Drug & supplement interaction

Greek Sage + Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone brand name: Actos.

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

We found no known interaction between Greek Sage and Pioglitazone 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.

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Interaction report

Greek Sage and Pioglitazone

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 Pioglitazone and Greek Sage 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.

Greek Sage safety at a glance

Greek Sage overall Use caution Likely safe in food and tea amounts, but concentrated extracts and the essential oil need more caution.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid medicinal or concentrated amounts during pregnancy due to limited safety data.
Breastfeeding Use caution Limited data; avoid concentrated forms and check with your doctor.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Pioglitazone and Greek Sage? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Pioglitazone

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Pioglitazone is filed under 6 classifications — including cytochrome p450 2c8 (cyp2c8) substrates, antidiabetes drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Greek Sage has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being hexobarbital (moderate) — and none of Pioglitazone’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

Greek Sage Does Interact With Other Medications

Greek Sage has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — Pioglitazone isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1 No known interaction 2,829 (incl. Pioglitazone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Greek Sage

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

What to actually watch for

What Pioglitazone’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Greek Sage. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Pioglitazone’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 9 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Severe muscle breakdown Worth acting on
  • Low blood sugar Worth acting on
  • A heart attack Worth acting on
  • Heart failure Worth acting on
  • High blood sugar Worth acting on
  • Chest pain Worth acting on
  • Raised blood pressure Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on
  • Weight gain

Showing the 10 most notable of 19 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Pioglitazone. Read the label on DailyMed › Greek Sage’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Greek Sage side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Greek Sage has no side effects.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pioglitazone

This page covers Greek Sage only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pioglitazone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 309 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pioglitazone page

“Most of what appears on this pioglitazone (Actos) list shares one trait: the ingredients lower blood sugar on their own, which sounds helpful until you remember pioglitazone already does that job for people with type 2 diabetes. Stacked together, they can push glucose too low, and I would read this list with genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pioglitazone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Greek Sage and Pioglitazone 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 Greek Sage
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pioglitazone
Steady interest

#2,239 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 Greek Sage reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Greek Sage and Pioglitazone records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Greek Sage

What is Greek Sage?

  • Sore throat and mouth irritation
  • Digestive upset
  • Memory and cognition support
  • Antimicrobial purposes
  • Flavoring and aromatherapy

Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa) is a Mediterranean herb traditionally used as a tea and flavoring, and popularly for sore throats and digestion. Solid human research on its health benefits is limited, so most uses are based on tradition or early lab studies. It is generally considered safe in food amounts, but talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts or essential oils.

Salvia fruticosa · Lamiaceae · Leaves and essential oil · Tea, dried leaf, capsules, essential oil, extracts

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

Greek Sage: dosing

There is no official standardized dose of Greek sage. Traditional use is usually a cup of tea made from a small amount of dried leaf.For capsules, extracts, or essential oil products, follow the directions on the label, since the strength varies a lot between products.

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

Read the full Greek Sage monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pioglitazone

What Is Pioglitazone Used For?

Brand name: Actos

Pioglitazone tablets — sold as Actos and under the generic names Pioglitazone and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride — are used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are taken along with diet and exercise, either alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as a sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin.

Pioglitazone is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes too acidic). It only works when the body is still producing some of its own insulin.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Pioglitazone

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Bladder cancer 8,853 reports
Blood glucose increased 3,566 reports
Nausea 3,152 reports
Weight decreased 2,200 reports
Diarrhea 1,835 reports
See full Pioglitazone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Greek Sage

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

0Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,828No known interaction
1 Moderate 2,828 No interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,828 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Greek Sage list.

See the full Greek Sage interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pioglitazone, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Greek Sage References

The 1 references that drive our Greek Sage 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. Todorov S, Philianos S, Petkov V, et al. Experimental pharmacological study of three species from genus Salvia. Acta Physiol Pharmacol (Bulg) 1984;10:13-20.

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 Greek Sage and Pioglitazone Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Greek Sage with Pioglitazone?
We do not list a known interaction between Greek Sage and Pioglitazone. 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.
How was the Greek Sage and Pioglitazone combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Pioglitazone is filed under 6 classifications, and Greek Sage has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Pioglitazone'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 Greek Sage interact with any other medications?
Yes. Greek Sage has 1 documented drug interaction in our database — Pioglitazone 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 Pioglitazone interact with any supplements?
Yes. Pioglitazone has documented interactions with 356 supplements in our database — Greek Sage is not one of them. The Pioglitazone 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

Greek Sage monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Pioglitazone drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Pioglitazone supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Pioglitazone, 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 1 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Pioglitazone and Greek Sage?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.