Mushrooms, Autoimmune Conditions and Transplant Medicines
Why immune-stimulating mushroom products raise questions for people with autoimmune conditions or transplant medicines, what sources document, and who to ask.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
If you take immunosuppressants or have an autoimmune condition, ask your prescriber before using a mushroom product. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) says reishi may not be safe for people on immunosuppressants. [1] Most of the concern is theoretical or based on lab work and case reports. Controlled studies in these groups are missing, so this page is about caution, not proven harm. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own.
Why the question comes up
Many mushroom products are sold for "immune support", and that is exactly the worry. An immune-stimulating product could in theory work against a medicine meant to calm the immune system, or against an immune system that is already overactive.
- MSK says reishi can enhance immune response. [1]
- Laboratory studies show cordyceps stimulates T helper cells, a type of immune cell. [2]
- Lab findings are preclinical; they do not show that a capsule changes your immune system in the same way.
What sources document
| Group | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Autoimmune skin disease | A 2025 scoping review of herbs with immunostimulatory properties that may trigger or exacerbate autoimmune skin diseases named reishi among 15 herbs with the most robust evidence of immune stimulation. [3] MSK adds that reishi may trigger or worsen autoimmune skin disease, though causation is not determined. [1] | Theoretical, with limited reports |
| Autoimmune-type liver injury | Two cancer patients developed liver injury after Agaricus blazei Murrill extracts (one also took a Ganoderma lucidum extract); the authors thought immune stimulation caused injury resembling autoimmune hepatitis. [4] GBIF lists Agaricus blazei Murrill and Agaricus subrufescens Peck as separate accepted names. [5] | Case reports |
| Transplant medicines | MSK says reishi may not be safe with immunosuppressants. [1] NCCIH lists cyclosporine, used to prevent organ transplant rejection, among medicines where small level changes matter. [6] The National Kidney Foundation says a herb-drug interaction can lower the effectiveness of anti-rejection medicines and risk the new kidney. [7] | Caution from authorities; no mushroom-specific trial found |
| Blood counts | MSK lists a higher white blood cell count among maitake side effects, and asymptomatic eosinophilia (a type of white cell). [8] | Reported effect; meaning unclear |
Cordyceps and kidney transplants in China
You may read that cordyceps is used in transplant care. A Cochrane review of Cordyceps sinensis in kidney transplant recipients included five small trials (447 people) with unclear risk of bias, and the authors said there is no consensus on its use as an adjuvant treatment. [9] They said results should be interpreted with caution and that longer-term studies are needed. [9] In those trials Cordyceps was tested against azathioprine, or alongside a lower dose of cyclosporin A, as part of a planned study. That is not the same as adding a store-bought product on your own.
Drug-like mushroom extracts are different
PSK, a product derived from turkey tail (Coriolus versicolor), was developed for cancer treatment in Japan, but MSK notes the U.S. FDA has not approved coriolus extracts as additional cancer treatments. [10] See PSK, PSP and lentinan.
What to do
Tell the prescriber and pharmacist about every product, ask whether it is worth the risk, and bring the label. See how interactions work, talking with a health professional and mushrooms and immune function.
Frequently asked questions
Can mushroom supplements interfere with immunosuppressants?
MSK says reishi may not be safe for people on immunosuppressants, but we found no controlled study that tested this. [1]
Can mushrooms make autoimmune disease worse?
A 2025 review lists reishi among immunostimulatory herbs that may flare autoimmune skin disease; MSK says causation is not determined. [3] [1]
Is cordyceps used after a kidney transplant?
Small trials in China tested it under supervision, with unclear risk of bias. [9] Ask the transplant team.
Are food mushrooms a problem for transplant recipients?
Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for cooked culinary mushrooms; enoki needs thorough cooking for people with weakened immunity. [11]
Who should I ask?
The prescriber, transplant team or pharmacist. [7]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Food safety when immunity is low
CDC and FDA advise people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to cook enoki mushrooms thoroughly. [11] See storing mushrooms and food safety.
What we could not find
Proper evidence not found from controlled studies of mushroom supplements in people with autoimmune disease or taking transplant medicines. We searched PubMed (medicinal mushroom with immunosuppressant or transplant; mushroom with autoimmune or immunostimulatory flare) and the MSK and NCCIH pages.
References
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Reishi Mushroom (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products). Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Cordyceps (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products). Read 2026-10-23.
- Weiner JD, et al. Identifying immunostimulatory herbal supplements that may flare autoimmune skin diseases: a systematic scoping review. Lupus Sci Med. 2025. PubMed 41475897. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hisamochi A, et al. Drug-induced liver injury associated with Agaricus blazei Murill which is very similar to autoimmune hepatitis. Clin J Gastroenterol. 2013. PubMed 26181451. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Names checked through the species match API (api.gbif.org/v1/species/match) on 2026-10-23. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Some Medication-Supplement Interactions Can Be Serious. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Kidney Foundation. Herbal Supplements and Kidney Disease. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Maitake (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products). Read 2026-10-23.
- Hong T, et al. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for kidney transplant recipients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. PubMed 26457607. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Turkey Tail (Coriolus versicolor) (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products). Read 2026-10-23.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Enoki Mushrooms (November 2022). Read 2026-10-23.