Drug & supplement interaction

Shiitake Mushroom + Ciclesonide

Ciclesonide brand names: Omnaris, Alvesco, Zetonna.

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

Shiitake Mushroom has a moderate interaction with Ciclesonide. Theoretically, taking shiitake mushroom might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.

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

Shiitake Mushroom and Ciclesonide

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Ciclesonide

Ciclesonide falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Shiitake Mushroom interacts with.

Theoretically, taking shiitake mushroom might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.
In vitro evidence suggests that shiitake mushroom extracts stimulate immune function.
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 idea behind this one: concentrated shiitake extracts (like lentinan or AHCC) may give your immune system a little nudge to be more active. Corticosteroids like ciclesonide work the opposite way, by calming down inflammation and immune activity in your airways. So in theory, a strong immune-boosting supplement could work against the medicine's job.

That said, this is a theoretical concern based on lab studies, not real-world reports in people. And here's the practical part: inhaled ciclesonide (Alvesco) acts mostly right in your lungs, with very little reaching the rest of your body, so a whole-body immune effect is even less likely to matter for it. Eating shiitake as food is not a worry. If you're considering concentrated supplements, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Burikhanov, R. B., Wakame, K., Igarashi, Y., Wang, S., and Matsuzaki, S. Suppressive effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on thymic apoptosis induced by dexamethasone in the rat. Endocr.Regul. 2000;34(4):181-188.
  2. Gao, Y., Zhang, D., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Kosuna, K., and Yin, Z. Active hexose correlated compound enhances tumor surveillance through regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cancer Immunol.Immunother. 2006;55(10):1258-1266. PubMed
  3. Ritz, B. W., Nogusa, S., Ackerman, E. A., and Gardner, E. M. Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases the innate immune response of young mice to primary influenza infection. J Nutr. 2006;136(11):2868-2873. PubMed
  4. Aviles, H., O'Donnell, P., Sun, B., and Sonnenfeld, G. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection in a mouse model of surgical wound infection. Surg.Infect.(Larchmt.) 2006;7(6):527-535. PubMed
  5. Aviles, H., O'Donnell, P., Orshal, J., Fujii, H., Sun, B., and Sonnenfeld, G. Active hexose correlated compound activates immune function to decrease bacterial load in a murine model of intramuscular infection. Am J Surg. 2008;195(4):537-545. PubMed
  6. Ritz, B. W. Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases survival following infectious challenge in mice. Nutr.Rev. 2008;66(9):526-531. PubMed
  7. Terakawa, N., Matsui, Y., Satoi, S., Yanagimoto, H., Takahashi, K., Yamamoto, T., Yamao, J., Takai, S., Kwon, A. H., and Kamiyama, Y. Immunological effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controll
  8. Wang, S., Welte, T., Fang, H., Chang, G. J., Born, W. K., O'Brien, R. L., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Kosuna, K., and Wang, T. Oral administration of active hexose correlated compound enhances host resistance to West Nile encephalitis in mice. J Nutr. 2009;139(3 PubMed
  9. Yin, Z., Fujii, H., and Walshe, T. Effects of active hexose correlated compound on frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing interferon-gamma and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha in healthy adults. Hum.Immunol. 2010;71(12):1187-1190.
  10. Lee, W. W., Lee, N., Fujii, H., and Kang, I. Active Hexose Correlated Compound promotes T helper (Th) 17 and 1 cell responses via inducing IL-1beta production from monocytes in humans. Cell Immunol. 2012;275(1-2):19-23.
  11. Daddaoua, A., Martinez-Plata, E., Ortega-Gonzalez, M., Ocon, B., Aranda, C. J., Zarzuelo, A., Suarez, M. D., de Medina, F. S., and Martinez-Augustin, O. The nutritional supplement Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) has direct immunomodulatory actio
  12. Roman, B. E., Beli, E., Duriancik, D. M., and Gardner, E. M. Short-term supplementation with active hexose correlated compound improves the antibody response to influenza B vaccine. Nutr Res. 2013;33(1):12-17. PubMed
  13. Uno, K., Kosuna, K., Sun, B., Fujii, H., Wakame, K., Chikumaru, S., Hosokawa, G., and Ueda, Y. Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) Improves Immunological Parameters and Performance Status of Patients with Solid Tumors. Biotherapy 2000;14(3):303-309.
  14. Ghoneum, M., Wimbley, M., Salem, F., McKlain, A., Attallah, N., and Gill, G. Immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC). Int J Immunother 1995;11:23-28.
  15. Sia, G. M. and Candlish, J. K. Effects of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) extract on human neutrophils and the U937 monocytic cell line. Phytother.Res. 1999;13(2):133-137. DOI
  16. Lobanok, A. G., Babitskaia, V. G., Plenina, L. V., Puchkova, T. A., and Osadchaia, O. V. [Composition and biological activity of submerged mycelium of the xylotrophic basidiomycete Lentinus edodes]. Prikl.Biokhim.Mikrobiol. 2003;39(1):69-73. DOI
  17. Liu, M., Li, J., Kong, F., Lin, J., and Gao, Y. Induction of immunomodulating cytokines by a new polysaccharide-peptide complex from culture mycelia of Lentinus edodes. Immunopharmacology 1998;40(3):187-198. PubMed
  18. Dai X, Stanilka JM, Rowe CA, et al. Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(6):478-87.

