Drug & supplement interaction

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) + Salmeterol

Salmeterol brand name: Serevent.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol 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 Salmeterol states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol

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 Salmeterol and Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) 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.

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) safety at a glance

Galacto-oligosacch... overall Generally safe GOS is generally recognized as safe and well tolerated for most people in food amounts.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. Read the full breastfeeding detail

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 Salmeterol and Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Salmeterol

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Salmeterol is filed under 3 classifications — beta-adrenergic agonists, qt interval-prolonging drugs, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Salmeterol’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

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) Does Interact With Other Medications

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Salmeterol isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 No known interaction 2,709 (incl. Salmeterol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos). Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Salmeterol. It is the side-effect record for Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos), this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, GOS seem to be well tolerated in infants, children, and adults.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, and increased stool frequency.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals.”

    Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

  • Bloating or gas / Constipation / Diarrhea Additional detail

    “Orally, galacto-oligosaccharides may cause bloating, flatulence, and increased stool frequency. Giving a formula supplemented with 4 grams/L of GOS and polydextrose (1:1 ratio) to infants has been associated with an increased incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects, primarily constipation and diarrhea, in one clinical study. However, it is unclear if this was due to GOS, polydextrose, or the combination.”

    Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    6 sources cited
    1. 26706. Teuri U, Korpela R. Galacto-oligosaccharides relieve constipation in elderly people. Ann Nutr Metab 1998;42(6):319-327. PubMed
    2. 26709. Ziegler E, Vanderhoof JA, Petschow B, et al. Term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics grow normally and have soft stools similar to those reported for breast-fed infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44(3):359-364. PubMed
    3. 26724. Ito M, Deguchi Y, Matsumoto K, et al. Influence of galactooligosaccharides on the human fecal microflora. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1993;39(6):635-640. PubMed
    4. 99217. Morel FB, Dai Q, Ni J, Thomas D, Parnet P, Fança-Berthon P. a-Galacto-oligosaccharides dose-dependently reduce appetite and decrease inflammation in overweight adults. J Nutr. 2015;145(9):2052-9. PubMed
    5. 99222. Bisceglia M, Indrio F, Riezzo G, Poerio V, Corapi U, Raimondi F. The effect of prebiotics in the management of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. Acta Paediatr. 2009;98(10):1579-81. PubMed
    6. 106527. Colombo J, Carlson SE, Algarín C, et al. Developmental effects on sleep-wake patterns in infants receiving a cow's milk-based infant formula with an added prebiotic blend: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Res 2021;89(5):1222-31. PubMed
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Orally, giving a formula supplemented with 4 grams/L of GOS and polydextrose (1:1 ratio) to infants has been associated with an increased incidence of atopic dermatitis in one clinical study. However, most other clinical research in infants at risk of atopy shows that GOS-containing formula may actually reduce the risk of developing atopic dermatitis.”

    Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in atopic disease.

    4 sources cited
    1. 26709. Ziegler E, Vanderhoof JA, Petschow B, et al. Term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics grow normally and have soft stools similar to those reported for breast-fed infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44(3):359-364. PubMed
    2. 26707. Kukkonen K, Savilahti E, Haahtela T, et al. Probiotics and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;119(1):192-198. PubMed
    3. 26708. Moro G, Arslanoglu S, Stahl B, et al. A mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of atopic dermatitis during the first six months of age. Arch Dis Child 2006;91(10):814-819. PubMed
    4. 99223. Arslanoglu S, Moro GE, Schmitt J, Tandoi L, Rizzardi S, Boehm G. Early dietary intervention with a mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of allergic manifestations and infections during the first two years of life. J Nutr. 2008;138(6 PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Salmeterol’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Salmeterol column appears here.

Special populations

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When consumed in amounts commonly found in foods.

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Safe

When used orally. GOS have been safely used in clinical research in doses of about 4.5 grams daily from week 25 of pregnancy until delivery.

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 Salmeterol Products Have a Food Rule — Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Salmeterol says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Salmeterol on its own and move Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) 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 Salmeterol 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.

One inhalation of SEREVENT DISKUS at least 30 minutes before exercise has been shown to protect patients against EIB.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Salmeterol — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Salmeterol drug page ›

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.

Overlapping uses

What Salmeterol Is Prescribed For, and What Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Salmeterol is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Salmeterol is prescribed for: Serevent Diskus (salmeterol inhalation powder) is used for three main purposes: treating asthma in patients aged 4 and older alongside an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients aged 4 and older, and providing long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with COPD — including chronic bronchitis and emphysema — in adults. Important: Serevent Diskus is not a rescue inhaler. It will not relieve a sudden asthma or COPD attack. For asthma, it must always be used together with an inhaled corticosteroid — using it alone for asthma is contraindicated due to a serious risk of asthma-related death.

