Drug & supplement interaction

Saffron + 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 Saffron 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Saffron 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 Saffron 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.

Saffron safety at a glance

Saffron overall Use caution Likely safe in food amounts, but supplement doses should be used carefully and high doses can be toxic.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally in amounts exceeding those commonly found in foods. Larger amounts of saffron have uterine stimulant and abortifacient effects; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Use caution Not enough reliable safety information, so it is best to avoid supplement amounts.

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 Saffron? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Imiquimod

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Imiquimod is filed under a single classification — topical drugs. Saffron has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and caffeine (moderate) — and none of Imiquimod’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

Saffron Does Interact With Other Medications

Saffron has 521 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Imiquimod isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 521 No known interaction 2,309 (incl. Imiquimod)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Saffron

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Saffron and Imiquimod May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Dizziness / Headache Additional detail

    Saffron

    “Orally, saffron has been reported to cause drowsiness, headache, agitation, and sedation when given at doses of 30 mg twice daily for up to 26 weeks or when crocin is given as 15 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. At doses of 30 mg daily for 6 weeks, the side effect occurrence rate was similar to placebo. Saffron poisoning can occur with oral intake of doses of 5 grams or more; symptoms include vertigo and numbness (2,11).”

    Saffron · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    5 sources cited
    1. 18102. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. A prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) on semen parameters and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasth
    2. 105616. Abbaszadeh-Mashkani S, Hoque SS, Banafshe HR, Ghaderi A. The effect of crocin (the main active saffron constituent) on the cognitive functions, craving, and withdrawal syndrome in opioid patients under methadone maintenance treatment. Phytother Res. 2021; PubMed
    3. 13103. Akhondzadeh S, Tahmacebi-Pour N, Noorbala AA, et al. Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytother Res 2005;19:148-51.
    4. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    5. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

    Imiquimod

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Imiquimod. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Saffron

    “Orally, saffron has been associated with changes in appetite, nausea, and vomiting when given at doses of 30 mg twice daily for 26 weeks, or when the saffron constituent crocin was given as 15 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. At lower doses of 30 mg daily, the occurrence rate of these and other adverse events such as dry mouth, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and constipation was rare or similar to placebo.”

    Saffron · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    6 sources cited
    1. 18102. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. A prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) on semen parameters and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasth
    2. 105616. Abbaszadeh-Mashkani S, Hoque SS, Banafshe HR, Ghaderi A. The effect of crocin (the main active saffron constituent) on the cognitive functions, craving, and withdrawal syndrome in opioid patients under methadone maintenance treatment. Phytother Res. 2021; PubMed
    3. 13103. Akhondzadeh S, Tahmacebi-Pour N, Noorbala AA, et al. Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytother Res 2005;19:148-51.
    4. 93395. Akhondzadeh S, Sabet MS, Harirchian MH, Togha M, Cheraghmakani H, Razeghi S, Hejazi SSh, Yousefi MH, Alimardani R, Jamshidi A, Zare F, Moradi A. Saffron in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a 16-week, randomized and plac
    5. 93402. Kashani L, Eslatmanesh S, Saedi N, Niroomand N, Ebrahimi M, Hosseinian M, Foroughifar T, Salimi S, Akhondzadeh S. Comparison of Saffron versus Fluoxetine in Treatment of Mild to Moderate Postpartum Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial. Ph PubMed
    6. 93409. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. An open label, randomized, fixed-dose, crossover study comparing efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate and saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) for treating erectile dysfunction in men naïve to treatment. Int J Impo PubMed

    “Orally, saffron extract has been reported to cause decreases in platelet, white blood cell, and red blood cell counts after 7 days to 12 weeks of use with doses of 60-200 mg daily. Many of these decreases were only significant when compared to baseline but did not maintain significance when compared to placebo.”

    Saffron · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    6 sources cited
    1. 18102. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. A prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) on semen parameters and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasth
    2. 72473. Modaghegh, M. H., Shahabian, M., Esmaeili, H. A., Rajbai, O., and Hosseinzadeh, H. Safety evaluation of saffron (Crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine. 2008;15(12):1032-1037. PubMed
    3. 93403. Kianbakht S, Ghazavi A. Immunomodulatory effects of saffron: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2011 Dec;25(12):1801-5. PubMed
    4. 93409. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. An open label, randomized, fixed-dose, crossover study comparing efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate and saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) for treating erectile dysfunction in men naïve to treatment. Int J Impo PubMed
    5. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    6. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

    Imiquimod

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Imiquimod. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Saffron but not commonly for Imiquimod: loss of bladder control, constipation, a severe allergic reaction and drowsiness.