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

Shiitake Mushroom Also Interacts With Other Medications

Shiitake Mushroom has 311 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ciclesonide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 311 No known interaction 2,519 (incl. Ciclesonide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Shiitake Mushroom

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ciclesonide

This page covers Shiitake Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ciclesonide page lists 166 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate), Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 134 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ciclesonide page

“Ciclesonide (Alvesco, Omnaris, Zetonna) is a corticosteroid for asthma and nasal allergies, and even though it is inhaled rather than swallowed, its supplement list warrants genuine care. The body clears it through the CYP3A4 enzyme, and 121 of the 166 ingredients on file nudge that pathway one way or the other.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ciclesonide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,613 real supplement products containing Shiitake Mushroom, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Shiitake Mushroom. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ciclesonide too, on top of Shiitake Mushroom — 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 Shiitake Mushroom and Ciclesonide 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 Shiitake Mushroom
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ciclesonide
Top half

#884 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 Shiitake Mushroom

What is Shiitake Mushroom?

  • Immune support
  • General wellness and nutrition
  • Cholesterol and heart health
  • Adjunct in cancer care (lentinan, AHCC)
  • Antioxidant support

Shiitake is a popular edible mushroom that is nutritious and safe to eat as food for most people. Some of its extracts (like lentinan and AHCC) have been studied as immune support, mainly alongside cancer treatment, but evidence for most supplement uses is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated shiitake supplements.

Read the full Shiitake Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ciclesonide Oral Inhalation

What Is Ciclesonide Oral Inhalation Used For?

Brand names: Omnaris, Alvesco, Zetonna

Alvesco (ciclesonide) inhaler is approved for the maintenance treatment of asthma as a preventive therapy in adults and children 12 years of age and older. It is taken regularly to reduce airway inflammation and help prevent asthma symptoms — not to relieve a sudden attack.

Alvesco is not a rescue inhaler and should not be used to treat sudden wheezing or acute asthma episodes. It is also not approved for children under 12.

See full Ciclesonide Oral Inhalation drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Shiitake Mushroom

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

0Major
311Moderate
0Minor
2,518No known interaction
311 Moderate 2,518 No interaction
Moderate

311 interactions

Showing 60 of 311 moderate interactions — see all 311 on the Shiitake Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,518 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,518 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Shiitake Mushroom list.

See the full Shiitake Mushroom interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ciclesonide, 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
Shiitake Mushroom monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ciclesonide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ciclesonide, ranked by severity Ciclesonide Oral Inhalation 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 Shiitake Mushroom and Ciclesonide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Shiitake Mushroom with Ciclesonide?
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 Shiitake Mushroom and Ciclesonide 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 Ciclesonide and Shiitake 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.