Drug & supplement interaction

Quercetin + Mitoxantrone

Mitoxantrone brand name: Novantrone.

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

Quercetin has a moderate interaction with Mitoxantrone. Theoretically, quercetin might increase the effects and adverse effects of mitoxantrone.

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

Quercetin and Mitoxantrone

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

Moderate

MITOXANTRONE

Theoretically, quercetin might increase the effects and adverse effects of mitoxantrone.
In vitro research shows that quercetin increases the intracellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of mitoxantrone, possibly through inhibition of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), of which mitoxantrone is a substrate. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate 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: your body uses a little pump called BCRP to push mitoxantrone out of cells. In test-tube studies, quercetin seems to block that pump, so more of the drug stays trapped inside cells. In theory, that could make mitoxantrone hit harder, both its intended effect and its side effects, like a bigger drop in your white blood cells and platelets, more nausea, mouth sores, or fatigue.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. So far this has only been seen in lab dishes, not in actual patients, so it's theoretical. Everyday amounts of quercetin from foods like onions and apples are very unlikely to matter. Concentrated supplements are the bigger question mark. Since mitoxantrone is potent chemotherapy, please run any quercetin supplement past your oncology team before using it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Song YK, Yoon JH, Woo JK, et al. Quercetin is a flavonoid breast cancer resistance protein inhibitor with an impact on the oral pharmacokinetics of sulfasalazine in rats. Pharmaceutics 2020;12(5):397. 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

Quercetin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Quercetin has 1,168 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Mitoxantrone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,168 No known interaction 1,662 (incl. Mitoxantrone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Quercetin

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Mitoxantrone

This page covers Quercetin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Mitoxantrone page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Acerola (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Mitoxantrone page

“Very little here is casual, because mitoxantrone (Novantrone) is chemotherapy for certain cancers and aggressive multiple sclerosis, and anything that weakens it can cost real ground. The one major-rated interaction, activated charcoal, can pull the drug back out of the body even though mitoxantrone is given by IV.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Mitoxantrone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,589 real supplement products containing Quercetin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Quercetin. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Mitoxantrone too, on top of Quercetin — 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 Quercetin and Mitoxantrone 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 Quercetin
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Mitoxantrone
Top half

#1,028 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 Quercetin

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin
  • Seasonal allergies
  • Antioxidant support
  • Heart and blood pressure health
  • Anti-inflammatory support
  • Immune support
  • Exercise recovery

Quercetin is a plant flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties found in many common foods and sold as a supplement. While early research is interesting for allergies, blood pressure, and inflammation, strong human evidence is limited for most uses. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking high-dose supplements.

Read the full Quercetin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Mitoxantrone Injection

What Is Mitoxantrone Injection Used For?

Brand name: Novantrone

Mitoxantrone Injection is used to reduce neurologic disability and the frequency of relapses in adults with secondary progressive, progressive relapsing, or worsening relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). It is not indicated for primary progressive MS.

Mitoxantrone Injection, in combination with corticosteroids, is also used as initial chemotherapy for pain related to advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer. In combination with other approved drugs, it is used in the initial treatment of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) in adults, which includes several subtypes such as myelogenous, promyelocytic, monocytic, and erythroid acute leukemias.

See full Mitoxantrone Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Quercetin

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

0Major
1,168Moderate
0Minor
1,661No known interaction
1,168 Moderate 1,661 No interaction
Moderate

1,168 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,168 moderate interactions — see all 1,168 on the Quercetin page.

No interaction 1,661 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,661 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Quercetin list.

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

Can you take Quercetin with Mitoxantrone?
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 Quercetin and Mitoxantrone 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 Mitoxantrone and Quercetin?

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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.