Drug & supplement interaction

Sage + Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital

Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital brand name: Tribarb.

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

Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital falls into 2 drug categories that Sage can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking sage might increase the sedative and adverse effects of CNS depressants.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Sage and Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Sage interacts with whole categories of medication. Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Sage in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital

Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Sage interacts with.

Theoretically, taking sage might increase the sedative and adverse effects of CNS depressants.
Some constituents of sage have CNS depressant activity.
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

These medicines are all barbiturates, which already calm down the brain and nervous system. Some lab studies suggest that certain compounds in sage have their own mild sedating activity. So the concern here is simple: stacking sage on top of a barbiturate could, in theory, add to the drowsiness. That might show up as feeling more sleepy, foggy, dizzy, or slowed down than usual.

Keep this in perspective though. This warning comes only from test-tube and animal research, not from real patient cases, so it is theoretical and rated as mild. A little sage in your cooking is very unlikely to cause a problem. Concentrated sage extracts or the essential oil are a different story. If you take one of these regularly, it is worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding a sage supplement.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Perry NS, Bollen C, Perry EK, Ballard C. Salvia for dementia therapy: review of pharmacological activity and pilot tolerability clinical trial. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;75:651-9.. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICONVULSANTS

2 of 2

Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital also falls under ANTICONVULSANTS.

Theoretically, sage might interfere with the clinical effects of anticonvulsant drugs.
Some species of sage can cause convulsions when consumed in large quantities.
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

These barbiturates (butalbital, phenobarbital, and secobarbital) work by calming down electrical activity in the brain, which is why they help with seizures, headaches, or sleep. The concern here is mostly about the essential oil and high-dose extracts of sage. A compound in sage called thujone can actually trigger nervous system excitement and, in large amounts, even convulsions. In theory, that effect could work against what your medication is trying to do, possibly making it less effective at controlling seizures or its calming action.

I want to be honest with you though: this is based on lab and animal data, not real patient cases, so the evidence is weak. Sprinkling sage on dinner is very unlikely to cause any problem. The caution applies to concentrated sage supplements or the essential oil. Before adding any of those, run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Perry NB, Anderson RE, Brennan NJ, et al. Essential oils from dalmatian sage (Salvia officinalis l.): variations among individuals, plant parts, seasons, and sites. J Agric Food Chem 1999;47:2048-54..

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

Sage Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sage has 1,295 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,295 No known interaction 1,535 (incl. Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sage

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital

This page covers Sage only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital page lists 151 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 8 major · 124 moderate · 19 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital page

“Barbiturates leave little margin for error, and the butalbital, phenobarbital, and secobarbital combination sold as Tribarb is no exception, so its 151 supplement and herbal interactions deserve genuine care. Seventy-eight of those ingredients deepen the drug's sedation, which at the worst end means dangerously slowed breathing.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 718 real supplement products containing Sage, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sage. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital too, on top of Sage — 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 Sage and Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital 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 Sage
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital
Top 25%

#383 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 Sage

What is Sage?

Sage
  • Sore throat and mouth irritation
  • Digestive upset
  • Excessive sweating
  • Memory and thinking
  • Menopause symptoms (hot flashes)
  • General antioxidant support

Sage is a common kitchen herb that is generally safe in food amounts and is traditionally used for sore throats, digestion, sweating, and memory. Some early research is encouraging for sore throat and menopausal hot flashes, but most uses are not well proven. Concentrated extracts and the essential oil should be used carefully because high doses contain a compound called thujone, which can be harmful.

Read the full Sage monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sage

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

0Major
1,295Moderate
0Minor
1,534No known interaction
1,295 Moderate 1,534 No interaction
Moderate

1,295 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,295 moderate interactions — see all 1,295 on the Sage page.

No interaction 1,534 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,534 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Sage list.

See the full Sage interactions page
See every supplement checked against Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital, 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
Sage monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital, 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 Sage and Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital Together: Common Questions

Can you take Sage with Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Sage and Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital?
Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital belongs to more than one drug category, and Sage interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Sage and Butalbital, Phenobarbital, Secobarbital 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

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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.