Drug & supplement interaction

Plant Sterols + Trametinib

Trametinib brand name: Mekinist.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Plant Sterols and Trametinib 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 Trametinib states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Plant Sterols and Trametinib

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 Trametinib and Plant Sterols 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.

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

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.

Plant Sterols safety at a glance

Plant Sterols overall Generally safe Generally well tolerated at typical food and supplement amounts for most adults.
Pregnancy Use caution Safety of concentrated supplements during pregnancy is not well studied, so use caution and check with your doctor.
Breastfeeding Use caution There is limited information on concentrated supplements during breastfeeding, so caution is advised.

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

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Plant Sterols and Trametinib May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Acne Additional detail

    Plant Sterols

    “Peripheral precocious puberty has been described in a 20-month-old boy who ingested about 15 grams daily of a chicken essence product containing the plant sterol avenasterol, also known as clerosterol or chondrillasterol. Signs and symptoms included elevated estradiol and testosterone levels, acne, hairiness, increased penis size, hoarse voice, and increased growth rate.”

    Plant Sterols · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in acne.

    1 source cited
    1. 112084. Xue P, Wang Y, Chen Y, et al. A Case of Peripheral Precocious Puberty May Be Caused by a Diet Containing Phytosterols in a 20-Month-Old Boy. Horm Res Paediatr 2022;95(5):484-491. PubMed

    Trametinib

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Trametinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset / Diarrhea Additional detail

    Plant Sterols

    “Abdominal discomfort has occurred in one child in a clinical trial of oral plant sterols. Because plant sterols decrease cholesterol absorption in the gut, there is concern that they might produce some gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and excess amounts of fat in the stool (steatorrhea), although these adverse effects have not been reported in clinical research.”

    Plant Sterols · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    1 source cited
    1. 35106. Guardamagna, O., Abello, F., Baracco, V., Federici, G., Bertucci, P., Mozzi, A., Mannucci, L., Gnasso, A., and Cortese, C. Primary hyperlipidemias in children: effect of plant sterol supplementation on plasma lipids and markers of cholesterol synthesis a

    Trametinib

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Trametinib. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash reported in 7.2% of FDA reports for Trametinib Additional detail

    Plant Sterols

    “Acute dermatitis has been reported in a case report of a 51-year-old female who used a pharmacy-brand plant sterol supplement to lower cholesterol levels. The rash was widespread with lesions on the hands and feet and a red and swollen face. The patient was treated orally with prednisolone and topically with emollients for 2 weeks.”

    Plant Sterols · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 90737. Haque Hussain SS, Weir J, Roberts N. Severe dermatitis secondary to plant sterol supplements. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2009 Oct;34(7):e276-7. PubMed

    Trametinib

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Trametinib, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Trametinib come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Plant Sterols come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 23,697 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Trametinib that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Trametinib Products Have a Food Rule — Plant Sterols Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Trametinib says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Plant Sterols included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Trametinib on its own and move Plant Sterols to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Trametinib 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.

MEKINIST Tablets Take MEKINIST tablets on an empty stomach (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal) [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] .

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Trametinib — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

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 Trametinib

This page covers Plant Sterols only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Trametinib 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.

Open the Trametinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 28 real supplement products containing Plant Sterols, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Plant Sterols. Even though Plant Sterols itself has no known interaction with Trametinib, 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 Plant Sterols and Trametinib 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 Plant Sterols
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Trametinib
Steady interest

#1,626 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 Plant Sterols reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Plant Sterols and Trametinib 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 Plant Sterols

What is Plant Sterols?

  • High cholesterol
  • Heart health support
  • Lowering LDL cholesterol

Plant sterols (and their close relatives, plant stanols) are natural compounds found in plants that can modestly lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol when taken regularly in adequate amounts, usually through fortified foods or supplements. They are widely considered a useful add-on to a heart-healthy diet, but they are not a replacement for prescribed cholesterol medicine. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting them, especially if you take cholesterol drugs.

Sterols extracted from plant oils, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes · Capsules, softgels, fortified margarine/spreads, fortified yogurt and milk, powders

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

Plant Sterols: dosing

There is no single official dose for everyone, but cholesterol-lowering benefits are generally seen only when enough is taken consistently each day, usually spread across meals. Taking them with food is often recommended, since they work by affecting how cholesterol is absorbed during digestion.The best approach is to follow the directions on your specific product label, since fortified foods and supplements vary in strength.

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

Read the full Plant Sterols monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Trametinib

What Is Trametinib Used For?

Brand name: Mekinist

Mekinist is used to treat cancers that have a BRAF V600E or V600K mutation — a specific genetic change that tells cancer cells to grow out of control. It can be used alone or, more often, paired with another targeted medicine called dabrafenib.

On its own, Mekinist treats certain patients with unresectable (cannot be surgically removed) or metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) melanoma who have not previously received a BRAF inhibitor. In combination with dabrafenib, Mekinist is used for metastatic or surgically treated melanoma, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), locally advanced or metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), certain other BRAF V600E-positive solid tumors in adults and children 1 year and older, and low-grade glioma (a type of brain tumor) in children 1 year and older. A BRAF mutation must be confirmed by an FDA-approved test before starting treatment.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Trametinib

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (24,023 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fever 4,068 reports
Malignant neoplasm progression 2,040 reports
Rash 1,736 reports
Fatigue 1,516 reports
Nausea 1,496 reports
See full Trametinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Plant Sterols

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Plant Sterols — 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
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Plant Sterols References

The 3 references that drive our Plant Sterols 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. Guardamagna, O., Abello, F., Baracco, V., Federici, G., Bertucci, P., Mozzi, A., Mannucci, L., Gnasso, A., and Cortese, C. Primary hyperlipidemias in children: effect of plant sterol supplementation on plasma lipids and markers of cholesterol synthesis a
  2. Haque Hussain SS, Weir J, Roberts N. Severe dermatitis secondary to plant sterol supplements. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2009 Oct;34(7):e276-7. PubMed
  3. Xue P, Wang Y, Chen Y, et al. A Case of Peripheral Precocious Puberty May Be Caused by a Diet Containing Phytosterols in a 20-Month-Old Boy. Horm Res Paediatr 2022;95(5):484-491. 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 Plant Sterols and Trametinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Plant Sterols with Trametinib?
We do not list a known interaction between Plant Sterols and Trametinib. 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.
Do Plant Sterols and Trametinib have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Plant Sterols and Trametinib at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Trametinib says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Trametinib on its own and move Plant Sterols to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Trametinib interact with any supplements?
Yes. Trametinib has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Plant Sterols is not one of them. The Trametinib interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Trametinib and Plant Sterols?

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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.