Drug & supplement interaction

Turkey Tail Mushroom + tipranavir

tipranavir brand name: Aptivus.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Turkey Tail Mushroom has a minor interaction with tipranavir. 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 tipranavir

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to tipranavir

tipranavir 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 tipranavir (Aptivus). One compound in turkey tail, called PSP, has shown in lab and test-tube studies that it can slow down a liver enzyme known as CYP2C9. Tipranavir is partly handled by that enzyme, so in theory, blocking it could let tipranavir build up a bit higher in your blood. If that happened, you might notice more of its usual side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, stomach upset, or tiredness.

That said, I want to keep this in perspective. This is a theoretical concern based only on lab work, and it has never been reported in real people. Still, since you're managing HIV, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or HIV doctor before adding turkey tail, just to be safe.

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 tipranavir 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 tipranavir

This page covers Turkey Tail Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the tipranavir page lists 212 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), 1,3-dmaa (moderate) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 165 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the tipranavir page

“Keeping tipranavir (Aptivus) at a steady blood level is what keeps HIV suppressed, so this is a supplement list that deserves genuine care, and the three major-rated entries come first. St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the tipranavir interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turkey Tail Mushroom and tipranavir 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

#1,146 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication tipranavir
Steady interest

#1,595 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 Tipranavir

What Is Tipranavir Used For?

Brand name: Aptivus

Aptivus (tipranavir) is used to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and in pediatric patients weighing at least 36 kg (about 79 lbs). It is specifically for people who have already tried other HIV treatments and whose virus has become resistant to more than one protease inhibitor. It is always taken together with a low dose of ritonavir and with other HIV medications.

Aptivus is not recommended for people who have never taken HIV treatment before (treatment-naïve patients). Using tipranavir alongside additional active HIV drugs improves the chances of it working well.

See full Tipranavir 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 tipranavir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turkey Tail Mushroom with tipranavir?
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 tipranavir 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.