Is Astaxanthin Safe with Cyclosporine?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Do not use astaxanthin with cyclosporine without transplant physician approval. Cyclosporine blood levels should be closely monitored.
Why this interaction occurs
Astaxanthin has shown immunomodulatory effects including enhancement of lymphocyte proliferation and NK cell activity. In transplant patients on cyclosporine, this immune stimulation could theoretically counteract immunosuppression and increase rejection risk. Additionally, astaxanthin may inhibit CYP3A4 and P-gp, potentially raising cyclosporine plasma levels and toxicity.
Evidence
Evidence level: limited.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 58,058 reports mentioning Cyclosporine. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Cyclosporine + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Astaxanthin interactions → · All Cyclosporine interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.