Supplement · Grade B

Panax Ginseng and medications.

Every documented pair, every citation. Below: 1 documented pair grouped by mechanism.

Panax Ginseng is in the Distil supplement database, evidence Grade B. The page below lists every medication we have explicitly assessed it against.

Panax ginseng, also sold as Korean or red ginseng, is taken as a standardised extract of 200 to 400mg with 3 to 5% ginsenosides, or 1 to 2g of whole root. It is a stimulating adaptogen with Grade B evidence across several areas: cognitive function and working memory (Reay 2005), fatigue reduction (Jin 2020), erectile dysfunction (Ho 2026) and blood glucose regulation (Shishtar 2014). The honest read is that the effects are real but moderate, and the trials are mostly small. Several interactions matter. It may modestly affect warfarin, so INR should be monitored. It should be avoided with MAOIs. Because it is stimulating, it is best avoided or used cautiously in anyone with a history of bipolar disorder or mania, and watched alongside stimulant medication. Practical notes: take it earlier in the day, since it can disturb sleep, and start at the lower end given the mild stimulant effect.

Below are the 1 documented pair we have explicitly assessed for Panax Ginseng: 1 amber. The pairs cluster around 1 mechanism: CYP induction. Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not listed here is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by medication, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued medication into our next curation pass.

Documented interactions

CYP induction

Amber Warfarin sodium

Ginseng tends to work against warfarin rather than with it. Some people on warfarin see their INR drop when they add ginseng, which can leave them under-protected against clots. The evidence is mixed between ginseng types, so if you take warfarin, tell your anticoagulation clinic before starting ginseng and ask for an INR check a couple of weeks in.

PMID 15238367 · PMID 15089812 · PMID 28725042 · BNF: Warfarin

Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.

What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope. Use the checker below to surface any medication, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.

Loading database stats…

For adults over 18. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.

Anything we should know? (optional)

Pick any that apply. We adjust the findings where context changes the answer.

Your supplements

Type the supplement name. Click each match to add it.

Your medications

Brand or generic name works. Click each match to add it.

How we decide

How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.

Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.

Read the full methodology

Something missing?

If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.

Thanks, that's logged. We go through flagged items every week.

Distil's interactions database is reviewed and updated every quarter. We grade evidence transparently and publish our methodology, including every database change, at /about/methodology. This tool is information, not a substitute for clinical judgement. If you take medication and supplements together, your GP or pharmacist can review your full regimen against your medical history. If you want a full personalised stack reasoned against this same database, the Distil report is the next step up.