Drug & supplement interaction

Qi Gong + Istradefylline

Istradefylline brand name: Nourianz.

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 Qi Gong and Istradefylline 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 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

Qi Gong and Istradefylline

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 Istradefylline and Qi Gong in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Qi Gong alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Qi Gong at all — not against Istradefylline, 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.

Qi Gong is a practice rather than something you take. Ask your care team whether the type and intensity you plan to practice are appropriate for your health and treatment. 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.

Qi Gong safety at a glance

Qi Gong overall Generally safe For most people, gentle Qi Gong is low-risk when practiced sensibly.
Pregnancy Use caution Gentle practice may be fine, but check with your doctor and avoid strenuous or unstable positions.
Breastfeeding Generally safe As a movement practice it poses little known risk while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Istradefylline and Qi Gong? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Qi Gong and Istradefylline May Share a Side Effect

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 practicing Qi Gong while taking the medicine can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Dizziness reported in 7.1% of FDA reports for Istradefylline Additional detail

    Qi Gong

    “Practicing Qi gong has been associated with dizziness. In one clinical study, dizziness was reported in around 19% of individuals practicing Qi gong, while only 5% of individuals following an exercise program reported this adverse effect.”

    Qi Gong · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in vertigo.

    1 source cited
    1. 96796. Blödt S, Pach D, Kaster T, Lüdtke R, Icke K, Reisshauer A, Witt CM. Qigong versus exercise therapy for chronic low back pain in adults--a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Eur J Pain. 2015;19(1):123-31. PubMed

    Istradefylline

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

Reported for Qi Gong but not commonly for Istradefylline: back pain.

Effects for Istradefylline come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Qi Gong come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 5,920 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Istradefylline 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Istradefylline

This page covers Qi Gong only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Istradefylline 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 Istradefylline page

“Istradefylline (Nourianz) is added to levodopa to trim the daily 'off' time of Parkinson's disease, and its supplement list deserves genuine care. Most of the 138 ingredients here can change how the liver enzyme CYP3A4 handles the drug, so blood levels may drift too high or too low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Istradefylline interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Qi Gong and Istradefylline 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 Qi Gong
Steady interest

#1,319 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Istradefylline
Top 5%

#135 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 Qi Gong reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Qi Gong and Istradefylline 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 .
Mind-body practice

About Qi Gong

What is Qi Gong?

  • Stress and relaxation
  • Balance and fall prevention
  • Chronic pain
  • General fitness and energy
  • Quality of life in chronic illness
  • Sleep support

Qi Gong is a gentle Chinese mind-body practice that combines slow movement, breathing, and focused attention rather than a pill or herb you swallow. It is generally safe for most people and may help with stress, balance, and overall well-being, though the research is mixed and often low quality. It is best used alongside, not instead of, standard medical care.

Not applicable (a mind-body practice, not a plant or supplement) · Guided classes, video and online courses, one-on-one instruction, group practice

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

Qi Gong: dosing

There is no standardized "dose" for Qi Gong because it is a practice, not a supplement. Many programs and studies use sessions of roughly 20 to 60 minutes, done several times a week, but the right amount varies from person to person.A reasonable approach is to start with short, gentle sessions and build up slowly as you feel comfortable. Learning from a qualified instructor, at least at first, helps you use good form.

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

Read the full Qi Gong monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Istradefylline

What Is Istradefylline Used For?

Brand name: Nourianz

Nourianz (istradefylline) is used alongside levodopa/carbidopa in adults with Parkinson's disease. Specifically, it is meant to reduce 'off' episodes — periods when levodopa stops working as well and Parkinson's symptoms return or worsen.

It is an add-on therapy only; it is not used alone or as a replacement for levodopa/carbidopa.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Istradefylline

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (5,920 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Hallucination 608 reports
Dyskinesia 482 reports
Dizziness 421 reports
Constipation 353 reports
Fall 344 reports
See full Istradefylline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Qi Gong

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Qi Gong — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Qi Gong list.

See the full Qi Gong interactions page
See every supplement checked against Istradefylline, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Qi Gong References

The 2 references that drive our Qi Gong 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. Lauche R, Cramer H, Häuser W, Dobos G, Langhorst J. A systematic review and meta-analysis of qigong for the fibromyalgia syndrome. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:635182. PubMed
  2. Blödt S, Pach D, Kaster T, Lüdtke R, Icke K, Reisshauer A, Witt CM. Qigong versus exercise therapy for chronic low back pain in adults--a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Eur J Pain. 2015;19(1):123-31. 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

Practicing Qi Gong While Taking Istradefylline: Common Questions

Is it safe to practice Qi Gong while taking Istradefylline?
We do not list a known interaction between Qi Gong and Istradefylline. 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 Qi Gong and Istradefylline have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
Does Istradefylline interact with any supplements?
Yes. Istradefylline has documented interactions with 138 supplements in our database — Qi Gong is not one of them. The Istradefylline 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

Qi Gong monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Istradefylline drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Istradefylline supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Istradefylline, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Istradefylline and Qi Gong?

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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.