Drug & supplement interaction

Octacosanol + Clopidogrel

Clopidogrel brand name: Plavix.

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

Octacosanol has a moderate interaction with Clopidogrel. Theoretically, octacosanol might inhibit platelet aggregation; however, clinical research suggests that this effect may not be clinically significant.

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

Octacosanol and Clopidogrel

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Clopidogrel

Clopidogrel falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Octacosanol interacts with.

Theoretically, octacosanol might inhibit platelet aggregation; however, clinical research suggests that this effect may not be clinically significant.
Octacosanol is the main component of policosanol. Some clinical research shows that taking policosanol 10-50 mg daily for 7-15 days can inhibit platelet aggregation in healthy patients. However, one clinical trial shows that taking policosanol 10 mg twice daily for 2 weeks prior to initiating warfarin does not affect warfarin pharmacokinetics or warfarin response. Furthermore, a study in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-eluting stent found that taking policosanol 40 mg plus clopidogrel and aspirin daily for 30 days modestly reduced the risk for minor bleeding events when compared with taking clopidogrel and aspirin alone.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 of mixing octacosanol with Plavix (clopidogrel). Clopidogrel already keeps your platelets from clumping together so they don't form clots. Octacosanol (the main piece of policosanol) may have a mild blood-thinning effect of its own, so on paper, stacking the two could nudge your bleeding risk up a little.

The good news is the human evidence here is reassuring. In fact, one study in people with a stent actually saw slightly fewer minor bleeds when policosanol was added. So I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but I'd still watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or cuts that take longer to stop. Since clopidogrel protects your heart and stent, please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before adding this supplement rather than starting it on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Carbajal D, Arruzazabala ML, Valdes S, Mas R. Effect of policosanol on platelet aggregation and serum levels of arachidonic acid metabolites in healthy volunteers. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1998;58:61-4.
  2. Arruzazabala ML, Valdes S, Mas R, et al. Comparative study of policosanol, aspirin and the combination therapy policosanol-aspirin on platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers. Pharmacol Res 1997;36:293-7. PubMed
  3. Valdes S, Arruzazabala ML, Fernandez L. Effect of policosanol on platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res 1996;16:67-72.
  4. Abdul MI, Jiang X, Williams KM, et al. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of echinacea and policosanol with warfarin in healthy subjects. Br J Clin.Pharmacol. 2010;69:508-15. PubMed
  5. Xu K, Liu X, Li Y, Wang Y, Zang H, Guo L, et al. Safety and efficacy of policosanol in patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity after drug-eluting stent implantation: two-year follow-up results. Cardiovasc Ther. 2016 Oct;34(5):337-42. doi: 10.1 PubMed
  6. Li C, Ding Y, Si Q, Li K, Xu K. Multiple functions of policosanol in elderly patients with dyslipidemia. J Int Med Res. 2020;48(7):300060520936082. 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

Octacosanol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Octacosanol has 247 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Clopidogrel one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 247 No known interaction 2,583 (incl. Clopidogrel)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Octacosanol

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Octacosanol or Clopidogrel

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

This page covers Octacosanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Clopidogrel page lists 309 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 258 moderate · 46 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Clopidogrel page

“Clopidogrel (Plavix) keeps platelets from sticking together after a stent, heart attack, or stroke, which makes this a list to take carefully. Of the 309 supplements and herbs on file, 202 carry blood-thinning or antiplatelet activity of their own and can stack bleeding risk on top of the drug's, while most of the rest change how the l…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Clopidogrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 435 real supplement products containing Octacosanol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Octacosanol. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Clopidogrel too, on top of Octacosanol — 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 Octacosanol and Clopidogrel 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 Octacosanol
Steady interest

#1,072 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Clopidogrel
Top 1%

#12 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 Octacosanol

What is Octacosanol?

Octacosanol
  • Physical performance and endurance
  • Cholesterol support
  • Parkinson's and movement concerns
  • Antioxidant support
  • General energy and stamina

Octacosanol is a waxy long-chain alcohol from plant sources that is most often promoted for exercise endurance and cholesterol support, but solid human evidence is limited and results are mixed. It appears generally well tolerated in supplement amounts, but it is not a proven treatment for any condition, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Octacosanol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Clopidogrel

What Is Clopidogrel Used For?

Brand name: Plavix

Clopidogrel tablets are used to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) — including unstable angina and non-ST-elevation or ST-elevation heart attacks — and in people with a history of recent heart attack, recent stroke, or established peripheral arterial disease. For ACS, it is typically given alongside aspirin.

It works by preventing platelets (blood cells that trigger clotting) from clumping together, which helps keep arteries open and lowers the chance of a dangerous clot forming.

See full Clopidogrel drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Octacosanol

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

0Major
247Moderate
0Minor
2,582No known interaction
247 Moderate 2,582 No interaction
Moderate

247 interactions

Showing 60 of 247 moderate interactions — see all 247 on the Octacosanol page.

No interaction 2,582 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,582 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Octacosanol list.

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

Can you take Octacosanol with Clopidogrel?
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.
How serious is the Octacosanol and Clopidogrel 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

Still Have a Question About Clopidogrel and Octacosanol?

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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.