Drug & supplement interaction

Octacosanol + Ferric Citrate

Ferric Citrate brand name: Auryxia.

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 Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Ferric Citrate states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate

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 Ferric Citrate and Octacosanol 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.

Octacosanol safety at a glance

Octacosanol overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studied amounts, but long-term safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Ferric Citrate and Octacosanol? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Ferric Citrate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Ferric Citrate is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Octacosanol has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and beta-blockers (moderate) — and none of Ferric Citrate’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

Octacosanol Does Interact With Other Medications

Octacosanol has 248 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Ferric Citrate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 248 No known interaction 2,582 (incl. Ferric Citrate)
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.

What to actually watch for

What Octacosanol Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Ferric Citrate. It is the side-effect record for Octacosanol on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Octacosanol, this list is the first place to look.

  • Mood changes or irritability / Drowsiness / Trouble sleeping / Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    “Octacosanol is the main component of policosanol. Orally, policosanol may cause headache, mild vertigo, somnolence, irritability, or insomnia, but these events are uncommon. It is unclear if octacosanol is the constituent responsible for these adverse effects.”

    Octacosanol · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    4 sources cited
    1. 14404. Greyling A, De Witt C, Oosthuizen W, Jerling JC. Effects of a policosanol supplement on serum lipid concentrations in hypercholesterolaemic and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Br J Nutr 2006;95:968-75. PubMed
    2. 65357. Menendez, R., Mas, R., Amor, A. M., Gonzalez, R. M., Fernandez, J. C., Rodeiro, I., Zayas, M., and Jimenez, S. Effects of policosanol treatment on the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL) isolated from healthy volunteers to oxidative modificat
    3. 69119. Francini-Pesenti F, Brocadello F, Beltramolli D, et al. Sugar cane policosanol failed to lower plasma cholesterol in primitive, diet-resistant hypercholesterolaemia: A double blind, controlled study. Complement Ther Med 2008;16:61-65. PubMed
    4. 95374. Castaño G, Fernández L, Mas R, Illnait J, Mesa M, Fernández JC. Comparison of the effects of policosanol and atorvastatin on lipid profile and platelet aggregation in patients with dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Drug Investig. 2003;23(10 PubMed
  • Itching / A skin rash Additional detail

    “Octacosanol is the main component of policosanol. Orally, policosanol can cause pruritus or skin rash, but these events appear to be uncommon. It is unclear if octacosanol is the constituent responsible for these adverse effects.”

    Octacosanol · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    2 sources cited
    1. 65369. Castano G, Fernandez L, Mas R, et al. Comparison of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of original policosanol versus other mixtures of higher aliphatic primary alcohols in patients with type II hypercholesterolemia. Int.J.Clin.Pharmacol.Res. 2002;22:5
    2. 95374. Castaño G, Fernández L, Mas R, Illnait J, Mesa M, Fernández JC. Comparison of the effects of policosanol and atorvastatin on lipid profile and platelet aggregation in patients with dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Drug Investig. 2003;23(10 PubMed

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

How to take them

Some Ferric Citrate Products Have a Food Rule — Octacosanol Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Ferric Citrate says to take it with food. If you take Octacosanol on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Ferric Citrate with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Ferric Citrate products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

( 2.2 ) 2.1 Dosage for Hyperphosphatemia in Chronic Kidney Disease on Dialysis The recommended starting dose is 2 tablets, swallowed whole, 3 times per day with meals.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Ferric Citrate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Ferric Citrate drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ferric Citrate

This page covers Octacosanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ferric Citrate 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 Ferric Citrate page

“Ferric citrate (Auryxia) does its work in the gut, binding dietary phosphate in kidney disease or supplying iron, and all 17 supplements on this list can interfere with how oral medicines get absorbed. That is worth real caution, starting with the single major-rated entry, activated charcoal, which adsorbs many drugs directly and can m…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ferric Citrate 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. Even though Octacosanol itself has no known interaction with Ferric Citrate, 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 Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ferric Citrate
Top half

#1,083 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 Octacosanol reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate 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 .
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.

Long-chain alcohol extracted from plant waxes (such as wheat germ oil, rice bran, and sugar cane wax) · Capsules, tablets, softgels; sometimes part of 'policosanol' blends

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

Octacosanol: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of octacosanol. The amounts used in studies have varied widely, and there is not enough evidence to recommend a specific dose for any purpose.If you choose to try it, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the suggested amount. A pharmacist can help you review a product and decide whether it is appropriate for you.

