Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Nicotinamide Riboside 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

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Nicotinamide Riboside 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 Nicotinamide Riboside drug interaction appears low for most people. Every interaction on record for this supplement is rated minor, with none reaching moderate or major severity.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one area worth watching involves blood pressure medications. In theory, nicotinamide riboside could add to their effect and lower blood pressure a bit further. The human evidence is mixed, though: one small study found a modest drop in blood pressure in people with hypertension, while other research found no change compared with a control group. If your blood pressure is closely managed, it is reasonable to keep an eye on your readings when adding this supplement.

What the rest of the list means

Although the number of medications listed may look long, nearly all of them fall under this single blood pressure concern, and the interaction itself is theoretical rather than proven. So far, studies in people have not shown a consistent, clinically meaningful effect, which is why we consider the overall risk low rather than zero.

Check your medications against Nicotinamide Riboside

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Nicotinamide Riboside

172 medications have a known interaction with Nicotinamide Riboside, 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 Nicotinamide Riboside using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Nicotinamide Riboside 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 Nicotinamide Riboside 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 Nicotinamide Riboside affects

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

All 1 drug category Nicotinamide Riboside interacts with

Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, nicotinamide riboside may have additive effects with antihypertensive drugs, potentially increasing the risk for hypotension.
One small clinical study suggests that nicotinamide riboside can modestly reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. However, other clinical research did not find a reduction in blood pressure when compared with control.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Nicotinamide Riboside: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a form of vitamin B3 that the body converts into NAD+, a molecule involved in cellular energy and repair. Early human studies show it can reliably raise NAD+ levels and appears generally well tolerated, but solid evidence that it improves aging, energy, or specific health conditions is still limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Part used: Not applicable (a form of vitamin B3)
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, powders

People commonly use it for

Healthy aging
Boosting cellular energy
Supporting metabolism
General wellness
Athletic recovery

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Appears well tolerated in short-term studies, but long-term safety is not fully known.

PregnancyPossibly Safe

When nicotinamide riboside chloride is used orally and appropriately. The European Food Safety Authority has determined that taking nicotinamide ribos...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingPossibly Safe

When nicotinamide riboside chloride is used orally and appropriately. The European Food Safety Authority has determined that taking nicotinamide ribos...

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.

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Overview

Nicotinamide riboside (often shortened to NR) is a form of vitamin B3 (niacin). It is found naturally in tiny amounts in foods such as milk, but supplements use a concentrated, lab-made version. It is often sold under branded names and marketed as an "NAD+ booster."

Inside the body, NR is turned into a molecule called NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ helps cells make energy and carry out many repair and signaling tasks. NAD+ levels naturally fall as we get older, which is one reason NR has become popular in the "healthy aging" and longevity supplement world.

People most commonly take NR hoping to support energy, metabolism, and overall wellness as they age. It is widely available without a prescription.

How it works

NR is a precursor to NAD+, meaning the body uses it as a building block. After you take it, cells convert NR into NAD+ through several steps.

NAD+ is involved in turning food into usable energy inside your cells' mitochondria. It also helps power enzymes called sirtuins and PARPs, which are involved in DNA repair and cellular maintenance. Because NAD+ levels tend to drop with age, the theory is that restoring them might support cell health.

It is important to know that most of the deeper claims about sirtuins, DNA repair, and anti-aging are based on laboratory and animal research. Showing that NR raises NAD+ in people is not the same as showing it produces those downstream benefits in humans.

Effectiveness

Does Nicotinamide Riboside work?

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

Evidence overview · 14 uses evaluated

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

Also studied for 14 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Age-related cognitive decline