Drug & supplement interaction

Madder + Imiquimod

Imiquimod brand names: Aldara, Zyclara, Vyloma.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Madder and Imiquimod 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

Madder and Imiquimod

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 Imiquimod and Madder 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Madder at all — not against Imiquimod, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Madder safety at a glance

Madder overall Avoid Some madder compounds have shown genotoxic and possible cancer-causing effects, so it is best avoided as a supplement.
Pregnancy Unsafe When used orally because it may be a potential menstrual stimulant and a genotoxin. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Unsafe When used orally because it is a potential genotoxin. It also can cause red-colored breast milk. 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 Imiquimod and Madder? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Madder Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Imiquimod. It is the side-effect record for Madder on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Madder, this list is the first place to look.

  • Sweating Additional detail

    “There is currently a limited amount of information available about the adverse effects of madder. Orally, madder can cause red colored urine, saliva, and perspiration (2). There is some concern that madder can stain contact lenses. Advise patients to be cautious.

    Topically, contact dermatitis has been reported while handling madder.”

    Madder · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 6002. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
    3. 20044. Castelain M, Ducombs G. Contact dermatitis from madder. Contact Dermatitis 1988;19(3):228-229. PubMed
  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “A case of contact dermatitis has been reported in a woman who handled madder while working in the garden.”

    Madder · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 20044. Castelain M, Ducombs G. Contact dermatitis from madder. Contact Dermatitis 1988;19(3):228-229. PubMed

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

Special populations

Madder in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Unsafe

When used orally because it may be a potential menstrual stimulant and a genotoxin.

Lactation Unsafe

When used orally because it is a potential genotoxin. It also can cause red-colored breast milk.

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Imiquimod

This page covers Madder only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Imiquimod page lists 3 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Dimethylsulfoxide (dmso) (moderate), Turpentine Oil (moderate) and Alchemilla (minor).

By severity: 2 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Imiquimod page

“Imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara, Vyloma) is a cream for warts, precancerous spots, and certain skin cancers, and its supplement list is short and workable for most people. Only 3 ingredients are on file, none rated major, and all involve products applied to the skin rather than swallowed.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Imiquimod interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 9 real supplement products containing Madder, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Madder. Even though Madder itself has no known interaction with Imiquimod, 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 Madder and Imiquimod 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 Madder
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Imiquimod
Top half

#1,393 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 Madder reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Madder and Imiquimod 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 Madder

What is Madder?

  • Kidney and bladder stones
  • Urinary tract complaints
  • Menstrual problems
  • Natural red dye for fabric
  • Traditional digestive remedy

Madder is a plant whose root has long been used as a red dye and in traditional medicine, mostly for kidney and urinary problems. There is very little reliable human evidence that it works, and some of its compounds have raised concerns about possible cancer-causing effects, so it is generally not recommended for use as a supplement. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before considering it.

Rubia tinctorum · Rubiaceae · Root · Dried root, powder, capsules, tea, extracts, and natural dye

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

Madder: dosing

There is no established safe or effective dose of madder for any health condition. In general, we do not recommend taking madder root internally. Its safer, well-established use is as a fabric dye rather than as a supplement.

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

Read the full Madder monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Imiquimod Topical

What Is Imiquimod Topical Used For?

Brand names: Aldara, Zyclara, Vyloma

Imiquimod cream is used to treat three skin conditions in adults: actinic keratoses (rough, scaly patches on the skin caused by sun damage) on the face or scalp; superficial basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) on the trunk, neck, or limbs when surgery is not the best option; and external genital and perianal warts (condyloma acuminata) in patients 12 years and older.

It is not effective for molluscum contagiosum in children ages 2–12, and it has not been proven safe or effective in people with weakened immune systems. It should not be used for warts inside the urethra, vagina, cervix, rectum, or anal canal.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Imiquimod

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.

Erythema 183 reports
Fatigue 179 reports
Nausea 114 reports
Influenza like illness 102 reports
Application site erythema 100 reports
See full Imiquimod Topical drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Madder

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Madder References

The 4 references that drive our Madder 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. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  3. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
  4. Castelain M, Ducombs G. Contact dermatitis from madder. Contact Dermatitis 1988;19(3):228-229. 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 Madder and Imiquimod Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Madder with Imiquimod?
We do not list a known interaction between Madder and Imiquimod. 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.
Does Imiquimod interact with any supplements?
Yes. Imiquimod has documented interactions with 3 supplements in our database — Madder is not one of them. The Imiquimod 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 Imiquimod and Madder?

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.