Drug & supplement interaction

Madder + Raltegravir

Raltegravir brand name: Isentress.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Madder and Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir

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 Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir, 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 Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir. 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 Raltegravir’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir

This page covers Madder only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Raltegravir page lists 33 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Breadfruit (moderate), Brussels Sprout (moderate), Cabbage (moderate) and Calcium (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 22 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Raltegravir page

“For someone taking raltegravir (Isentress) to keep HIV suppressed, a steady drug level is what blocks rebound and resistance, and this list deserves genuine vigilance. The lone major-rated entry is activated charcoal, which can soak up the medicine in the gut and cut what reaches your blood.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir, 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 Raltegravir 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Raltegravir
Steady interest

#1,887 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 Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir

What Is Raltegravir Used For?

Brand name: Isentress

Raltegravir — available as Isentress and as the generic raltegravir tablet — is used to treat HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. It is always used together with other antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medicines, never on its own.

Isentress is approved for adults and for children weighing at least 2 kg. Raltegravir tablets are approved for adults and for children weighing at least 25 kg who can swallow a tablet whole.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Raltegravir

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (16,418 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Foetal exposure during pregnancy 1,078 reports
Depression 1,017 reports
Anxiety 966 reports
Emotional distress 789 reports
Anhedonia 708 reports
See full Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Madder with Raltegravir?
We do not list a known interaction between Madder and Raltegravir. 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 Raltegravir interact with any supplements?
Yes. Raltegravir has documented interactions with 33 supplements in our database — Madder is not one of them. The Raltegravir 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 Raltegravir 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.