Drug & supplement interaction

Probiotics + Clioquinol

Clioquinol brand name: Vioform.

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

Probiotics has a minor interaction with Clioquinol. Theoretically, taking antifungals with certain probiotics might decrease the effectiveness of probiotics.

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

Probiotics and Clioquinol

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

Minor

ANTIFUNGALS

Why this applies to Clioquinol

Clioquinol falls under ANTIFUNGALS — the group Probiotics interacts with.

Theoretically, taking antifungals with certain probiotics might decrease the effectiveness of probiotics.
Some probiotics such as Saccharomyces boulardii are fungi. Therefore, simultaneously taking antifungals might kill a significant number of these organisms.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

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: this isn't your medicine being affected, it's the other way around. Clioquinol (Vioform) is an antifungal you usually rub on the skin for things like athlete's foot, jock itch, or ringworm. Some probiotics, like Saccharomyces boulardii, are actually a type of yeast. So in theory, an antifungal could harm those yeast-based probiotics and make them work less well.

Honestly, this is a minor, theoretical concern based on how the products work, not on real patient cases. Since clioquinol is applied to the skin and the probiotic is swallowed, they rarely cross paths in a meaningful way. If you want to be tidy about it, you could take the probiotic at a different time, but check with your pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Lewis SJ, Freedman AR. Review article: the use of biotherapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 1998;12:807-22. 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

Probiotics Also Interacts With Other Medications

Probiotics has 182 moderate, 39 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Clioquinol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 182 Minor 39 No known interaction 2,609 (incl. Clioquinol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Probiotics

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Probiotics or Clioquinol

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

This page covers Probiotics only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Clioquinol page lists 20 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 · 12 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Clioquinol page

“Clioquinol (Vioform) treats fungal and bacterial infections, and its interaction list deserves genuine wariness for one reason above all others, activated charcoal. That single major-rated entry can soak the drug up and shrink the amount your body actually gets, and the evidence suggests this can happen even when clioquinol is not swal…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Clioquinol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 15 real supplement products containing Probiotics, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Probiotics. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Clioquinol too, on top of Probiotics — 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 Probiotics and Clioquinol 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 Probiotics
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Clioquinol
Steady interest

#2,521 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 Probiotics

What is Probiotics?

  • Digestive health and regularity
  • Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Vaginal and urinary health
  • Immune support
  • General gut microbiome balance

Probiotics are live 'friendly' microbes that may help certain digestive conditions, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea and some cases of IBS, though benefits depend heavily on the specific strain and dose. They are generally well tolerated for healthy people but should be used with caution by those with serious illness or weakened immune systems. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor to pick a product that matches your goal.

Read the full Probiotics monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Probiotics

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

0Major
182Moderate
39Minor
2,608No known interaction
182 Moderate 39 Minor 2,608 No interaction
Moderate

182 interactions

Showing 60 of 182 moderate interactions — see all 182 on the Probiotics page.

Minor

39 interactions

No interaction 2,608 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,608 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Probiotics list.

See the full Probiotics interactions page
See every supplement checked against Clioquinol, 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
Probiotics monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Clioquinol supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Clioquinol, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Probiotics and Clioquinol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Probiotics with Clioquinol?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Probiotics and Clioquinol interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Clioquinol and Probiotics?

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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.