Drug & supplement interaction

Reishi Mushroom + Apixaban

Apixaban brand name: Eliquis.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Reishi Mushroom has a moderate interaction with Apixaban. Theoretically, high doses of reishi mushroom might increase the risk of bleeding.

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

Reishi Mushroom and Apixaban

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Apixaban

Apixaban falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Reishi Mushroom interacts with.

Theoretically, high doses of reishi mushroom might increase the risk of bleeding.
A dose of 1.5 grams daily of reishi mushroom does not seem to decrease platelet aggregation, but a higher dose of 3 grams daily does.
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 thing to keep in mind: Eliquis (apixaban) is already a blood thinner, working to keep clots from forming. Reishi isn't changing how your body breaks apixaban down. Instead, at higher doses, reishi may have a mild blood-thinning effect of its own by making platelets a little less sticky. Stack that on top of apixaban and you could, in theory, nudge your bleeding risk up a bit.

I want to be honest about how soft this evidence is. It comes mostly from lab and animal work, and one study found that 1.5 grams a day didn't affect platelets, while 3 grams a day did. So everyday culinary amounts likely don't matter much, but concentrated supplements might. Watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums, and talk with your pharmacist or doctor before adding reishi.

References
  1. Tao J, Feng KY. Experimental and clinical studies on inhibitory effect of ganoderma lucidum on platelet aggregation. J Tongji Med Univ 1990;10:240-3. PubMed
  2. Kwok Y, Ng KFJ, Li, CCF, et al. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the platelet and global hemostatic effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling-Zhi) in healthy volunteers. Anesth Analg 2005;101:423-6. 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

Reishi Mushroom Also Interacts With Other Medications

Reishi Mushroom has 374 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Apixaban one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Reishi Mushroom

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Reishi Mushroom or Apixaban

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

This page covers Reishi Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Apixaban page lists 285 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Apixaban page

“St. John's wort can weaken apixaban (Eliquis), speeding how the body clears this blood thinner and leaving you less protected from the strokes and clots it is prescribed to prevent.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Apixaban interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Reishi Mushroom and Apixaban 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 Reishi Mushroom
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Apixaban
Most looked up

#1 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 Reishi Mushroom

What is Reishi Mushroom?

Reishi Mushroom
  • Immune support
  • Fatigue and general well-being
  • Stress and sleep
  • Inflammation
  • Heart and cholesterol health

Reishi is a traditional Asian mushroom widely used to support the immune system and overall wellness. Human evidence for most of its claimed benefits is limited or low-quality, so it should not replace proven treatments. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or take other medicines.

Read the full Reishi Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Apixaban

What Is Apixaban Used For?

Brand name: Eliquis

Apixaban tablets (sold as Eliquis and under the generic name apixaban) are used to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism (clots traveling to other parts of the body) in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm not caused by a heart valve problem). They are also used to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in the leg) after hip or knee replacement surgery, and to treat DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs), as well as to lower the risk of those clots coming back.

Eliquis is additionally approved to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE — blood clots in the veins) and reduce the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric patients from birth and older, following at least 5 days of initial anticoagulant treatment.

See full Apixaban drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Reishi Mushroom

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

0Major
374Moderate
0Minor
2,455No known interaction
Moderate

374 interactions

Showing 60 of 374 moderate interactions — see all 374 on the Reishi Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,455 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Reishi Mushroom and Apixaban Together: Common Questions

Can you take Reishi Mushroom with Apixaban?
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 Reishi Mushroom and Apixaban 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 Apixaban and Reishi Mushroom?

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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.