Drug & supplement interaction

Turkey Tail Mushroom + Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen

Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen brand name: Vicoprofen.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Turkey Tail Mushroom has a minor interaction with Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen. Theoretically, the polysaccharide peptide (PSP) component of turkey tail mushroom might inhibit CYP2C9.

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

Turkey Tail Mushroom and Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen

Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Turkey Tail Mushroom interacts with.

Theoretically, the polysaccharide peptide (PSP) component of turkey tail mushroom might inhibit CYP2C9.
Laboratory research suggests that the PSP component of turkey tail mushroom dose-dependently inhibits CYP2C9. Theoretically, taking PSP with drugs metabolized by CYP2C9 might increase drug levels and the risk of adverse effects. However, this 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

Vicoprofen is a combo of hydrocodone (an opioid pain reliever) and ibuprofen (an NSAID). The ibuprofen half is partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. In lab-dish studies only, the PSP part of turkey tail seemed to slow this enzyme down. In theory, that could let ibuprofen levels run a little higher, which might nudge up the usual ibuprofen-type side effects like stomach upset, heartburn, or a higher chance of stomach irritation over time.

Honestly, this is a weak, mostly hypothetical concern. It comes from test-tube and animal research, has not been seen in real people, and food-style mushroom amounts are very unlikely to matter. Still, since this product already contains an opioid, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding turkey tail.

References
  1. Yeung JH and Or PM. Polysaccharide peptides from Coriolus versicolor competitively inhibit tolbutamide 4-hydroxylation in specific human CYP2C9 isoform and pooled human liver microsomes. Phytomedicine 2011;18(13):1170-5. 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

Turkey Tail Mushroom Also Interacts With Other Medications

Turkey Tail Mushroom has 88 moderate, 98 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen

This page covers Turkey Tail Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen page lists 379 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).

By severity: 13 major · 324 moderate · 42 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen page

“Vicoprofen pairs hydrocodone, an opioid, with ibuprofen, an NSAID, which gives supplements two separate ways to cause trouble, and 13 of the 379 interactions on file are rated major, so this page deserves a careful read rather than a skim. The biggest patterns are bleeding and sedation: more than 200 of these ingredients can add to ibu…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turkey Tail Mushroom and Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen
Steady interest

#1,943 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom

What is Turkey Tail Mushroom?

Turkey Tail Mushroom
  • Immune support
  • Used alongside cancer care
  • Gut and digestive health
  • General wellness and energy
  • Antioxidant support

Turkey tail is a woodland mushroom rich in polysaccharides like beta-glucans, and it is mainly used to support the immune system. Some of its purified extracts (PSK and PSP) have been studied as add-on treatments alongside conventional cancer therapy in Asia, but evidence for everyday supplement use is limited. It is generally well tolerated, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a health condition or take other medicines.

Read the full Turkey Tail Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Turkey Tail Mushroom

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

0Major
88Moderate
98Minor
2,643No known interaction
Moderate

88 interactions

Showing 60 of 88 moderate interactions — see all 88 on the Turkey Tail Mushroom page.

Minor

98 interactions

Showing 60 of 98 minor interactions — see all 98 on the Turkey Tail Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,643 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom and Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turkey Tail Mushroom with Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen?
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 Turkey Tail Mushroom and Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen 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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