Drug & supplement interaction

Sesame + Everolimus

Everolimus brand names: Certican, Afinitor, Zortress, Afinitor Disperz.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Sesame has a minor interaction with Everolimus. Theoretically, sesame might alter the transport of P-glycoprotein substrates.

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

Sesame and Everolimus

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

Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Everolimus

Everolimus falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Sesame interacts with.

Theoretically, sesame might alter the transport of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research suggests that sesamin, a constituent of sesame, can inhibit the multi-drug transporter protein, P-glycoprotein. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 with everolimus and sesame. Everolimus relies partly on a cellular pump called P-glycoprotein to move it out of cells. Lab studies hint that sesamin, a compound in sesame, can block that pump. In theory, blocking it could let a bit more everolimus stay in your body, which might mean slightly stronger effects or more of its usual side effects (think mouth sores, fatigue, higher blood sugar, or infections).

That said, this is very early evidence, seen only in test tubes, never confirmed in people. Eating sesame in cooking is unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated sesame supplements are less studied, so if you take those, mention it to your oncology pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

References
  1. Okura, T., Ibe, M., Umegaki, K., Shinozuka, K., and Yamada, S. Effects of dietary ingredients on function and expression of P-glycoprotein in human intestinal epithelial cells. Biol Pharm Bull 2010;33(2):255-259. PubMed
  2. Nabekura, T., Yamaki, T., Ueno, K., and Kitagawa, S. Inhibition of P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance protein 1 by dietary phytochemicals. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2008;62(5):867-873. 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

Sesame Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sesame has 343 moderate, 184 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Everolimus 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 Sesame

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Everolimus

This page covers Sesame only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Everolimus page lists 156 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 112 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Everolimus page

“Everolimus (Afinitor, Zortress, Certican) has to stay in a narrow blood-level window, whether you take it after an organ transplant or for cancer, so treat this supplement list with real caution. Most of its 156 interacting ingredients can push those levels up or down, mainly by changing how the CYP3A4 enzyme breaks the drug down.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Everolimus interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 434 real supplement products containing Sesame, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sesame. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Everolimus too, on top of Sesame — 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 Sesame and Everolimus 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 Sesame
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Everolimus
Steady interest

#1,922 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 Sesame

What is Sesame?

  • Heart and cholesterol health
  • Blood pressure support
  • Source of healthy fats and minerals
  • Skin and hair care (topical oil)
  • Antioxidant support
  • Cooking and nutrition

Sesame is a nutritious seed and oil widely used in cooking and traditional medicine, and it provides healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidant compounds called lignans. Some early research suggests sesame may modestly help with cholesterol and blood pressure, but the evidence is limited. Sesame is also a common, sometimes serious, food allergen, so people with seed allergies should be careful.

Read the full Sesame monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Everolimus

What Is Everolimus Used For?

Brand names: Certican, Afinitor, Zortress, Afinitor Disperz

Everolimus is used to treat several serious conditions. In cancer, it is prescribed for advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (in postmenopausal women), certain neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas, GI tract, or lung, and advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) when other treatments have stopped working.

It is also used for people with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) — a genetic condition that causes benign tumors to grow throughout the body. In TSC, it treats kidney tumors called angiomyolipomas, brain tumors called SEGA, and seizures. In kidney transplant patients, it helps prevent the body from rejecting the new organ.

See full Everolimus drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sesame

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

0Major
343Moderate
184Minor
2,302No known interaction
Moderate

343 interactions

Showing 60 of 343 moderate interactions — see all 343 on the Sesame page.

Minor

184 interactions

Showing 60 of 184 minor interactions — see all 184 on the Sesame page.

No interaction 2,302 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 Sesame and Everolimus Together: Common Questions

Can you take Sesame with Everolimus?
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 Sesame and Everolimus 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

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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.