Effects for Imiquimod come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Saffron come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Saffron in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally in amounts exceeding those commonly found in foods. Larger amounts of saffron have uterine stimulant and abortifacient effects; avoid using.

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Saffron or Imiquimod

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Saffron or Imiquimod, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Imiquimod

This page covers Saffron 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 Saffron as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 418 real supplement products containing Saffron, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Saffron. Even though Saffron 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 Saffron 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 Saffron
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Imiquimod
Top half

#1,149 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 Saffron reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Saffron 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 Saffron

What is Saffron?

Saffron
  • Depression and low mood
  • Anxiety
  • PMS symptoms
  • Memory and cognition
  • Eye health (age-related macular degeneration)

Saffron is a costly spice that has shown promise in early studies for mild-to-moderate depression and some mood and PMS symptoms, but most research uses small trials, so results are not definitive. It is generally well tolerated in food and small supplement amounts, but high doses can be harmful and it should be avoided in pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using saffron supplements.

Crocus sativus · Iridaceae · Dried stigmas of the flower · Capsules, tablets, dried spice, extracts, tea

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

Saffron: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose of saffron for any health condition. Many supplement studies have used standardized extracts, but products vary widely in strength and quality.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. Because high doses can be harmful, more is not better with saffron.

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

Read the full Saffron 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 & Saffron

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

0Major
521Moderate
0Minor
2,308No known interaction
521 Moderate 2,308 No interaction
Moderate

521 interactions

Showing 60 of 521 moderate interactions — see all 521 on the Saffron page.

No interaction 2,308 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,308 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Saffron list.

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

Saffron References

The 22 references that drive our Saffron 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. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  4. Feo F, Martinez J, Martinez A, et al. Occupational allergy in saffron workers. Allergy 1997;52:633-41. PubMed
  5. Wuthrich B, Schmid-Grendelmeyer P, Lundberg M. Anaphylaxis to saffron. Allergy 1997;52:476-7. PubMed
  6. Akhondzadeh S, Tahmacebi-Pour N, Noorbala AA, et al. Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytother Res 2005;19:148-51.
  7. Safarinejad MR, Shafiei N, Safarinejad S. A prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) on semen parameters and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasth
  8. Fatehi, M., Rashidabady, T., and Fatehi-Hassanabad, Z. Effects of Crocus sativus petals' extract on rat blood pressure and on responses induced by electrical field stimulation in the rat isolated vas deferens and guinea-pig ileum. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003; PubMed
  9. Modaghegh, M. H., Shahabian, M., Esmaeili, H. A., Rajbai, O., and Hosseinzadeh, H. Safety evaluation of saffron (Crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine. 2008;15(12):1032-1037. PubMed
  10. Imenshahidi, M., Hosseinzadeh, H., and Javadpour, Y. Hypotensive effect of aqueous saffron extract (Crocus sativus L.) and its constituents, safranal and crocin, in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Phytother.Res 12-9-2009;
  11. Zhang, Y., Shoyama, Y., Sugiura, M., and Saito, H. Effects of Crocus sativus L. on the ethanol-induced impairment of passive avoidance performances in mice. Biol.Pharm Bull. 1994;17(2):217-221. PubMed
  12. Wuthrich, B., Schmid-Grendelmeyer, P., and Lundberg, M. Anaphylaxis to saffron. Allergy 1997;52(4):476-477. PubMed
  13. Akhondzadeh S, Sabet MS, Harirchian MH, Togha M, Cheraghmakani H, Razeghi S, Hejazi SSh, Yousefi MH, Alimardani R, Jamshidi A, Zare F, Moradi A. Saffron in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a 16-week, randomized and plac
  14. Kashani L, Eslatmanesh S, Saedi N, Niroomand N, Ebrahimi M, Hosseinian M, Foroughifar T, Salimi S, Akhondzadeh S. Comparison of Saffron versus Fluoxetine in Treatment of Mild to Moderate Postpartum Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial. Ph PubMed
  15. Kianbakht S, Ghazavi A. Immunomodulatory effects of saffron: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2011 Dec;25(12):1801-5. 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 Saffron and Imiquimod Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Saffron with Imiquimod?
We do not list a known interaction between Saffron 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.
Do Saffron and Imiquimod have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Saffron and Imiquimod combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Imiquimod is filed under 1 classification, and Saffron has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Imiquimod'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 Saffron interact with any other medications?
Yes. Saffron has 521 documented drug interactions in our database — Imiquimod 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 Imiquimod interact with any supplements?
Yes. Imiquimod has documented interactions with 3 supplements in our database — Saffron 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

Saffron 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 22 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Imiquimod and Saffron?

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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.