Lion’s mane can interact with two groups of medicines: diabetes medicines and blood thinners (anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs). RxList Hericium erinaceus page rates both combinations as a moderate interaction and advises caution, because lion’s mane may lower blood sugar and may slow blood clotting. If you take either group, talk with your prescriber before adding lion’s mane, and ask your pharmacist to check your full medicine list.
Disclosure: Heads up, this page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you buy through these links.
| Main medicine groups | Diabetes medicines and blood thinners (anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs). RxList rates both as “Moderate.” |
| Why they matter | Lion’s mane may lower blood sugar and may slow blood clotting, according to RxList. |
| Sertraline | Not listed in the RxList interactions section. |
| Before scheduled surgery | RxList says to stop using it at least 2 weeks before surgery. |
| Pregnancy and breastfeeding | RxList advises avoiding it. |
| Side effects reported | Abdominal discomfort, nausea and skin rash, reported in one study of 350 mg capsules (Everyday Health). |
Which medicines interact with lion’s mane?
RxList Hericium erinaceus page lists two groups. The first is diabetes medicines. RxList says lion’s mane might lower blood sugar, so taking it with diabetes medicines might push your blood sugar too low. It names glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol) and tolbutamide (Orinase). RxList Hericium erinaceus page advises watching for signs of low blood sugar and monitoring closely if you have diabetes. It also says the dose of your diabetes medicine might need to be changed, and that decision belongs to your prescriber.
The second group is blood thinners. RxList Hericium erinaceus page says lion’s mane might slow blood clotting, so combining it with clotting drugs might increase bruising and bleeding. Those drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), dipyridamole (Persantine) and ticlopidine (Ticlid). Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says the same two groups could theoretically interact with lion’s mane. RxList Hericium erinaceus page also notes that there are no reports of bleeding from this in humans.
| Medicine group | Examples named by RxList | RxList rating |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes medicines | Glimepiride, glyburide, insulin, metformin, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, chlorpropamide, glipizide, tolbutamide | Moderate |
| Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs | Aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, dipyridamole, ticlopidine | Moderate |
Everyday Health lion’s mane guide also advises not to consume lion’s mane if you are allergic or sensitive to mushrooms. Bring every medicine on your list to your prescriber or pharmacist before you start, and do not change a prescription on your own.
Is it safe to take lion’s mane and sertraline together?
The RxList Hericium erinaceus page titled “Hericium Erinaceus: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & …” does not show sertraline in its interactions section. That page covers diabetes medicines and blood thinners, the groups described above. Ask your pharmacist to check sertraline against your full list before you combine them. Bring the lion’s mane label too, with the serving size and every other ingredient, so the pharmacist can see the whole product. You can use a lion’s mane and a medication list to make that conversation quicker.
Can lion’s mane cause a skin rash?
Yes, a rash has been reported. Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says that in one study, a few people reported abdominal discomfort, nausea and skin rashes from taking 350 mg lion’s mane capsules three times a day, with the capsules containing 5 mg of lion’s mane per gram. Everyday Health cites that study as Li et al., 2020. If you are sensitive or allergic to mushrooms, a rash is a reason to stop and speak with a clinician promptly. For severe or fast-worsening symptoms, get urgent medical help. You can read more about lion’s mane rash and other reactions on our side-effects page.
What are the medicinal uses of lion’s mane mushroom?
RxList Hericium erinaceus page says people take Hericium erinaceus by mouth for age-related mental decline, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and to improve overall mental function and memory. It also lists chronic atrophic gastritis, stomach ulcers, H. pylori infection, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol and weight loss. For wounds, RxList Hericium erinaceus page says it is applied to the skin. RxList rates most of these uses as “Insufficient Evidence to Rate.” The two uses where its text describes specific research are age-related mental decline and chronic atrophic gastritis.
The mushroom also appears in the older chemistry literature. A 2015 review indexed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine surveys its polysaccharides and about 70 characterized compounds, and reports anxiety and cognitive improvements among the properties described in earlier work.
What are the side effects of lion’s mane capsules or extract?
Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says lion’s mane is generally recognized as safe, but supplements carry some risks. The table lists each reported effect and where it comes from.
| Possible effect | Where it was reported |
|---|---|
| Abdominal or stomach discomfort | One study of 350 mg capsules, reported by Everyday Health; RxList says side effects are mild and may include stomach discomfort |
| Nausea | The same study, reported by Everyday Health |
| Skin rash | The same study, reported by Everyday Health |
| Bruising and bleeding | RxList says lion’s mane might slow clotting and increase bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding conditions |
| Low blood sugar | RxList says to watch for it if you use diabetes medicines |
| Mushroom allergy reactions | Everyday Health says lion’s mane can make you sick if you are allergic to mushrooms |
RxList Hericium erinaceus page says lion’s mane has been used safely in people for up to 16 weeks and rates it possibly safe when taken by mouth as a medicine, short term.
Why do I feel weird after taking lion’s mane?
The reactions reported in the research are stomach discomfort, nausea and rash, plus reactions in people sensitive to mushrooms. Write down the product, the serving, the time you took it and exactly how you felt. That record makes the conversation with your pharmacist or clinician much more useful. Check the full ingredient list as well, because a blend contains more than lion’s mane and a gummy or powder can contain other ingredients. If the feeling is severe or getting worse, get medical help rather than waiting.
What should you not take with lion’s mane?
The main combinations to raise with your prescriber are the diabetes medicines and blood thinners in the table above. Two other situations also belong on that list: a mushroom allergy, and a scheduled surgery. RxList Hericium erinaceus page says to stop using lion’s mane at least 2 weeks before scheduled surgery, because it might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Give your surgeon or prescriber the full product name and serving so they can plan around it.
When shouldn’t you take lion’s mane?
Avoid it if you are allergic or sensitive to mushrooms, according to Everyday Health lion’s mane guide. RxList Hericium erinaceus page advises avoiding lion’s mane during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Be cautious if you have a bleeding condition, since RxList Hericium erinaceus page says it may increase bruising and bleeding. If you have diabetes, RxList Hericium erinaceus page says to monitor your blood sugar carefully. Before a scheduled operation, follow the RxList advice above and tell your care team you are using it.
What happens if you take lion’s mane every day?
Daily use appears in the research described below, with courses of 28 days, 16 weeks and 49 weeks. RxList Hericium erinaceus page says lion’s mane has been used safely in people for up to 16 weeks, and its text describes mental function as declining within four weeks of stopping supplementation. Everyday Health lion’s mane guide notes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates supplements as food, so they do not need FDA approval before they are sold, and that a product could contain ingredients not on the front label. Choose a product with a clear label and talk with your clinician before a long daily routine.
Can lion’s mane decrease cortisol?
The Docherty 2023 trial record reports results for a Stroop task and a subjective stress score. It does not report cortisol levels. If cortisol is your concern, ask a clinician whether a cortisol test makes sense before you buy anything. Our comparison of lion’s mane cortisol and other stress-focused supplements explains how the categories differ.
What are the lion’s mane benefits shown in research?
Lion’s mane is studied for memory, attention and stress, and the findings differ by trial. The table sets out what each trial reported and in whom.
| Trial | Who and what they took | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Mori et al., 2009 (described by RxList) | Elderly Japanese men and women with mild mental decline; four capsules totaling 1 g, three times a day, for 16 weeks | RxList says mental function seemed to improve; within four weeks of stopping, mental function appears to decrease |
| Li et al., 2020 (described by Everyday Health) | 41 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease; three 350 mg capsules daily for 49 weeks | Everyday Health says participants saw significant improvements in brain health, while the placebo group declined in several markers of cognitive function |
| Docherty et al., 2023 (PubMed) | 41 healthy adults ages 18–45; 1.8 g daily in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study lasting 28 days | Participants were quicker on a Stroop task 60 minutes after one dose (p = 0.005); a stress-score trend after 28 days (p = 0.051) did not reach the study’s threshold |
| 2023 crossover trial (PubMed) | A single 1 g dose of Nordic-grown lion’s mane, compared with placebo and a guayusa extract | Lion’s mane helped improve working memory, complex attention and reaction time 2 hours after ingestion |
The Mori and Li results are the two memory-related trials in this guide. You can read more about lion’s mane memory tests in older adults (our research library) and how those populations differ from healthy young adults. A 2025 narrative review indexed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine describes the mushroom’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and notes its links to nerve growth factor synthesis.
