Drug & supplement interaction

Turkey Tail Mushroom + Lonafarnib

Lonafarnib brand name: Zokinvy.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Turkey Tail Mushroom has a minor interaction with Lonafarnib. 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 Lonafarnib

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Lonafarnib

Lonafarnib 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

Here's the gist for Zokinvy (lonafarnib). There's a lab-based concern that one part of turkey tail mushroom (the PSP component) might slow down a liver enzyme called CYP2C9, which helps clear certain drugs. If lonafarnib leans on that pathway, blocking it could let levels creep up a bit, which in theory could mean more of its usual side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, or feeling tired.

That said, this is theoretical and only seen in test-tube studies, never reported in real people, and it's rated minor. Lonafarnib is also a serious medication used for a rare condition, so I wouldn't add any supplement without looping in the doctor or pharmacist managing it first. A quick check is the safe move.

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 Lonafarnib 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 Lonafarnib

This page covers Turkey Tail Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lonafarnib page lists 160 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 · 115 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lonafarnib page

“If you or your child takes lonafarnib (Zokinvy) for progeria, treat supplements with real caution. Most of the 160 flagged ingredients cross paths with the CYP3A4 enzyme, the same one that handles lonafarnib, so the traffic runs both ways.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lonafarnib interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turkey Tail Mushroom and Lonafarnib 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
Steady interest

#1,368 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lonafarnib
Top half

#1,362 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
Medication

About Lonafarnib

What Is Lonafarnib Used For?

Brand name: Zokinvy

Zokinvy (lonafarnib) is approved for patients 12 months of age and older who have a body surface area of 0.39 m² or above. It is used to reduce the risk of mortality in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) — a rare, severe premature-aging disorder.

Zokinvy is also used to treat processing-deficient Progeroid Laminopathies — a related group of rare genetic conditions — specifically those caused by a heterozygous LMNA mutation with progerin-like protein buildup, or by homozygous or compound heterozygous ZMPSTE24 mutations. It is not indicated for other Progeroid Syndromes or processing-proficient Progeroid Laminopathies.

See full Lonafarnib drug information
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 Lonafarnib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turkey Tail Mushroom with Lonafarnib?
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 Lonafarnib 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.