Garlic Drug Interactions (Cont.)

More Information on Interactions With Garlic

The following sections explain in detail the potentially negative interactions that can occur when garlic is combined with any of the drugs listed above.
 
Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Medications
Garlic increases the risk of bleeding, and combining it with "blood thinners" may cause problems. Do not take garlic supplements or eat unusually large amounts of garlic without the approval and supervision of your healthcare provider.
 
Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
Garlic supplements may decrease the effectiveness of cyclosporine. Do not combine cyclosporine with garlic supplements or an unusually large amount of garlic in food without checking with your healthcare provider.
 
Isoniazid (Nydrazid)
Garlic supplements may decrease the effectiveness of isoniazid. Do not combine isoniazid with garlic supplements or an unusually large amount of garlic in food without checking with your healthcare provider.
 
Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills)
Combining oral contraceptives with garlic may decrease the effectiveness of the contraceptive, possibly increasing your risk of pregnancy. If you rely on an oral contraceptive as your main form of birth control, it is probably a good idea to avoid garlic supplements.
 
Protease Inhibitors
Garlic supplements can make saquinavir less effective. It is assumed that this interaction will also affect similar HIV medications. If you take one of these medications, you should probably not take garlic supplements.
 

Final Thoughts on Garlic Drug Interactions

It is possible that not every drug interaction was discussed in this article. Therefore, you should talk with your pharmacist or healthcare provider about the garlic drug interactions that may apply to you.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;