Drug & supplement interaction

Black Root + Sucralfate

Sucralfate brand names: Carafate, Antepsin.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Black Root and Sucralfate in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Sucralfate states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Black Root and Sucralfate

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Sucralfate and Black Root in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Black Root safety at a glance

Black Root overall Use caution Modern safety data are limited and the fresh root can cause significant digestive toxicity.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When the fresh root is used orally. Anecdotally, fresh black root has been reported for have abortifacient and teratogenic effects. However, there is no reliabl... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Avoid while breastfeeding due to insufficient safety information.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Sucralfate and Black Root? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sucralfate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sucralfate is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Black Root has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being digoxin (lanoxin) (moderate), diuretic drugs (moderate) and warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Sucralfate’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Black Root Does Interact With Other Medications

Black Root has 78 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sucralfate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Root

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Black Root. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Black Root and Sucralfate May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Drowsiness / Vomiting / Headache / Nausea Additional detail

    Black Root

    “Orally, black root can cause abdominal pain or cramps, changes in stool color or odor, drowsiness, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Hepatotoxicity has been reported after ingestion of large amounts.”

    Black Root · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 6002. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

    Sucralfate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sucralfate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Black Root but not commonly for Sucralfate: stomach pain and liver problems.

Effects for Sucralfate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Black Root come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Black Root in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When the fresh root is used orally. Anecdotally, fresh black root has been reported for have abortifacient and teratogenic effects. However, there is no reliable scientific evidence about the effects of black root on pregnancy. Until more is known, black root should not be used during pregnancy.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Sucralfate Products Have a Food Rule — Black Root Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sucralfate says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Black Root included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Sucralfate on its own and move Black Root to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Sucralfate products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

D O S A G E A N D A D M INI S T R A T I O N A cti v e D u oden a l Ulc e r : The recommended adult oral dosage for duodenal ulcer is 1 g four times per day on an empty stomach.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sucralfate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Black Root or Sucralfate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Black Root or Sucralfate, 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 Sucralfate

This page covers Black Root only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sucralfate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sucralfate page

“If you take sucralfate (Carafate) to heal an ulcer, keep activated charcoal well away from it. Charcoal carries the sole major rating on this list because it adsorbs drugs in the digestive tract, and sucralfate works entirely there, forming a protective coating over damaged stomach lining rather than circulating through the body.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sucralfate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Black Root as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 41 real supplement products containing Black Root, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Root. Even though Black Root itself has no known interaction with Sucralfate, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Black Root and Sucralfate 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 Black Root
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sucralfate
Top half

#750 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Black Root reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Black Root and Sucralfate records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Black Root

What is Black Root?

  • Constipation
  • Liver and gallbladder complaints
  • Digestive upset
  • Stimulating bile flow

Black Root is a traditional North American herb that was historically used as a strong laxative and to support digestion and liver function. There is very little modern scientific evidence to support these uses, and the fresh root can be toxic, so it should be used cautiously, if at all, and never during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Veronicastrum virginicum · Plantaginaceae · Dried root and rhizome · Dried root, tincture, liquid extract, capsules, tea

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Black Root is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Black Root record says about it on its own.

Black Root: dosing

There is no established, standardized dose for Black Root, and modern dosing guidelines are lacking. Traditional preparations used the dried, aged root rather than the fresh root.Because of the risk of toxicity and strong laxative effects, you should not guess at a dose.

From our Black Root monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Black Root monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sucralfate

What Is Sucralfate Used For?

Brand names: Carafate, Antepsin

Sucralfate — available as tablets and oral suspension under brand names including Carafate — is used for the short-term treatment (up to 8 weeks) of active duodenal ulcers.

Carafate tablets and sucralfate tablets are also approved for maintenance therapy — meaning a lower dose taken after an ulcer heals to help keep it from coming back.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sucralfate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (23,819 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 2,353 reports
Fatigue 1,798 reports
Diarrhea 1,764 reports
Headache 1,429 reports
Vomiting 1,411 reports
See full Sucralfate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Root

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

0Major
78Moderate
0Minor
2,751No known interaction
Moderate

78 interactions

Showing 60 of 78 moderate interactions — see all 78 on the Black Root page.

No interaction 2,751 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Black Root References

The 2 references that drive our Black Root monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  2. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Black Root and Sucralfate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Black Root with Sucralfate?
We do not list a known interaction between Black Root and Sucralfate. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Black Root and Sucralfate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Black Root and Sucralfate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sucralfate says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Sucralfate on its own and move Black Root to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Black Root and Sucralfate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sucralfate is filed under 1 classification, and Black Root has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Sucralfate's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Black Root interact with any other medications?
Yes. Black Root has 78 documented drug interactions in our database — Sucralfate is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Sucralfate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sucralfate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Black Root is not one of them. The Sucralfate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Sucralfate and Black Root?

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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.