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has been studied for:

  • Asthma studied, not established Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) for asthma

    It is unclear if GOS, alone or in combination with fructo-oligosaccharides, are beneficial for preventing the development of asthma or recurrent wheeze in infants at risk for allergies.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Salmeterol on your own; if you are taking Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Salmeterol

This page covers Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Salmeterol page lists 141 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major), Ephedra (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 7 major · 105 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Salmeterol page

“Salmeterol (Serevent) is the long-acting inhaler taken twice daily for asthma or COPD, and its supplement list is one I would approach with real caution. Seven of the 141 ingredients on file rate major: grapefruit can raise salmeterol levels by blocking the enzyme that clears it, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Salmeterol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol 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 Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)
Steady interest

#1,428 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Salmeterol
Top 25%

#630 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 Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)

What is Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)?

  • Prebiotic to support gut bacteria
  • Constipation
  • Digestive health
  • Immune support
  • Infant gut health

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are a type of prebiotic fiber that feed the helpful bacteria in your gut. They are generally well tolerated and may help with digestive regularity and gut balance, though they can cause gas and bloating, especially at higher doses. Evidence is promising but still limited for many uses, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting.

Carbohydrate derived from lactose (milk sugar) · Powder, capsules, chewable tablets, added to foods, infant formula, and functional drinks

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

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos): dosing

There is no single official or standardized dose for GOS. Studies have used a range of amounts, and the right dose can vary from person to person.A common, practical approach is to start with a small amount and slowly increase it over days or weeks.

From our Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Salmeterol Oral Inhalation

What Is Salmeterol Oral Inhalation Used For?

Brand name: Serevent

Serevent Diskus (salmeterol inhalation powder) is used for three main purposes: treating asthma in patients aged 4 and older alongside an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients aged 4 and older, and providing long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with COPD — including chronic bronchitis and emphysema — in adults.

Important: Serevent Diskus is not a rescue inhaler. It will not relieve a sudden asthma or COPD attack. For asthma, it must always be used together with an inhaled corticosteroid — using it alone for asthma is contraindicated due to a serious risk of asthma-related death.

See full Salmeterol Oral Inhalation drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
121 Moderate 2,708 No interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,708 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) list.

See the full Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Salmeterol, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) References

The 12 references that drive our Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) 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. Teuri U, Korpela R. Galacto-oligosaccharides relieve constipation in elderly people. Ann Nutr Metab 1998;42(6):319-327. PubMed
  2. Kukkonen K, Savilahti E, Haahtela T, et al. Probiotics and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;119(1):192-198. PubMed
  3. Moro G, Arslanoglu S, Stahl B, et al. A mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of atopic dermatitis during the first six months of age. Arch Dis Child 2006;91(10):814-819. PubMed
  4. Ziegler E, Vanderhoof JA, Petschow B, et al. Term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics grow normally and have soft stools similar to those reported for breast-fed infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44(3):359-364. PubMed
  5. Bakker-Zierikzee AM, Tol EA, Kroes H, et al. Faecal sIgA secretion in infants fed on pre- or probiotic infant formula. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2006;17(2):134-140. PubMed
  6. Shadid R, Haarman M, Knol J, et al. Effects of galactooligosaccharide and long-chain fructooligosaccharide supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal microbiota and immunity--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Clin N PubMed
  7. Vos AP, Haarman M, Buco A, et al. A specific prebiotic oligosaccharide mixture stimulates delayed-type hypersensitivity in a murine influenza vaccination model. Int Immunopharmacol 2006;6(8):1277-1286. PubMed
  8. Ito M, Deguchi Y, Matsumoto K, et al. Influence of galactooligosaccharides on the human fecal microflora. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1993;39(6):635-640. PubMed
  9. Morel FB, Dai Q, Ni J, Thomas D, Parnet P, Fança-Berthon P. a-Galacto-oligosaccharides dose-dependently reduce appetite and decrease inflammation in overweight adults. J Nutr. 2015;145(9):2052-9. PubMed
  10. Bisceglia M, Indrio F, Riezzo G, Poerio V, Corapi U, Raimondi F. The effect of prebiotics in the management of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. Acta Paediatr. 2009;98(10):1579-81. PubMed
  11. Arslanoglu S, Moro GE, Schmitt J, Tandoi L, Rizzardi S, Boehm G. Early dietary intervention with a mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of allergic manifestations and infections during the first two years of life. J Nutr. 2008;138(6 PubMed
  12. Colombo J, Carlson SE, Algarín C, et al. Developmental effects on sleep-wake patterns in infants receiving a cow's milk-based infant formula with an added prebiotic blend: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Res 2021;89(5):1222-31. PubMed

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 Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) with Salmeterol?
We do not list a known interaction between Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol. 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.
Should I take Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Salmeterol 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 Salmeterol on its own and move Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) 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.
Are Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Salmeterol is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) and Salmeterol combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Salmeterol is filed under 3 classifications, and Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Salmeterol'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 Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) interact with any other medications?
Yes. Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) has 121 documented drug interactions in our database — Salmeterol 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 Salmeterol interact with any supplements?
Yes. Salmeterol has documented interactions with 141 supplements in our database — Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) is not one of them. The Salmeterol interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos) monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Salmeterol Oral Inhalation drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Salmeterol supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Salmeterol, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Salmeterol and Galacto-oligosaccharides (gos)?

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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.