Herb & supplement monograph

Atractylodes Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Atractylodes interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Atractylodes is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Atractylodes is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

Check Atractylodes against your medication

Add one medication

✓ Supplement

Atractylodes

1 Your medication

Start typing any prescription or over-the-counter drug name.

Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

On this page

Atractylodes Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Atractylodes drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, the great majority are minor, and every one rests on lab or animal research rather than proof in humans.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combinations worth the most care involve anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, because lab studies suggest parts of atractylodes may reduce platelet activity, which could in theory add to bleeding risk with blood thinners. There is also a theoretical additive effect with aromatase inhibitors, medicines some people take for breast cancer, and animal research hints atractylodes could prolong the effects of the sedative hexobarbital. None of these effects has been confirmed in people, so we see them as reasons for awareness rather than alarm.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications does not mean each pairing is harmful. Most entries come from animal studies suggesting atractylodes might affect enzymes the body uses to clear many medications, which is why so many drugs appear. These predicted effects have not been shown to cause meaningful changes in people.

Check your medications against Atractylodes

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Atractylodes interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Atractylodes

803 medications have a known interaction with Atractylodes, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Atractylodes using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Atractylodes interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Atractylodes combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Atractylodes affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Atractylodes is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 5 drug categories Atractylodes interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsAromatase InhibitorsHexobarbitalCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, atractylodes might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs.
Laboratory research suggests that atractylenolides II and III, constituents of atractylodes, reduce platelet activation. So far, this has not been shown in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Aromatase Inhibitors

Theoretically, atractylodes may have an additive effect when used with other aromatase inhibitors.
Laboratory research suggests that atractylodes and its constituents exhibit aromatase inhibitor effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Hexobarbital

Theoretically, taking atractylodes may prolong the therapeutic and adverse effects of hexobarbital.
In animals, atractylodes has been shown to prolong the effects of hexobarbital. These effects have not been shown in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, atractylodes might decrease the levels of CYP1A2 substrates.
In animals, atractylodes administered at high doses has been shown to induce CYP1A2 activity. This effect has not been shown in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, atractylodes might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In animals, atractylodes administered at high doses has been shown to inhibit CYP3A1 activity, which is a homolog to the human CYP3A4 enzyme. This effect has not been shown in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Atractylodes: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Atractylodes is a root used for centuries in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai medicine, mostly for digestive complaints and fatigue, often as part of multi-herb formulas. Modern research is still early and mostly from lab and animal studies, so its true benefits in people are not well proven. If you want to try it, talk with a pharmacist or doctor first, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Scientific name: Atractylodes macrocephala; Atractylodes lancea
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Rhizome (root)
Common forms: Dried root, powders, capsules, decoctions (teas), and part of traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas

People commonly use it for

Digestive upset and poor appetite
Bloating and fluid retention
General fatigue or 'weakness'
Diarrhea
Support within traditional formulas

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Often used traditionally, but human safety data are limited, so use cautiously and under guidance.

PregnancyPossibly Unsafe

When used orally. In animals, atractylodes has caused reproductive toxicity, including fetal death, as well as changes in gestation, growth, and skele...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of atractylodes when used during breast-feeding.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Atractylodes is a group of flowering plants native to eastern Asia. The dried root (rhizome) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo), and traditional Thai medicine.

Two species are most common. Atractylodes macrocephala is often called Bai Zhu, while Atractylodes lancea is often called Cang Zhu. They are used for slightly different purposes in traditional practice but are sometimes grouped together.

Atractylodes is rarely used alone. It is most often combined with other herbs in classic formulas such as shenling baizhu san and ninjin-yoei-to, mainly to support digestion and energy.

How it works

The root contains compounds called sesquiterpenoids (such as atractylenolides and atractylon), the polyacetylene atractylodin, plus sterols and essential oils.

In laboratory and animal research, these compounds have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gut-soothing activity, and they may affect how the stomach and intestines move and secrete fluids. Some lab studies have also explored anti-cancer and antiviral effects.

It is important to know that these are proposed mechanisms based mostly on cell and animal studies. They do not prove that taking Atractylodes will produce the same effects in people.

Effectiveness

Does Atractylodes work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 12 uses evaluated

12 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Atractylodes, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 12 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Abdominal pain