Drug & supplement interaction

Mindfulness + Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab brand name: Keytruda.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Mindfulness and Pembrolizumab 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

Mindfulness and Pembrolizumab

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 Pembrolizumab and Mindfulness in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Mindfulness alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Mindfulness at all — not against Pembrolizumab, 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.

Mindfulness is a practice rather than something you take. Ask your care team whether the type and intensity you plan to practice are appropriate for your health and treatment. 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.

Mindfulness safety at a glance

Mindfulness overall Generally safe Mindfulness is generally very safe for most people and has no swallowed dose or chemical risk.
Pregnancy Generally safe Mindfulness practices are generally considered safe during pregnancy and may help with stress.
Breastfeeding Generally safe There is no known risk to breastfeeding from practicing mindfulness.

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

Still wondering about combining Pembrolizumab and Mindfulness? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Mindfulness Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • Thoughts of self-harm Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Some studies report rare cases of anger, worsening anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm in patients, but these effects could have been caused by the underlying ailment rather than practicing mindfulness.”

    Mindfulness · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anxiety.

    3 sources cited
    1. 100273. Hilton L, Hempel S, Ewing BA, et al. Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Behav Med. 2017;51(2):199-213. PubMed
    2. 105414. Zgierska AE, Burzinski CA, Mundt MP, et al. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol dependence: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2019 May;100:8-17. PubMed
    3. 109368. Hoge EA, Bui E, Mete M, Dutton MA, Baker AW, Simon NM. Mindfulness-based stress reduction vs escitalopram for the treatment of adults with anxiety disorders: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022:e223679. PubMed
  • Anxiety or restlessness Additional detail

    Recorded for Mindfulness in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Thoughts of self-harm above.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pembrolizumab

This page covers Mindfulness only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pembrolizumab page lists 1 supplement it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Pawpaw (minor).

By severity: 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pembrolizumab page

“For a drug used against so many different cancers, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has a remarkably short supplement file. Just one ingredient appears on it, American pawpaw, and even that lone entry is rated minor and judged unlikely to cause real trouble.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pembrolizumab interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Mindfulness and Pembrolizumab 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 Mindfulness
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pembrolizumab
Top half

#1,144 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 Mindfulness reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Mindfulness and Pembrolizumab 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 .
Mind-body practice

About Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness?

  • Stress reduction
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Chronic pain
  • Sleep problems
  • Improving focus and emotional well-being

Mindfulness is a mind-body practice—not a pill or herb—that involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Research suggests it can modestly help with stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain for many people, and it is generally very safe. It is best used alongside, not in place of, care from your doctor or pharmacist.

Not applicable (mind-body practice) · Guided meditation, breathing exercises, body scans, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) programs, apps, classes

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

Mindfulness: dosing

There is no standardized "dose" for mindfulness. Many structured programs, such as MBSR, run for about eight weeks with daily home practice, but you do not need a formal program to benefit.A common starting point is a few minutes of practice per day, gradually building up as it feels comfortable. Even short, regular sessions can help.

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

Read the full Mindfulness monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pembrolizumab Injection

What Is Pembrolizumab Injection Used For?

Brand name: Keytruda

Pembrolizumab is used to treat a wide range of cancers — including melanoma (skin cancer), lung cancer, head and neck cancers, bladder cancer, certain colorectal cancers, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, and many others. It can be used alone or combined with chemotherapy, depending on the cancer type and stage.

For some cancers, it's given before surgery (neoadjuvant), after surgery (adjuvant), or both — to help shrink tumors or reduce the chance the cancer comes back. Some uses require a lab test to confirm your tumor has certain markers (like PD-L1 expression) before starting treatment.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Pembrolizumab

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Malignant neoplasm progression 12,012 reports
Diarrhea 5,719 reports
Fatigue 5,113 reports
Fever 3,870 reports
Rash 3,719 reports
See full Pembrolizumab Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Mindfulness

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Mindfulness — 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 Mindfulness 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 Mindfulness list.

See the full Mindfulness interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pembrolizumab, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Mindfulness References

The 3 references that drive our Mindfulness 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. Hilton L, Hempel S, Ewing BA, et al. Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Behav Med. 2017;51(2):199-213. PubMed
  2. Zgierska AE, Burzinski CA, Mundt MP, et al. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol dependence: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2019 May;100:8-17. PubMed
  3. Hoge EA, Bui E, Mete M, Dutton MA, Baker AW, Simon NM. Mindfulness-based stress reduction vs escitalopram for the treatment of adults with anxiety disorders: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022:e223679. 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

Practicing Mindfulness While Taking Pembrolizumab: Common Questions

Is it safe to practice Mindfulness while taking Pembrolizumab?
We do not list a known interaction between Mindfulness and Pembrolizumab. 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.
Does Pembrolizumab interact with any supplements?
Yes. Pembrolizumab has documented interactions with 1 supplement in our database — Mindfulness is not one of them. The Pembrolizumab 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

Mindfulness monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Pembrolizumab Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Pembrolizumab supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Pembrolizumab, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Pembrolizumab and Mindfulness?

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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.