Drug & supplement interaction

Turkey Tail Mushroom + Methylnaltrexone

Methylnaltrexone brand name: Relistor.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Methylnaltrexone states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone

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 Methylnaltrexone and Turkey Tail Mushroom 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.

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.

Turkey Tail Mushroom safety at a glance

Turkey Tail Mushro... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy adults, but quality and evidence vary, so check with a healthcare provider first.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Methylnaltrexone and Turkey Tail Mushroom? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Methylnaltrexone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Methylnaltrexone is filed under a single classification — cytochrome p450 2d6 (cyp2d6) inhibitors. Turkey Tail Mushroom has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), cyclophosphamide (moderate) and tamoxifen (nolvadex) (moderate) — and none of Methylnaltrexone’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Turkey Tail Mushroom Does Interact With Other Medications

Turkey Tail Mushroom has 88 moderate, 99 minor known drug interactions in our database — Methylnaltrexone isn’t 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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Stomach upset / Constipation / Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Turkey Tail Mushroom

    “Nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, and gastric ulcer have occurred when PSK is taken with standard chemotherapy for cancer. However, one study reported a decreased incidence of gastrointestinal side effects when PSK was taken with chemotherapy.”

    Turkey Tail Mushroom · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cancer.

    6 sources cited
    1. 1651. Nakazato H, Koike A, Saji S, et al. Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer. Study Group of Immunochemotherapy with PSK for Gastric Cancer. Lancet 1994;343:1122-6. PubMed
    2. 1657. Mitomi T, Tsuchiya S, Iijima N, et al. Randomized, controlled study on adjuvant immunochemotherapy with PSK in curatively resected colorectal cancer. The Cooperative Study Group of Surgical Adjuvant Immunochemotherapy for Cancer of Colon and Rectum (Kanag DOI
    3. 70175. Tsujitani, S., Kakeji, Y., Orita, H., Watanabe, A., Kohnoe, S., Baba, H., Anai, H., Maehara, Y., and Sugimachi, K. Postoperative adjuvant immunochemotherapy and infiltration of dendritic cells for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Anticancer Res 199
    4. 70201. Imaizumi, M., Kondo, T., Kamei, H., and Ichihashi, H. [Cooperative studies on surgical adjuvant immunochemotherapy for prevention of postoperative recurrence of gastric cancer]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1984;11(1):60-68.
    5. 94076. Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov 2012;6(1):78-87. PubMed
    6. 70188. Kojima, J., Kamata, T., and Monna, T. [Evaluation of immunochemotherapy in patients with primary liver cancer. Osaka Research Society for Liver, Gallbladder and Pancreas]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1987;14(1):179-187.

    Methylnaltrexone

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Methylnaltrexone. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Turkey Tail Mushroom but not commonly for Methylnaltrexone: liver problems, a low platelet count, bleeding in the gut and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Methylnaltrexone come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Turkey Tail Mushroom come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Methylnaltrexone Products Have a Food Rule — Turkey Tail Mushroom Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Methylnaltrexone says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Turkey Tail Mushroom included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Methylnaltrexone on its own and move Turkey Tail Mushroom to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Methylnaltrexone products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

o In patients with chronic non-cancer pain and OIC, take RELISTOR tablets with water on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before the first meal of the day.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Methylnaltrexone — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Methylnaltrexone Is Prescribed For, and What Turkey Tail Mushroom Has Been Studied For

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

Methylnaltrexone is prescribed for: Methylnaltrexone, sold as Relistor, treats opioid-induced constipation (OIC) — constipation caused by opioid pain medications. Both Relistor tablets and Relistor injection are approved for adults with chronic non-cancer pain, including those with pain related to a prior cancer or its treatment who do not need frequent opioid dose increases. Relistor injection is also approved for adults with advanced illness or active cancer pain who require increasing opioid doses as part of palliative care.

Turkey Tail Mushroom has been studied for:

  • Cancer Natural Medicines rates the evidence for Turkey Tail Mushroom: Possibly Effective Read what the research shows

    Turkey Tail Mushroom for cancer

    Taking PSK, a constituent of turkey tail mushroom, as an adjunct to standard cancer therapy may improve response rates and survival in some patients with cancer. Very limited data suggests that whole turkey tail mushroom is not beneficial.

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 Methylnaltrexone on your own; if you are taking Turkey Tail Mushroom 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 Methylnaltrexone

This page covers Turkey Tail Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Methylnaltrexone page lists 3 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Fever Bark (moderate), Iboga (moderate) and Yohimbe (moderate).

By severity: 3 moderate.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Methylnaltrexone page

“If you take methylnaltrexone (Relistor) for opioid-induced constipation, the supplement list to know is short: three ingredients, all rated moderate, none major. Yohimbe, fever bark, and iboga are all cleared by the same liver enzyme, CYP2D6, and methylnaltrexone can slow that enzyme, letting their active compounds build up in your blood.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Methylnaltrexone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone 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

#1,039 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Methylnaltrexone
Steady interest

#2,427 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone 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 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.