Everyday Health lion’s mane guide also reports early-stage research on digestive health and blood sugar in test tubes and mice, and a review describing preliminary promise for depression. Those findings come from lab and animal work, not from the human trials above.
How much lion’s mane should you take?
The doses in the research vary a lot. Use the serving on your product’s label and the amount your prescriber agrees with, rather than a study dose as a target.
| Study | Dose and duration |
|---|---|
| 2023 crossover trial (PubMed) | A single 1 g dose of Nordic-grown lion’s mane |
| Docherty et al., 2023 (PubMed) | 1.8 g daily for 28 days |
| Mori et al., 2009 (RxList) | Four capsules totaling 1 g, three times a day (3 g daily), for 16 weeks |
| Li et al., 2020 (Everyday Health) | Three 350 mg capsules daily for 49 weeks |
Start by reading the Supplement Facts panel. Look for the serving size, the stated lion’s mane amount, whether it says fruiting body or mycelium, and every other active ingredient. A combined “mushroom blend” amount does not tell you how much lion’s mane is in one serving.
Does lion’s mane help with weight loss?
Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says the weight-related findings come from rats and mice, which suggest lion’s mane might improve lipid metabolism and potentially reduce weight gain. Those studies focus on animals, not humans. RxList Hericium erinaceus page lists weight loss among uses people try, but that is a use description, not a result. There is no human result in this guide that shows lion’s mane leads to weight loss.
What is lion’s mane nutrition, and what are its ingredients?
Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says lion’s mane is a good source of fiber and potassium and contains small amounts of phytosterols, plant compounds linked to lower cholesterol. For exact per-100-gram figures, check the nutrition panel of the specific product or ask the seller for it, because fresh and supplement forms differ.
The main compound groups are polysaccharides, terpenoids (hericenones and erinacines) and phenolic compounds, according to the 2025 PubMed narrative review. Everyday Health lion’s mane guide lists polysaccharides, erinacines, hericerins, steroids, alkaloids and lactones. Lion’s mane is sold as fresh, dried, powdered, capsules, tea, coffee, tinctures and gummies. Everyday Health lion’s mane guide says the fruiting body and the mycelium both contain plant compounds, so the label should name which one is used.
Lion’s mane supplement: how to buy and what it costs
Prices and bundles change, so check today’s price directly with the seller at checkout. Compare price per serving after you confirm the serving size and the stated lion’s mane amount. A large bottle is not always the lower-cost option if its formula differs. Everyday Health lion’s mane guide advises checking for USP, NSF or Consumer Labs Approved marks, which indicate third-party quality and purity testing.
If you are considering a Pilly Labs product, the gummy below is a mushroom-blend format, not a single-ingredient lion’s mane product. Check its current label and the full ingredient list before you decide.
Readwell Media, which owns this site, also owns Pilly Labs.
| Product | Adaptogen Vitality Gummies (Pilly Labs) |
| Format | Gummy, multi-ingredient mushroom blend |
| Ingredients and amounts | Listed on the current label |
| Product Page | Product Page |
A capsule or powder that contains only lion’s mane gives you a simpler comparison than a blend. If you are choosing between formats, the lion’s mane drug interactions guide and our lion’s mane research explainer will help you read labels and trial results side by side. For a related look at why a supplement may not match expectations, see why nootropics don’t work.
Before you order
- Read the Supplement Facts panel for the stated lion’s mane amount, serving size and other ingredients.
- Ask the seller for its refund and return terms before you order, and keep your order confirmation.
- Check today’s price and whether a subscription is selected at checkout.
- Take your full medicine list to your pharmacist, especially any diabetes medicine, blood thinner or sertraline.
- If you feel unwell after a serving, record the product and timing and speak with a clinician.
If stress or focus is the reason you are shopping, read our brain fog after 40 guide to name the pattern you want to address before choosing a product.
By HealthDataConsortium.org Research Team
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