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

Read the full Octacosanol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ferric Citrate

What Is Ferric Citrate Used For?

Brand name: Auryxia

Ferric citrate tablets — sold as Auryxia and under the generic name Ferric Citrate — are approved for two related uses in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

For patients on dialysis, they work as a phosphate binder to control high phosphorus (hyperphosphatemia) levels in the blood. For patients with CKD who are not on dialysis, they serve as an iron replacement to treat iron deficiency anemia.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ferric Citrate

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.

Diarrhea 307 reports
Serum ferritin increased 228 reports
Transferrin saturation increased 169 reports
Faeces discoloured 118 reports
Constipation 83 reports
See full Ferric Citrate 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
248Moderate
0Minor
2,581No known interaction
248 Moderate 2,581 No interaction
Moderate

248 interactions

Showing 60 of 248 moderate interactions — see all 248 on the Octacosanol page.

No interaction 2,581 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 2,581 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Octacosanol list.

See the full Octacosanol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ferric Citrate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Octacosanol References

The 16 references that drive our Octacosanol 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. 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. Snider S. Octacosanol in parkinsonism. Ann Neurol 1984;16:723. PubMed
  5. Greyling A, De Witt C, Oosthuizen W, Jerling JC. Effects of a policosanol supplement on serum lipid concentrations in hypercholesterolaemic and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Br J Nutr 2006;95:968-75. PubMed
  6. 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
  7. Molina, Cuevas, V, Arruzazabala, M. L., Carbajal, Quintana D., Mas, Ferreiro R., and Valdes, Garcia S. Effect of policosanol on arterial blood pressure in rats. Study of the pharmacological interaction with nifedipine and propranolol. Arch Med Res 1998;29
  8. Menendez, R., Mas, R., Amor, A. M., Gonzalez, R. M., Fernandez, J. C., Rodeiro, I., Zayas, M., and Jimenez, S. Effects of policosanol treatment on the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL) isolated from healthy volunteers to oxidative modificat
  9. Castano G, Fernandez L, Mas R, et al. Comparison of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of original policosanol versus other mixtures of higher aliphatic primary alcohols in patients with type II hypercholesterolemia. Int.J.Clin.Pharmacol.Res. 2002;22:5
  10. Arruzazabala, M. L., Carbajal, D., Mas, R., Valdes, S., and Molina, V. Pharmacological Interaction Between Policosanol and Nitroprusside in Rats. J Med Food 2001;4(2):67-70. PubMed
  11. Castano G, Mas R, Gamez R, et al. Concomitant use of policosanol and beta-blockers in older patients. Int J Clin Pharmacol.Res 2004;24:65-77.
  12. Francini-Pesenti F, Brocadello F, Beltramolli D, et al. Sugar cane policosanol failed to lower plasma cholesterol in primitive, diet-resistant hypercholesterolaemia: A double blind, controlled study. Complement Ther Med 2008;16:61-65. PubMed
  13. Castaño G, Fernández L, Mas R, Illnait J, Mesa M, Fernández JC. Comparison of the effects of policosanol and atorvastatin on lipid profile and platelet aggregation in patients with dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Drug Investig. 2003;23(10 PubMed
  14. Wang HY, Jiao QP, Chen SY, et al. Efficacy and safety of policosanol plus fenofibrate combination therapy in elderly patients with mixed dyslipidemia: A randomized, controlled clinical study. Am J Med Sci. 2018;356(3):254-261. PubMed
  15. 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

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 Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Octacosanol with Ferric Citrate?
We do not list a known interaction between Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate. 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.
Should I take Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Ferric Citrate says to take it with food. If you take Octacosanol on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Ferric Citrate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Ferric Citrate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Octacosanol and Ferric Citrate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Ferric Citrate is filed under 1 classification, and Octacosanol has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Ferric Citrate'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 Octacosanol interact with any other medications?
Yes. Octacosanol has 248 documented drug interactions in our database — Ferric Citrate 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 Ferric Citrate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ferric Citrate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Octacosanol is not one of them. The Ferric Citrate 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

Octacosanol monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ferric Citrate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Ferric Citrate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ferric Citrate, 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 16 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ferric Citrate 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.