Drug & supplement interaction

Yogurt + nilotinib

nilotinib brand name: Tasigna.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Yogurt has a minor interaction with nilotinib. Yogurt might increase the absorption of nilotinib; however, it is unlikely to alter its clinical effects.

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

Yogurt and nilotinib

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

Minor

NILOTINIB (Tasigna)

Yogurt might increase the absorption of nilotinib; however, it is unlikely to alter its clinical effects.
Pharmacokinetic research in humans shows that taking nilotinib 400 mg dispersed in 1 teaspoon of yogurt increases absorption of nilotinib by about 31%. However, yogurt does not appear to modify the metabolism of nilotinib or increase the risk of adverse effects.
Severity Minor Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the practical scoop if you take nilotinib (Tasigna) for CML. Research in people found that mixing a 400 mg dose into about one teaspoon of yogurt bumped up how much nilotinib got absorbed by roughly 31%. The good news is that this small change did not seem to alter how well the drug works or raise the chance of side effects.

So this is rated a minor interaction. Still, the official instructions are usually to take nilotinib on an empty stomach (no food for 2 hours before and 1 hour after), because food in general can raise its levels, and nilotinib already carries heart rhythm (QT) warnings. I wouldn't routinely take it with yogurt unless your care team specifically tells you to. Always check with your oncology pharmacist before changing how you take it.

References
  1. Yin OQ, Rudoltz M, Galetic I, Filian J, Krishna A, Zhou W, Custodio J, Golor G, Schran H. Effects of yogurt and applesauce on the oral bioavailability of nilotinib in healthy volunteers. J Clin Pharmacol. 2011 Nov;51(11):1580-6. 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

Yogurt Also Interacts With Other Medications

Yogurt has 21 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the nilotinib 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 Yogurt

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With nilotinib

This page covers Yogurt only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the nilotinib page lists 221 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 11 major · 176 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the nilotinib page

“Nilotinib (Tasigna) is a targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia, cleared by the liver enzyme CYP3A4 and known to affect heart rhythm, so its supplement list calls for genuine care. Eleven of the 221 ingredients here carry a major rating, and those belong at the top of your reading.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the nilotinib interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Yogurt as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 45 real supplement products containing Yogurt, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yogurt. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with nilotinib too, on top of Yogurt — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Yogurt and nilotinib 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 Yogurt
Steady interest

#1,073 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication nilotinib
Top half

#1,307 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 Yogurt

What is Yogurt?

  • Digestive health
  • Restoring gut bacteria after antibiotics
  • Vaginal yeast or bacterial balance
  • Source of protein and calcium
  • General immune and gut support

Yogurt is a fermented dairy food that often contains live bacteria (probiotics) and provides protein, calcium, and other nutrients. For most healthy people it is a safe, nutritious food, and some yogurts with live cultures may help with digestion and gut balance, though evidence varies by strain and condition. If you are lactose intolerant, have a milk allergy, or have a weakened immune system, talk to your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Yogurt monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nilotinib

What Is Nilotinib Used For?

Brand name: Tasigna

  • Nilotinib is used to treat certain types of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; a type of cancer of the white blood cells) who have recently found to have this condition in adults and children 1 year of age and older. It is also used to treat certain types of CML in adults whose disease could not be treated successfully with imatinib (Gleevec) or adults who cannot take imatinib because of side effects. Nilotinib is also used to treat certain types of CML in children 1 year of age or older whose disease could not be treated successfully with other tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies or who cannot take these medications because of side effects. Nilotinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps to stop or slow the spread of cancer cells.

See full Nilotinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Yogurt

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

0Major
21Moderate
0Minor
2,808No known interaction
Moderate

21 interactions

No interaction 2,808 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 Yogurt and nilotinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Yogurt with nilotinib?
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 Yogurt and nilotinib 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.