Drug & supplement interaction

Saw Palmetto + Edoxaban

Edoxaban brand name: Savaysa.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Saw Palmetto has a moderate interaction with Edoxaban. Saw palmetto might increase the risk of bleeding with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Saw Palmetto and Edoxaban

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Edoxaban

Edoxaban falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Saw Palmetto interacts with.

Saw palmetto might increase the risk of bleeding with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Saw palmetto is reported to prolong bleeding time. Theoretically, it might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
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

Edoxaban (Savaysa) is already a blood thinner, working by blocking factor Xa to keep clots from forming. Saw palmetto has been reported, mostly from scattered case reports, to lengthen the time it takes blood to clot. Stack the two together and the concern is simple: you may bleed a little more easily than edoxaban alone would cause.

To be clear, this is weak, anecdotal evidence, not a proven problem, and saw palmetto is usually well tolerated. Still, it's worth knowing the warning signs: easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, pink or dark urine, or black stools. If any of that shows up, or before you start saw palmetto, check with your pharmacist or doctor first rather than adding it on your own.

References
  1. Cheema P, El-Mefty O, Jazieh AR. Intraoperative haemorrhage associated with the use of extract of Saw Palmetto herb: a case report and review of literature. J Intern Med 2001;250:167-9. 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

Saw Palmetto Also Interacts With Other Medications

Saw Palmetto has 173 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Edoxaban 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 Saw Palmetto

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Saw Palmetto or Edoxaban

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

This page covers Saw Palmetto only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Edoxaban page lists 218 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate) and Allspice (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 190 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Edoxaban page

“The interaction I would flag first for edoxaban (Savaysa) is activated charcoal, which can soak up the drug in the gut and lower its levels, and an underdosed blood thinner leaves you exposed to the clots and strokes it exists to prevent. It is one of three major-rated entries here, alongside danshen and piracetam, which push the oppos…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Edoxaban interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 3,466 real supplement products containing Saw Palmetto, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Saw Palmetto. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Edoxaban too, on top of Saw Palmetto — 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 Saw Palmetto and Edoxaban 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 Saw Palmetto
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Edoxaban
Top 10%

#252 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 Saw Palmetto

What is Saw Palmetto?

Saw Palmetto
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms
  • Urinary problems
  • Hair loss
  • Prostate health
  • Inflammation

Saw palmetto is a plant extract most often used for urinary symptoms linked to an enlarged prostate (BPH). The best research suggests it works no better than a placebo for most men, though it is generally well tolerated. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it, especially for prostate or urinary problems that need proper evaluation.

Read the full Saw Palmetto monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Edoxaban

What Is Edoxaban Used For?

Brand name: Savaysa

Savaysa (edoxaban) is used to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism (when a clot travels to other parts of the body) in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation — a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. Important: Savaysa is not appropriate for everyone with this condition; people with very high kidney function (creatinine clearance above 95 mL/min) should use a different anticoagulant instead.

Savaysa is also used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in a deep vein, usually the leg) and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs). For DVT and PE, Savaysa is started after 5 to 10 days of initial treatment with an injectable blood thinner.

See full Edoxaban drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Saw Palmetto

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

0Major
173Moderate
0Minor
2,656No known interaction
Moderate

173 interactions

Showing 60 of 173 moderate interactions — see all 173 on the Saw Palmetto page.

No interaction 2,656 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 Saw Palmetto and Edoxaban Together: Common Questions

Can you take Saw Palmetto with Edoxaban?
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 Saw Palmetto and Edoxaban 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 Edoxaban and Saw Palmetto?

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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.