Drug & supplement interaction

Sage + Testosterone Enanthate

Testosterone Enanthate brand name: Xyosted.

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

Sage has a moderate interaction with Testosterone Enanthate. Theoretically, sage might increase the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Sage and Testosterone Enanthate

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Testosterone Enanthate

Testosterone Enanthate falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Sage interacts with.

Theoretically, sage might increase the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro evidence suggests that aqueous extracts of sage can inhibit CYP3A4. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 the basic idea: your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help break down testosterone. In lab dish studies, sage (especially concentrated extracts) seemed to slow that enzyme down a bit. If that happened in real life, your testosterone could clear a little slower and build up, which might mean stronger effects or more side effects like acne, oily skin, mood swings, water retention, or a rise in red blood cell counts.

The honest part: this has only been seen in test tubes, never reported in actual people, so it's mostly theoretical. Sprinkling sage on dinner is very unlikely to matter. If you're using concentrated sage capsules or the essential oil regularly, just mention it to your doctor or pharmacist so they can keep an eye on your levels.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Hana J, et al. In vitro inhibition of human cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism of marker substrates by natural products. Phytomedicine 2003;10:334-42.. PubMed
  2. Hellum, B. H. and Nilsen, O. G. In vitro inhibition of CYP3A4 metabolism and P-glycoprotein-mediated transport by trade herbal products. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2008;102(5):466-475.

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 Testosterone Enanthate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,295 No known interaction 1,535 (incl. Testosterone Enanthate)
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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Sage or Testosterone Enanthate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Sage or Testosterone Enanthate, 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 Testosterone Enanthate

This page covers Sage only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Testosterone Enanthate page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 134 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Testosterone Enanthate page

“Beer and wine both carry major ratings on this list, because heavy alcohol use can compound the strain testosterone enanthate (Xyosted) already places on the liver. That liver theme runs through 38 of the 184 ingredients on file, Siberian cocklebur among them, and with six interactions rated major overall, this page deserves genuine ca…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Testosterone Enanthate 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 Testosterone Enanthate 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 Testosterone Enanthate 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Testosterone Enanthate
Steady interest

#1,946 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
Medication

About Testosterone Injection

What Is Testosterone Injection Used For?

Brand name: Xyosted

Testosterone injection is primarily used in men whose bodies do not produce enough testosterone on their own — a condition called hypogonadism. This includes primary hypogonadism (a problem with the testicles themselves, such as from injury, infection, or surgery) and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (caused by problems in the brain's hormone signaling from the hypothalamus or pituitary gland). It is also used to stimulate puberty in carefully selected adolescent males with clearly delayed puberty who have not responded to other support.

Testosterone Enanthate Injection is also approved for use in women with advanced, inoperable metastatic breast cancer (specifically skeletal metastases) who are one to five years past menopause, or in premenopausal women with hormone-responsive breast cancer who have had their ovaries removed. This use should be directed by an oncologist. Aveed (testosterone undecanoate) is specifically approved for male hypogonadism only.

See full Testosterone Injection drug information
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 Testosterone Enanthate, 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 Testosterone Enanthate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Testosterone Enanthate, ranked by severity Testosterone Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Testosterone Enanthate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Sage with Testosterone Enanthate?
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 Sage and Testosterone Enanthate 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 Testosterone Enanthate and Sage?

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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.