Drug & supplement interaction

Maple Syrup Diet + Imiquimod

Imiquimod brand names: Aldara, Zyclara, Vyloma.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Maple Syrup Diet 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

Maple Syrup Diet 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 Maple Syrup Diet in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Maple Syrup Diet alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Maple Syrup Diet 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.

Maple Syrup Diet is an eating pattern rather than something you take. Ask your pharmacist or doctor before changing how you eat while on a prescribed medicine: some medicines are dosed around meals, and a change in diet can change how they work. 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.

Maple Syrup Diet safety at a glance

Maple Syrup Diet overall Use caution It is a very-low-nutrient liquid fast that can cause nutrient deficiencies and other problems, especially if done for more than a day or two.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe During pregnancy and lactation. The maple syrup diet is not intended to provide adequate nutrition and can result in electrolyte imbalances when used short-term... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe During pregnancy and lactation. The maple syrup diet is not intended to provide adequate nutrition and can result in electrolyte imbalances when used short-term... 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 Maple Syrup Diet? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Maple Syrup Diet Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • An electrolyte imbalance Worth acting on Additional detail

    “There is limited reliable information available about the adverse effects of the maple syrup diet. However, the maple syrup diet does not provide adequate nutrition and involves the consumption of large quantities of water. This can lead to electrolyte imbalances when used short-term and malnutrition when used long-term.”

    Maple Syrup Diet · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in malnutrition.

    1 source cited
    1. 103181. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. "Detoxes" and "Cleanses": What you need to know. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know. Updated September 2019. Accessed on: June 15, 2020.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Maple Syrup Diet — 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

Maple Syrup Diet in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

During pregnancy and lactation. The maple syrup diet is not intended to provide adequate nutrition and can result in electrolyte imbalances when used short-term, as well as malnutrition when used long-term.

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 Maple Syrup Diet 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

How much people look this up

Where Maple Syrup Diet 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 Maple Syrup Diet
Steady interest

#1,267 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Imiquimod
Steady interest

#1,982 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 Maple Syrup Diet reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Maple Syrup Diet and Imiquimod 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 .
Eating pattern

About Maple Syrup Diet

What is Maple Syrup Diet?

  • Short-term weight loss
  • Body 'detox' or cleanse
  • Jump-starting a diet
  • Quick fasting program

The Maple Syrup Diet (also called the Master Cleanse or Lemonade Diet) is a fad cleanse where you drink a maple syrup, lemon, water, and cayenne mixture instead of eating food for several days. There is no good scientific evidence that it 'detoxes' the body, and any weight lost is mostly water and is usually regained. It can be risky because it provides almost no protein, fat, vitamins, or minerals, so most people should avoid it.

Liquid cleanse drink (a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, water, and cayenne pepper)

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

Maple Syrup Diet: dosing

There is no medically established or recommended dose for the Maple Syrup Diet, because it is a fad cleanse rather than a proven treatment. Popular versions have people drink several glasses of the maple-lemon-cayenne mixture throughout the day in place of meals.Health experts generally do not recommend this diet at all. A balanced, calorie-controlled eating plan is a far safer and more effective way to lose weight.

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

Read the full Maple Syrup Diet 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 & Maple Syrup Diet

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Maple Syrup Diet — 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
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Maple Syrup Diet list.

See the full Maple Syrup Diet interactions page
See every supplement checked against Imiquimod, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Maple Syrup Diet References

The 2 references that drive our Maple Syrup Diet 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. Kim MJ, Hwang JH, Ko HJ, Na HB, Kim JH. Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women. Nutr Res. 2015 May;35(5):409-20. PubMed
  2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. "Detoxes" and "Cleanses": What you need to know. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know. Updated September 2019. Accessed on: June 15, 2020.

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

Following Maple Syrup Diet While Taking Imiquimod: Common Questions

Is it safe to follow Maple Syrup Diet while taking Imiquimod?
We do not list a known interaction between Maple Syrup Diet 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 — Maple Syrup Diet 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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Maple Syrup Diet monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Imiquimod Topical drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Imiquimod supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Imiquimod, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Imiquimod and Maple Syrup Diet?

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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.