CoQ10 and medications: what to check

CoQ10 is not a blood thinner. The one blood-thinner trial we found gave 100 mg a day for 4 weeks to 24 people on warfarin and saw no change in INR, though earlier case reports described a reduced response. No study we found covers other prescriptions. If you take any medicine, ask your prescriber first.

What the one trial on blood thinners found

A 2003 randomised, double-blind crossover trial gave 24 outpatients on stable long-term warfarin CoQ10 at 100 mg a day, Ginkgo biloba at 100 mg a day, or placebo, for 4 weeks each with 2-week washouts. INR stayed stable and the warfarin dose did not change in any period, and the authors concluded CoQ10 did not influence warfarin's clinical effect. The paper's introduction cites earlier case stories that described a decreased response to warfarin with CoQ10 (Engelsen 2003).

The limits matter. It was 24 people, tested 100 mg (half the 200 mg in our capsule), lasted 4 weeks per arm, and the abstract does not state the CoQ10 form. It can't rule out an effect at 200 mg, in other people, or with other blood thinners. Our label says to ask a physician before use if you take medication, especially blood thinners.

What we don't know

For every other medicine people ask about, we found no study in our sources that tested CoQ10 alongside it. No evidence of an interaction is not evidence of safety. Your prescriber or pharmacist can check your full medication list, which we can't.

Electric Tiger CoQ10 200 mg has 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 as ubiquinone per capsule. We make no claim about it for any prescription or condition.

Questions people ask

What medications should not be taken with CoQ10, and does it interact with medications?

We can't give you a list of medicines to avoid, because we found no study that supports one, and we found no study that clears any. Blood thinners are the one group our label singles out. Tell your prescriber or pharmacist you are considering it.

Is CoQ10 a blood thinner, or like aspirin?

No. It is a compound found in food and cells, not a blood thinner or aspirin. The question arises because of the earlier case reports about warfarin response, described above, and because of the one trial that did not confirm them at 100 mg.

Can you take CoQ10 with Eliquis or other blood thinners, or with aspirin?

We found no study of CoQ10 with Eliquis (apixaban) or with low-dose aspirin. The only blood-thinner trial we found was of warfarin, above. Ask your prescriber before combining them.

Can you take CoQ10 with losartan, amlodipine, metoprolol, metformin or levothyroxine?

We found no study testing CoQ10 with any of these, so we can't say it is safe or unsafe. Ask your pharmacist.

Should I take CoQ10 with a statin? Why do people take CoQ10 with statins? Does a statin lower CoQ10?

We don't recommend CoQ10 for use with, or in place of, any prescription, and this page makes no claim about statins, including atorvastatin and rosuvastatin. People ask because CoQ10 has been studied in people who take statins and have muscle symptoms. We cover those trials, with who was studied and what they found, in the research review, not here. Whether to take a supplement alongside a statin is for your prescriber to decide. We did not verify in our sources whether any prescription changes the body's CoQ10, so we won't state it.

Can CoQ10 affect birth control?

We found no study on it. Ask your pharmacist.

What happens if you don't take CoQ10 with a statin?

We have no evidence on that question and make no claim about it. If you take a statin, talk to your prescriber about any concern, and don't change a prescription on your own account.

What supplements interact with CoQ10?

The one supplement pairing tested in the trial above was ginkgo with warfarin, in separate arms. We have not reviewed other combinations. Related pages: who should not take CoQ10 and CoQ10 side effects.