Drug & supplement interaction

Policosanol + Cobicistat

Cobicistat brand name: Tybost.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Policosanol and Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat 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

Policosanol and Cobicistat

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 Cobicistat and Policosanol 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.

Policosanol safety at a glance

Policosanol overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in studies, but its real-world benefit is uncertain and quality varies between products.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety information, so it is best to avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so it is best to avoid use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Cobicistat and Policosanol? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cobicistat

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inhibitors, oral drugs. Policosanol has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and beta-blockers (moderate) — and none of Cobicistat’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

Policosanol Does Interact With Other Medications

Policosanol has 242 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 242 No known interaction 2,588 (incl. Cobicistat)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Policosanol

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Policosanol and Cobicistat 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.

  • Trouble sleeping / Headache Additional detail

    Policosanol

    “Orally, policosanol may cause headache, mild vertigo, somnolence, irritability, or insomnia but these events are uncommon. In one clinical study, 1 out of 44 subjects receiving policosanol 20 mg daily 12 weeks experienced mild vertigo and 2 out of 44 experienced mild headache. In another study, 2 out of 70 patients taking policosanol 10 mg daily for 8 weeks experienced headache.”

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

    3 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. 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
    3. 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

    Cobicistat

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

  • Itching Additional detail

    Policosanol

    “Orally, policosanol can cause pruritus or skin rash, but these events appear to be uncommon. In one clinical trial that included over 50 patients, one case of policosanol-associated skin rash was reported. In another study, 1 out of 40 patients treated with policosanol 10 mg daily reported pruritus.”

    Policosanol · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    3 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
    3. 100178. 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

    Cobicistat

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Policosanol

    Recorded for Policosanol in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Trouble sleeping / Headache above.

    Cobicistat

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

Reported for Policosanol but not commonly for Cobicistat: stomach upset, mood changes or irritability, weight loss and drowsiness.

Effects for Cobicistat come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Policosanol come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 20,779 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat Products Have a Food Rule — Policosanol Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Policosanol on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat 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 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION TYBOST must be coadministered with atazanavir or darunavir at the same time, with food, and in combination with other HIV-1 antiretroviral agents.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Cobicistat — 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 Cobicistat

This page covers Policosanol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cobicistat page lists 30 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), Cannabidiol (cbd) (moderate), Cannabinol (cbn) (moderate) and Cannabis (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 19 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cobicistat page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry to understand first if you take cobicistat (Tybost). Charcoal soaks up drugs in the gut, and since cobicistat's entire job is boosting an HIV medicine to protective levels, blunting its absorption can put the whole regimen at risk.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cobicistat interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 479 real supplement products containing Policosanol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Policosanol. Even though Policosanol itself has no known interaction with Cobicistat, 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 Policosanol and Cobicistat 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 Policosanol
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cobicistat
Top half

#1,194 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 Policosanol reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Policosanol and Cobicistat 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 Policosanol

What is Policosanol?

Policosanol
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart and blood vessel health
  • Leg pain from poor circulation (intermittent claudication)
  • Physical stamina and energy

Policosanol is a mix of waxy alcohols (mostly octacosanol) made from sugar cane or other plant waxes, and it is often marketed as a natural way to lower cholesterol. Early studies from Cuba showed strong cholesterol-lowering effects, but independent studies in other countries have mostly failed to confirm these benefits. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take cholesterol medicine.

Wax extracted from sugar cane, beeswax, rice bran, or wheat germ · Tablets, capsules

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

Policosanol: dosing

There is no official or universally agreed-upon dose for policosanol. The amounts used in studies have varied, and the source of the wax can change how a product behaves. They can help you decide if it is appropriate for you and whether your cholesterol or heart condition needs proven treatment instead.

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

Read the full Policosanol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cobicistat

What Is Cobicistat Used For?

Brand name: Tybost

Tybost (cobicistat) is not itself an HIV treatment — it works by slowing the breakdown of certain HIV medicines so they stay active in your body long enough to work. Specifically, Tybost is used to boost the HIV medicines atazanavir or darunavir (once-daily dosing) as part of a complete HIV-1 treatment regimen in adults and in children weighing at least 14 kg (about 31 lbs).

Tybost is not interchangeable with ritonavir (another booster) for all HIV medicines. It is not recommended with darunavir twice-daily, fosamprenavir, saquinavir, or tipranavir.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cobicistat

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (20,779 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Bone density decreased 8,112 reports
Chronic kidney disease 4,754 reports
Renal injury 4,577 reports
Tooth loss 4,186 reports
Bone loss 4,107 reports
See full Cobicistat drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Policosanol

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

0Major
242Moderate
0Minor
2,587No known interaction
242 Moderate 2,587 No interaction
Moderate

242 interactions

Showing 60 of 242 moderate interactions — see all 242 on the Policosanol page.

No interaction 2,587 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,587 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Policosanol list.

See the full Policosanol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cobicistat, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Policosanol References

The 15 references that drive our Policosanol 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. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. Fernandez L, Mas R, Illnait J, Fernandez JC. Policosanol: results of a postmarketing surveillance study of 27,879 patients. Curr Ther Res 1998;59(10):717-22. DOI
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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

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 Policosanol and Cobicistat Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Policosanol with Cobicistat?
We do not list a known interaction between Policosanol and Cobicistat. 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 Policosanol and Cobicistat 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 Policosanol and Cobicistat at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Cobicistat says to take it with food. If you take Policosanol on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Cobicistat with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Cobicistat products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Policosanol and Cobicistat combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cobicistat is filed under 2 classifications, and Policosanol has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Cobicistat'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 Policosanol interact with any other medications?
Yes. Policosanol has 242 documented drug interactions in our database — Cobicistat 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 Cobicistat interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cobicistat has documented interactions with 30 supplements in our database — Policosanol is not one of them. The Cobicistat 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

Policosanol monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Cobicistat drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Cobicistat supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Cobicistat, 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 15 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cobicistat and Policosanol?

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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.