Drug & supplement interaction

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose + Acarbose

Acarbose brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated February 2024
The bottom line Minor

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose has a minor interaction with Acarbose. Maltose, a disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules, has the potential to affect blood sugar levels similarly to table sugar (sucrose).

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose and Acarbose

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

Antidiabetes Drugs

Why this applies to Acarbose

Acarbose falls under Antidiabetes Drugs — the group Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose interacts with.

Maltose, a disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules, has the potential to affect blood sugar levels similarly to table sugar (sucrose). While maltose itself does not necessarily interact directly with antidiabetic drugs, its digestion into glucose can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, which may impact the effectiveness of antidiabetic medications. In terms of effects on blood sugar, maltose may lead to a more rapid increase in blood sugar levels compared to sucrose, as it is directly converted into glucose. Individuals with diabetes should monitor their blood sugar levels closely when consuming foods or beverages containing maltose to maintain proper glucose control.
Severity Minor Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's an interesting wrinkle with acarbose specifically. Acarbose works in your gut by slowing the enzymes that break down complex sugars, which keeps your blood sugar from spiking after meals. Maltose is one of those very sugars that acarbose acts on. So when you slowly dissolve a maltose lozenge in your mouth, acarbose may delay how quickly that maltose turns into glucose. This usually isn't dangerous, and the effect is considered minor, but it could blunt some of the lozenge's sweetness or shift your blood sugar a bit.

If you have diabetes and use these together, just keep an eye on your readings and mention it to your pharmacist or doctor. Don't change either one on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose Also Interacts With Other Medications

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose has 85 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Acarbose one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 85 No known interaction 2,745 (incl. Acarbose)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose or Acarbose

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose or Acarbose, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acarbose

This page covers Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acarbose page lists 281 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Acai (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 240 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acarbose page

“Acarbose (Precose, Glucobay) is taken with meals to blunt the blood sugar rise after eating, and its supplement list calls for genuine care, starting with the four major-rated entries: heavy alcohol and the herb Siberian cocklebur can strain the liver alongside acarbose, while activated charcoal can soak up oral drugs and cut what reac…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acarbose interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose and Acarbose Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose
Steady interest

#1,098 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Acarbose
Top half

#909 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose

What is Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose?

Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose
  • Dry mouth (xerostomia)
  • Sjögren syndrome
  • Dry mouth from medications
  • Food stabilizer and texturizer

Anhydrous crystalline maltose is a starch-derived sugar (also called malt sugar) studied mainly as a slow-dissolving lozenge to ease dry mouth, including in people with Sjögren syndrome. Some studies suggest it may modestly improve saliva flow, but the overall evidence is limited. It appears generally well tolerated, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have diabetes.

Read the full Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acarbose

What Is Acarbose Used For?

Brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay

Acarbose tablets are used to help manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is always used together with a proper diet and regular exercise — not as a replacement for them.

Acarbose can be used on its own or combined with other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas, insulin, or metformin, to further improve blood sugar control.

See full Acarbose drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
85Minor
2,744No known interaction
85 Minor 2,744 No interaction
Minor

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 minor interactions — see all 85 on the Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,744 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose list.

See the full Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acarbose, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose and Acarbose Together: Common Questions

Can you take Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose with Acarbose?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose and Acarbose interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Acarbose and Anhydrous Crystalline Maltose?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.