Drug & supplement interaction

Shark Liver Oil + Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel brand names: Taxol, Abraxane.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel 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.

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Interaction report

Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel

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 Paclitaxel and Shark Liver Oil in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Shark Liver Oil at all — not against Paclitaxel, 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.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. 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.

Shark Liver Oil safety at a glance

Shark Liver Oil overall Use caution Generally tolerated short-term but human safety data are limited and product quality varies.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Paclitaxel and Shark Liver Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Shark Liver Oil Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Paclitaxel. It is the side-effect record for Shark Liver Oil on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Shark Liver Oil, this list is the first place to look. 2 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, a case of severe acute hepatitis probably related to use of shark liver oil twice daily for 2 weeks has been reported. The patient presented with abdominal discomfort, jaundice, malaise, pruritus, and elevated levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes. Other potential causes were ruled out.”

    Shark Liver Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 94285. Kilincalp S, Deveci M, Basar O, Ekiz F, Coban S, Yuksel O. Shark liver oil: hidden dangers. Ann Hepatol. 2012 Sep-Oct;11(5):728-30. DOI
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Both shark liver oil and the constituent squalene have been associated with cases of aspiration and subsequent lipoid pneumonia.”

    Shark Liver Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pneumonia.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2546. Lee JY, Lee KS, Kim TS, et al. Squalene-induced extrinsic lipoid pneumonia: serial radiologic findings in nine patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1999;23:730-5. PubMed
    2. 2547. Lee JS, Im JG, Song KS, et al. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: high-resolution CT findings. Eur Radiol 1999;9:287-91. PubMed
    3. 2548. Asnis DS, Saltzman HP, Melchert A. Shark oil pneumonia. An overlooked entity. Chest 1993;103:976-7.
  • Stomach upset / Itching / Tiredness Additional detail

    Recorded for Shark Liver Oil in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Liver problems above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Shark Liver Oil — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Paclitaxel’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Paclitaxel column appears here.

Overlapping uses

What Paclitaxel Is Prescribed For, and What Shark Liver Oil Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Paclitaxel is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Shark Liver Oil is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Paclitaxel is prescribed for: Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound) is used to treat three types of cancer. It treats metastatic breast cancer in patients whose prior chemotherapy has stopped working or who relapsed within 6 months of completing adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy. It is also used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — given together with carboplatin — in patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy. Additionally, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given in combination with gemcitabine.

Read the rest of what Paclitaxel is prescribed for

All three uses apply specifically to Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), including the brands Abraxane and related albumin-bound formulations.

Shark Liver Oil has been studied for:

  • Cancer studied, not established Shark Liver Oil has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Shark Liver Oil for cancer

    Although there has been interest in using oral shark liver oil for cancer, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of shark liver oil for this purpose.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Paclitaxel on your own; if you are taking Shark Liver Oil for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Paclitaxel

This page covers Shark Liver Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Paclitaxel page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 108 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Paclitaxel interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Shark Liver Oil as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Shark Liver Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Shark Liver Oil. Even though Shark Liver Oil itself has no known interaction with Paclitaxel, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel 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 Shark Liver Oil
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Paclitaxel
Top half

#1,134 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 Shark Liver Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel 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 .
Supplement

About Shark Liver Oil

What is Shark Liver Oil?

  • Immune support
  • Skin conditions and wound healing
  • Cancer support (unproven)
  • Hemorrhoid relief (topical)
  • Cold and flu prevention
  • General wellness tonic

Shark liver oil is taken from the livers of deep-sea sharks and is rich in compounds called alkylglycerols and squalene. People use it for immune support, skin healing, and other conditions, but strong human evidence is largely lacking. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially since sustainability and contamination are concerns.

Liver oil from deep-sea sharks · Capsules, softgels, liquid oil, topical creams and ointments

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

Shark Liver Oil: dosing

There is no official or well-established dose for shark liver oil. Products differ in how much alkylglycerol or squalene they contain, so amounts on labels vary.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended.

From our Shark Liver Oil monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Shark Liver Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection

What Is Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection Used For?

Brand names: Taxol, Abraxane

Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound) is used to treat three types of cancer. It treats metastatic breast cancer in patients whose prior chemotherapy has stopped working or who relapsed within 6 months of completing adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy. It is also used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — given together with carboplatin — in patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy.

Additionally, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given in combination with gemcitabine. All three uses apply specifically to Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), including the brands Abraxane and related albumin-bound formulations.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Paclitaxel

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (98,465 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 5,500 reports
Neutropenia 5,424 reports
Diarrhea 5,152 reports
Dyspnea 5,113 reports
Anemia 4,794 reports
See full Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Shark Liver Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Shark Liver Oil — 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
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Shark Liver Oil References

The 6 references that drive our Shark Liver Oil 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. Lee JY, Lee KS, Kim TS, et al. Squalene-induced extrinsic lipoid pneumonia: serial radiologic findings in nine patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1999;23:730-5. PubMed
  2. Lee JS, Im JG, Song KS, et al. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia: high-resolution CT findings. Eur Radiol 1999;9:287-91. PubMed
  3. Asnis DS, Saltzman HP, Melchert A. Shark oil pneumonia. An overlooked entity. Chest 1993;103:976-7.
  4. Deniau AL, Mosset P, Pédrono F, Mitre R, Le Bot D, Legrand AB. Multiple beneficial health effects of natural alkylglycerols from shark liver oil. Mar Drugs. 2010 Jul 19;8(7):2175-84. PubMed
  5. Kilincalp S, Deveci M, Basar O, Ekiz F, Coban S, Yuksel O. Shark liver oil: hidden dangers. Ann Hepatol. 2012 Sep-Oct;11(5):728-30. DOI
  6. Hamadate N, Matsumoto Y, Seto K, Yamamoto T, Yamaguchi H, Nakagawa T, Yamamoto E, Fukagawa M, Yazawa K. Vascular effects and safety of supplementation with shark liver oil in middle-aged and elderly males. Exp Ther Med. 2015 Aug;10(2):641-646. Epub 2015 J 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

Taking Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Shark Liver Oil with Paclitaxel?
We do not list a known interaction between Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel. 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.
Are Shark Liver Oil and Paclitaxel used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Shark Liver Oil in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Paclitaxel is being adjusted to a target.
Does Paclitaxel interact with any supplements?
Yes. Paclitaxel has documented interactions with 152 supplements in our database — Shark Liver Oil is not one of them. The Paclitaxel interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Paclitaxel and Shark Liver Oil?

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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.