safety and effectiveness have not been established for patients with non-blood cancers (non-hematologic malignancies).
Maca has been studied for:
-
Leukemia studied, not established Maca has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows
Maca for leukemia
Although there has been interest in using oral maca for leukemia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of maca for this purpose.
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 Palifermin on your own; if you are taking Maca for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.
See Every Supplement That Interacts With Palifermin
This page covers Maca only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Palifermin 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 Palifermin page
“Palifermin (Kepivance) is given by IV to prevent the severe mouth sores that intensive chemotherapy can cause, most often in patients heading into a stem cell transplant, and I read its interaction list with genuine caution because of how fragile those patients already are. All 17 supplements on file act on absorption through the gut,…”
Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026
Taking Maca as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions
We hold 2,489 real supplement products containing Maca, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Maca. Even though Maca itself has no known interaction with Palifermin, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:
Where Maca and Palifermin 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.
#68 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days
#2,659 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days
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 Maca reference on this page ↓
- Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Maca and Palifermin 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.
About Maca
What is Maca?
- Low libido and sexual function
- Energy and stamina
- Menopause symptoms
- Mood and stress
- Fertility support
Maca is a nutrient-rich Andean root often used for energy, libido, and menopause symptoms. Early studies suggest it may modestly help sexual desire and some menopause symptoms, but the evidence is limited and not conclusive. It appears generally well tolerated in food amounts, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a hormone-related condition.
Lepidium meyenii · Brassicaceae · Root (hypocotyl) · Capsules, powder, tablets, liquid extracts, gelatinized powder
An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Maca is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Maca record says about it on its own.
Maca: dosing
There is no official or standardized dose of maca, and the amounts used in studies have varied widely. Because of this, it is best to follow the directions on the product label.Maca is sold in different forms, including raw powder, gelatinized powder, capsules, and extracts, and the strength can differ between products. Do not assume that taking more will work better or be safer.
From our Maca monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.
About Palifermin
What Is Palifermin Used For?
Brand name: Kepivance
Kepivance (palifermin) is used to decrease how often and how long severe oral mucositis — painful sores in the mouth and throat — occurs in patients with hematologic malignancies (blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, or multiple myeloma) who are receiving high-dose, cell-damaging (myelotoxic) therapy before an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (a transplant using the patient's own stem cells).
Kepivance is specifically indicated when the preparative chemotherapy or radiation regimen is expected to cause severe mucositis in most patients. It is not recommended for use with a high-dose melphalan conditioning regimen, and it was not found to be effective in the setting of allogeneic stem cell transplant (using a donor's cells). Its safety and effectiveness have not been established for patients with non-blood cancers (non-hematologic malignancies).
Most-Reported Side Effects for Palifermin
From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (388 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.
Other Drugs & Maca
Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Maca — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.
No drugs match “”.
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
We also checked Maca against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.
- Apixaban ›
- Levothyroxine ›
- Amlodipine ›
- Methylphenidate ›
- Warfarin ›
- Sertraline ›
- Losartan Potassium ›
- Testosterone ›
- Ivermectin ›
- Aspirin ›
- Abemaciclib ›
- Metoprolol ›
- Acetaminophen ›
- Rosuvastatin ›
- Rivaroxaban ›
- Escitalopram ›
- Clopidogrel ›
- Atorvastatin ›
- Docusate ›
- Tadalafil ›
- Tirzepatide ›
- Methamphetamine ›
- Ibuprofen ›
- Valacyclovir ›
- Warfarin Sodium ›
- Hydroxyurea ›
- Sumatriptan ›
- Semaglutide ›
- Prednisone ›
- Lisdexamfetamine ›
- Propranolol ›
- Metformin ›
- Amitriptyline ›
- Amoxicillin ›
- Lisinopril ›
- Isotretinoin ›
- Amlodipine Besylate ›
- Methotrexate ›
- Bendamustine ›
- Bupropion ›
- Amphetamine ›
- Doxycycline ›
- Fluoxetine ›
- Acyclovir ›
- Azithromycin ›
- Lamotrigine ›
- Pregabalin ›
- Dextroamphetamine ›
- Gabapentin ›
- Acetaminophen, Codeine ›
- Levothyroxine, Liothyronine ›
- Clonazepam ›
- Quetiapine ›
- Naproxen ›
- Omeprazole ›
- Letrozole ›
- Methylene Blue ›
- Duloxetine ›
- Buspirone ›
- Citalopram ›
Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Maca list.
Maca References
The 1 references that drive our Maca 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.
- Valerio, L. G., Jr. and Gonzales, G. F. Toxicological aspects of the South American herbs cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) and Maca (Lepidium meyenii) : a critical synopsis. Toxicol.Rev 2005;24(1):11-35. 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.
Taking Maca and Palifermin Together: Common Questions
Is it safe to take Maca with Palifermin?
Are Maca and Palifermin used for the same thing?
Does Palifermin interact with any supplements?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
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Still Have a Question About Palifermin and Maca?
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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.