Drug & supplement interaction

Nattokinase + Iloprost

Iloprost brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Iloprost falls into 2 drug categories that Nattokinase can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, nattokinase might increase the risk of hypotension when used with antihypertensive drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Nattokinase and Iloprost

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Nattokinase interacts with whole categories of medication. Iloprost falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Nattokinase in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Iloprost

Iloprost falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Nattokinase interacts with.

Theoretically, nattokinase might increase the risk of hypotension when used with antihypertensive drugs.
Some clinical research suggests that nattokinase may reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Severity Moderate 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 thing to keep in mind with iloprost (Ventavis): it's a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes and widens your blood vessels to lower the pressure in your lungs. Nattokinase, on its own, may nudge blood pressure down a little too. So when you put the two together, the worry is that your blood pressure could dip lower than intended.

In real life, that might show up as feeling lightheaded, dizzy, faint, or unusually tired, especially when you stand up. I'll be straight with you though: this concern is theoretical, based on how each one works rather than strong studies of the two combined. Iloprost is already active as given, so nattokinase isn't changing how your body processes it. Before adding nattokinase, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor so they can check your blood pressure plan.

References
  1. Kim, J. Y., Gum, S. N., Paik, J. K., Lim, H. H., Kim, K. C., Ogasawara, K., Inoue, K., Park, S., Jang, Y., and Lee, J. H. Effects of nattokinase on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial. Hypertens.Res 2008;31(8):1583-1588. PubMed
  2. <p>Maruyama M, Sumi H (eds): Effect of natto diet on blood pressure, in Basic and Clinical Aspects of Japanese Traditional Food Natto II. Japan Technology Transfer Association (JTTAS), 1998, pp 1–3.</p>
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Iloprost also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Nattokinase might increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs.
Nattokinase has thrombolytic and anticoagulant effects. There is a case report of intracranial hemorrhage in a patient who added nattokinase to aspirin therapy.
Severity Moderate 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 thing to know about pairing nattokinase with iloprost (Ventavis): iloprost isn't just a vasodilator for your lung blood vessels, it also has antiplatelet activity, meaning it makes platelets less sticky. Nattokinase appears to do something similar, helping break down clots and thinning the blood a bit. Stack the two together and you may tip toward easier bruising, nosebleeds, or harder-to-stop bleeding.

To be fair, this concern rests on weak evidence (mostly lab studies plus one case report of bleeding when nattokinase was added to aspirin), so it's a possible risk, not a proven one. Still, since you're on iloprost for a serious condition, please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before adding nattokinase rather than starting it on your own.

References
  1. Suzuki Y, Kondo K, Matsumoto Y, et al. Dietary supplementation of fermented soybean, natto, suppresses intimal thickening and modulates the lysis of mural thrombi after endothelial injury in rat femoral artery. Life Sci 2003;73:1289-98.. PubMed
  2. Sumi H, Hamada H, Nakanishi K, Hiratani H. Enchancement of fibrinolytic activity in plasma by oral administration of nattokinase. Acta Haematol 1990;84:139-43.
  3. Chang, Y. Y., Liu, J. S., Lai, S. L., Wu, H. S., and Lan, M. Y. Cerebellar hemorrhage provoked by combined use of nattokinase and aspirin in a patient with cerebral microbleeds. Intern Med 2008;47(5):467-469. PubMed
  4. Kurosawa Y, Nirengi S, Homma T, et al. A single-dose of oral nattokinase potentiates thrombolysis and anti-coagulation profiles. Sci Rep 2015;5:11601. 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

Nattokinase Also Interacts With Other Medications

Nattokinase has 288 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Iloprost one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Nattokinase

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Nattokinase or Iloprost

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

This page covers Nattokinase only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Iloprost page lists 287 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 6 major · 254 moderate · 27 minor.

Open the Iloprost interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 509 real supplement products containing Nattokinase, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Nattokinase. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Iloprost too, on top of Nattokinase — 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 Nattokinase and Iloprost 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 Nattokinase
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Iloprost
Top half

#988 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 Nattokinase

What is Nattokinase?

Nattokinase
  • Heart and circulatory health
  • Blood clot prevention
  • High blood pressure
  • Improving blood flow
  • Cholesterol support

Nattokinase is an enzyme from the fermented soybean food natto that may have mild blood-thinning and blood-flow effects. Some small studies hint at benefits for blood pressure and circulation, but the evidence is limited and more research is needed. Because it can affect clotting, talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you take medicines or have a bleeding risk.

Read the full Nattokinase monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Iloprost

What Is Iloprost Used For?

Brand names: Ventavis, Aurlumyn

Aurlumyn (iloprost injection, given intravenously) is approved to treat severe frostbite in adults, specifically to reduce the risk of losing fingers or toes (digit amputations). Its effectiveness was established in young, healthy adults who experienced frostbite at high altitudes.

See full Iloprost drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Nattokinase

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

0Major
288Moderate
0Minor
2,541No known interaction
Moderate

288 interactions

Showing 60 of 288 moderate interactions — see all 288 on the Nattokinase page.

No interaction 2,541 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Nattokinase and Iloprost Together: Common Questions

Can you take Nattokinase with Iloprost?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Nattokinase and Iloprost?
Iloprost belongs to more than one drug category, and Nattokinase interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Nattokinase and Iloprost interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

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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.