Drug & supplement interaction

Panax Ginseng + Pemigatinib

Pemigatinib brand name: Pemazyre.

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

Panax Ginseng has a moderate interaction with Pemigatinib. Theoretically, Panax ginseng might increase or decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Panax Ginseng and Pemigatinib

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Pemigatinib

Pemigatinib falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Panax Ginseng interacts with.

Theoretically, Panax ginseng might increase or decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Panax ginseng may affect the clearance of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4. One such drug is imatinib. Inhibition of CYP3A4 was believed to be responsible for a case of imatinib-induced hepatotoxicity. In contrast, Panax ginseng has been shown to increase the clearance of midazolam, another drug metabolized by CYP3A4. Clinical research shows that Panax ginseng can reduce midazolam area under the curve by 44%, maximum plasma concentration by 26%, and time to reach maximum plasma concentration by 29%. Midazolam metabolism was also increased in animals given Panax ginseng. Until more is known, use Panax ginseng cautiously in combination with CYP3A4 substrates.
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 situation with Pemazyre (pemigatinib). Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to clear this cancer medicine from your body. Panax ginseng can nudge that enzyme in either direction, so the effect isn't predictable. If ginseng slows the enzyme, pemigatinib could build up and you might see more side effects like dry mouth, mouth sores, hair or nail changes, low phosphate levels, or eye problems. If ginseng speeds the enzyme up, your body could clear the drug too fast, which might make it work less well against your cancer.

Honestly, this is mostly theoretical and the evidence is limited. But because pemigatinib treats a serious illness, I'd play it safe and check with your oncologist or pharmacist before adding ginseng. Don't change your dose on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Malati CY, Robertson SM, Hunt JD, Chairez C, Alfaro RM, Kovacs JA, Penzak SR. Influence of Panax ginseng on cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity in healthy participants. J Clin Pharmacol 2012;52(6):932-9.
  2. Bilgi N, Bell K, Ananthakrishnan AN, Atallah E. Imatinib and Panax ginseng: a potential interaction resulting in liver toxicity. Ann Pharmacother 2010;44(5):926-8.
  3. Kim Y, Jo JJ, Cho P, et al. Characterization of red ginseng-drug interaction by CYP3A activity increased in high dose administration in mice. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 2020;41(7):295-306. 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

Panax Ginseng Also Interacts With Other Medications

Panax Ginseng has 1,131 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Pemigatinib one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,131 No known interaction 1,699 (incl. Pemigatinib)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Panax Ginseng

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pemigatinib

This page covers Panax Ginseng only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pemigatinib page lists 138 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 94 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pemigatinib page

“Pemigatinib (Pemazyre) is a targeted therapy for bile duct cancer, and it only works if its blood level stays where it should. Of the 138 supplements and herbs on file, 121 affect the liver enzyme (CYP3A4) that clears pemigatinib, which can push levels up toward worse side effects or pull them down until the cancer goes undertreated.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pemigatinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 517 real supplement products containing Panax Ginseng, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Panax Ginseng. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pemigatinib too, on top of Panax Ginseng — 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 Panax Ginseng and Pemigatinib 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 Panax Ginseng
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pemigatinib
Steady interest

#2,463 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 Panax Ginseng

What is Panax Ginseng?

Panax Ginseng
  • Boosting energy and fighting fatigue
  • Improving mental focus and memory
  • Coping with stress (adaptogen)
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Supporting immune health
  • Blood sugar support

Panax ginseng is a popular traditional herb used to boost energy, ease stress, and support overall wellness, though scientific evidence is mixed and mostly preliminary. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use in healthy adults, but it can cause side effects like trouble sleeping and may not be safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you have a medical condition or take other medicines.

Read the full Panax Ginseng monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pemigatinib

What Is Pemigatinib Used For?

Brand name: Pemazyre

Pemazyre (pemigatinib) is used to treat adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) whose tumors have a specific genetic change called an FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement, confirmed by an FDA-approved test. This approval is based on tumor response rates; continued approval may depend on results from further confirmatory studies.

Pemazyre is also approved to treat adults with relapsed or refractory myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms (MLNs) — certain blood and bone marrow cancers — that carry an FGFR1 rearrangement and have come back or stopped responding to prior treatment.

See full Pemigatinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Panax Ginseng

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

0Major
1,131Moderate
0Minor
1,698No known interaction
1,131 Moderate 1,698 No interaction
Moderate

1,131 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,131 moderate interactions — see all 1,131 on the Panax Ginseng page.

No interaction 1,698 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,698 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Panax Ginseng list.

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

Can you take Panax Ginseng with Pemigatinib?
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 Panax Ginseng and Pemigatinib 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 Pemigatinib and Panax Ginseng?

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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.