Drug & supplement interaction

Red Sandalwood + Glucose

Glucose brand name: IV Glucose.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Red Sandalwood has a moderate interaction with Glucose. Animal research shows that an aqueous extra of red sandalwood bark reduces blood glucose levels.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Red Sandalwood and Glucose

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Glucose

Glucose falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Red Sandalwood interacts with.

Animal research shows that an aqueous extra of red sandalwood bark reduces blood glucose levels. Red sandalwood bark extract 250 mg/kg orally daily lowers blood glucose in a rat model of diabetes. Theoretically, red sandalwood extract might have additive effects when used concomitantly with antidiabetes drugs and may increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Monitor blood glucose levels close. Dosage adjustments may be necessary. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), and tolbutamide (Orinase).
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's a little wrinkle worth understanding. The interaction on file is really about blood-sugar-lowering medications, like insulin, glipizide, or glyburide. Glucose itself is the opposite, it's sugar you take to raise blood sugar (often given by IV or as tablets to treat a low). So Red Sandalwood and glucose aren't really fighting each other in a dangerous way.

That said, lab and animal studies hint that red sandalwood bark extract may gently lower blood sugar. If you're using glucose to correct a low blood sugar, a supplement nudging your sugar down could, in theory, make it a touch harder to bounce back. Keep in mind this is weak evidence, mostly from rats. Still, if you take it regularly, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on your numbers.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. El-Badawy RE, Ibrahim KA, Hassan NS, El-Sayed WM. Pterocarpus santalinus ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus via anti-inflammatory pathways and enhancement of insulin function. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2019;22(8):932-939.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Red Sandalwood Also Interacts With Other Medications

Red Sandalwood has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Glucose one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Glucose)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Red Sandalwood

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glucose

This page covers Red Sandalwood only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glucose page lists 256 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 215 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glucose page

“Glucose given by IV raises a dangerously low blood sugar, and this list warrants real caution because most of its 256 ingredients pull the other way. Nearly all of them lower blood sugar on their own, working against the treatment and setting up another crash.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glucose interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 7 real supplement products containing Red Sandalwood, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Red Sandalwood. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Glucose too, on top of Red Sandalwood — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Red Sandalwood and Glucose 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 Red Sandalwood
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glucose
Top half

#1,056 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.

Supplement

About Red Sandalwood

What is Red Sandalwood?

  • Skin care and complexion
  • Acne and skin blemishes
  • Inflammation and minor wounds
  • Digestive complaints (traditional use)
  • Coloring and flavoring agent

Red Sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a hardwood used in traditional medicine and in skin and cosmetic preparations, valued for its red pigment and astringent properties. Solid human evidence for its health benefits is very limited, and most claims come from traditional use or laboratory studies. If you want to try it, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially before taking it internally.

Read the full Red Sandalwood monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Red Sandalwood

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Red Sandalwood page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Red Sandalwood list.

See the full Red Sandalwood interactions page
See every supplement checked against Glucose, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Red Sandalwood monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Glucose supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Glucose, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Red Sandalwood and Glucose Together: Common Questions

Can you take Red Sandalwood with Glucose?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Red Sandalwood and Glucose interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Glucose and Red Sandalwood?

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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.