Trametes versicolor · Polyporaceae · Fruiting body and mycelium (and extracts such as PSK and PSP) · Capsules, tablets, powders, teas, tinctures, standardized extracts (PSK/PSP)

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

Turkey Tail Mushroom: dosing

There is no official standardized dose of turkey tail for general use. Doses vary widely depending on whether you are using the whole mushroom powder, a tea, or a concentrated extract such as PSK or PSP.Because products differ so much, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. A pharmacist or doctor can help you decide whether turkey tail is appropriate for you and review your other medicines and conditions first.

From our Turkey Tail Mushroom monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Turkey Tail Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Methylnaltrexone

What Is Methylnaltrexone Used For?

Brand name: Relistor

Methylnaltrexone, sold as Relistor, treats opioid-induced constipation (OIC) — constipation caused by opioid pain medications. Both Relistor tablets and Relistor injection are approved for adults with chronic non-cancer pain, including those with pain related to a prior cancer or its treatment who do not need frequent opioid dose increases.

Relistor injection is also approved for adults with advanced illness or active cancer pain who require increasing opioid doses as part of palliative care.

See full Methylnaltrexone 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
99Minor
2,642No known interaction
Moderate

88 interactions

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

Minor

99 interactions

Showing 60 of 99 minor interactions — see all 99 on the Turkey Tail Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,642 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Turkey Tail Mushroom References

The 15 references that drive our Turkey Tail Mushroom 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. Nakazato H, Koike A, Saji S, et al. Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer. Study Group of Immunochemotherapy with PSK for Gastric Cancer. Lancet 1994;343:1122-6. PubMed
  2. Mitomi T, Tsuchiya S, Iijima N, et al. Randomized, controlled study on adjuvant immunochemotherapy with PSK in curatively resected colorectal cancer. The Cooperative Study Group of Surgical Adjuvant Immunochemotherapy for Cancer of Colon and Rectum (Kanag DOI
  3. Torisu M, Hayashi Y, Ishimitsu T, et al. Significant prolongation of disease-free period gained by oral polysaccharide K (PSK) administration after curative surgical operation of colorectal cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 1990;31:261-8. PubMed
  4. Tsujitani, S., Kakeji, Y., Orita, H., Watanabe, A., Kohnoe, S., Baba, H., Anai, H., Maehara, Y., and Sugimachi, K. Postoperative adjuvant immunochemotherapy and infiltration of dendritic cells for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Anticancer Res 199
  5. Kojima, J., Kamata, T., and Monna, T. [Evaluation of immunochemotherapy in patients with primary liver cancer. Osaka Research Society for Liver, Gallbladder and Pancreas]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1987;14(1):179-187.
  6. Fukuo, Y., Terashi, A., Hayashi, Y., Yano, Y., and Atarashi, J. [A clinical trial of cis-platinum (II) in combination with PSK and FT-207 in advanced stomach cancer]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1985;12(4):960-965.
  7. Imaizumi, M., Kondo, T., Kamei, H., and Ichihashi, H. [Cooperative studies on surgical adjuvant immunochemotherapy for prevention of postoperative recurrence of gastric cancer]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1984;11(1):60-68.
  8. 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
  9. Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov 2012;6(1):78-87. PubMed
  10. Chan SL, Yeung JH. Effects of polysaccharide peptide (PSP) from Coriolus versicolor on the pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide in the rat and cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Food Chem Toxicol 2006;44:689-94. PubMed
  11. Serrano L, López AC, González SP, et al. Efficacy of a Coriolus versicolor-based vaginal gel in women with human papillomavirus-dependent cervical lesions: The PALOMA study. J Low Genit Tract Dis 2021;25(2):130-136. PubMed
  12. Meng F, Lin Y, Hu L, Feng W, Su P, Wu L. The therapeutic effect of Coriolus versicolor fruiting body on STZ-induced ICR diabetic mice. J Healthc Eng 2022;2022:7282453. PubMed
  13. Razmovski-Naumovski V, Kimble B, Laurenti D, Nammi S, Norimoto H, Chan K. Polysaccharide peptide extract from Coriolus versicolor increased T(max) of tamoxifen and maintained biochemical serum parameters, with no change in the metabolism of tamoxifen in t
  14. Cortés Bordoy J, de Santiago García J, Agenjo González M, et al. Effect of a multi-ingredient Coriolus-versicolor-based vaginal gel in women with HPV-dependent cervical lesions: The papilobs real-life prospective study. Cancers (Basel) 2023;15(15):3863. PubMed
  15. Nikolic M, Lazarevic N, Novakovic J, et al. Characterization, in vitro biological activity and in vivo cardioprotective properties of Trametes versicolor (L.:Fr.) quél. heteropolysaccharides in a rat model of metabolic syndrome. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 20 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Turkey Tail Mushroom with Methylnaltrexone?
We do not list a known interaction between Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone. 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.
Do Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Methylnaltrexone says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Methylnaltrexone on its own and move Turkey Tail Mushroom to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Methylnaltrexone is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Turkey Tail Mushroom and Methylnaltrexone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Methylnaltrexone is filed under 1 classification, and Turkey Tail Mushroom has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Methylnaltrexone's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Turkey Tail Mushroom interact with any other medications?
Yes. Turkey Tail Mushroom has 187 documented drug interactions in our database — Methylnaltrexone is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Methylnaltrexone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Methylnaltrexone has documented interactions with 3 supplements in our database — Turkey Tail Mushroom is not one of them. The Methylnaltrexone interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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.