Drug & supplement interaction

Swallowroot + Sorafenib

Sorafenib brand name: Nexavar.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Swallowroot has a moderate interaction with Sorafenib. Theoretically, swallowroot might increase the risk of bleeding when taken 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

Swallowroot and Sorafenib

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Sorafenib

Sorafenib falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Swallowroot interacts with.

Theoretically, swallowroot might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro research shows that swallowroot inhibits platelet aggregation.
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 gist for Sorafenib (Nexavar). On its own, sorafenib can already raise your chance of bleeding, things like easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that's slow to stop. Swallowroot may add to that. In lab dish studies, it appears to make platelets (the cells that help your blood clot) a bit less sticky, so stacking the two together could, in theory, nudge your bleeding risk a little higher.

I want to be honest about how soft this evidence is. It comes only from test-tube work, not from people, so we can't say it definitely happens. A pickled root or a flavored drink now and then is very different from a concentrated supplement. Still, since sorafenib is a serious cancer medicine, please loop in your oncologist or pharmacist before adding swallowroot.

References
  1. Suneetha WJ, Krishnakantha TP. Effect of swallowroot extract on functions of platelets in vitro. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2005;19:133-4. 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

Swallowroot Also Interacts With Other Medications

Swallowroot has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sorafenib 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 Swallowroot

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sorafenib

This page covers Swallowroot only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sorafenib 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 · 241 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sorafenib page

“If you're on sorafenib (Nexavar) for cancer, be genuinely careful here, and learn the five major-rated entries first. Most of the 285 ingredients listed either have blood-thinning effects that stack onto sorafenib's bleeding risk (more than 200 do) or affect CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that clears the drug, pushing its level too high or t…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sorafenib interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Swallowroot and Sorafenib 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 Swallowroot
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sorafenib
Steady interest

#2,213 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 Swallowroot

What is Swallowroot?

  • Digestive complaints
  • General tonic and appetite stimulant
  • Blood purifier in folk medicine
  • Antimicrobial and food preservative
  • Cooling drink in hot weather

Swallowroot (Decalepis hamiltonii) is a root used in South Indian folk medicine and as a food flavoring, often pickled or made into a cooling drink. Modern scientific evidence for its health benefits in people is very limited, resting mostly on laboratory and animal studies, so its effectiveness is not proven. If you are considering it, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Read the full Swallowroot monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sorafenib

What Is Sorafenib Used For?

Brand name: Nexavar

Sorafenib tablets are approved to treat three types of cancer. The first is unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) — liver cancer that cannot be removed with surgery. The second is advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) — kidney cancer that has spread or progressed. Both the brand Nexavar and generic sorafenib tablets are approved for these two uses.

The third use is for locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) — thyroid cancer that has spread or worsened and no longer responds to radioactive iodine treatment. Nexavar and sorafenib tablets are both approved for this use as well.

See full Sorafenib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Swallowroot

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Swallowroot page.

No interaction 2,708 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 Swallowroot and Sorafenib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Swallowroot with Sorafenib?
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 Swallowroot and Sorafenib 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

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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.