Drug & supplement interaction

White Sandalwood + Donepezil

Donepezil brand name: Aricept.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between White Sandalwood and Donepezil 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

White Sandalwood and Donepezil

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 Donepezil and White Sandalwood 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.

White Sandalwood safety at a glance

White Sandalwood overall Use caution Generally used in fragrance and skincare, but oral use is not well studied and may not be safe.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally in medicinal amounts; sandalwood is reported to have abortifacient effects; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is unknown, so avoid medicinal use while breastfeeding.

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 Donepezil and White Sandalwood? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Donepezil

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Donepezil is filed under 7 classifications — including acetylcholinesterase (ache) inhibitors, cholinergic drugs, cytochrome p450 2d6 (cyp2d6) substrates. White Sandalwood has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being lithium (moderate) — and none of Donepezil’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

White Sandalwood Does Interact With Other Medications

White Sandalwood has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — Donepezil isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1 No known interaction 2,829 (incl. Donepezil)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against White Sandalwood

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests White Sandalwood and Donepezil May Share a Side Effect

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.

  • Nausea reported in 4.6% of FDA reports for Donepezil Additional detail

    White Sandalwood

    “Orally, white sandalwood appears to be well tolerated when taken in food amounts. There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of white sandalwood when taken in medicinal amounts. Topically and by inhalation, adverse effects to white sandalwood seem to be rare;”

    White Sandalwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    “Orally, white sandalwood may cause nausea and gastrointestinal complaints (18).”

    White Sandalwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Donepezil

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Donepezil, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for White Sandalwood but not commonly for Donepezil: kidney problems, a skin rash and itching.

Effects for Donepezil come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for White Sandalwood come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 37,026 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Donepezil that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

White Sandalwood in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts; sandalwood is reported to have 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

Overlapping uses

What Donepezil Is Prescribed For, and What White Sandalwood Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Donepezil is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. White Sandalwood is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Donepezil is prescribed for: Donepezil is used to treat dementia of the Alzheimer's type. It has been shown to be effective across all stages — mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer's disease. It can help with memory, thinking, and daily functioning, though it works differently for each person. Donepezil does not cure Alzheimer's disease or stop the disease from progressing.

White Sandalwood has been studied for:

  • Memory studied, not established White Sandalwood has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    White Sandalwood for memory

    It is unclear if inhaled white sandalwood is beneficial for memory.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Donepezil on your own; if you are taking White Sandalwood for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About White Sandalwood or Donepezil

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

This page covers White Sandalwood only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Donepezil page lists 173 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), 1,3-dmaa (moderate) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 127 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Donepezil page

“If you or a loved one takes donepezil (Aricept) for Alzheimer's disease, this is a list worth reading with real care, starting with the three major-rated entries: grapefruit, St. John's wort, and activated charcoal.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Donepezil interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 22 real supplement products containing White Sandalwood, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides White Sandalwood. Even though White Sandalwood itself has no known interaction with Donepezil, 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 White Sandalwood and Donepezil 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 White Sandalwood
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Donepezil
Steady interest

#1,632 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 White Sandalwood reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The White Sandalwood and Donepezil 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 White Sandalwood

What is White Sandalwood?

White Sandalwood
  • Relaxation and stress relief
  • Skin soothing and cosmetics
  • Aromatherapy and meditation
  • Traditional remedy for urinary discomfort
  • Fragrance and perfumes

White sandalwood is a fragrant wood from the Santalum album tree, used for centuries in perfumes, incense, skincare, and traditional medicine. Most of its popular uses—like relaxation and skin care—are based on tradition and lab studies rather than strong human research. Use it cautiously, especially on the skin or by mouth, and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it as a remedy.

Santalum album · Santalaceae · Heartwood and essential oil · Essential oil, powder, paste, incense, skincare products, and occasionally capsules or tablets

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

White Sandalwood: dosing

There is no established standardized dose for white sandalwood, and reliable human dosing information for oral use is lacking. Never swallow undiluted essential oil, and dilute oils properly before applying them to your skin. When in doubt, choose products from reputable manufacturers and use the smallest amount needed.

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

Read the full White Sandalwood monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Donepezil

What Is Donepezil Used For?

Brand name: Aricept

Donepezil is used to treat dementia of the Alzheimer's type. It has been shown to be effective across all stages — mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer's disease.

It can help with memory, thinking, and daily functioning, though it works differently for each person. Donepezil does not cure Alzheimer's disease or stop the disease from progressing.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Donepezil

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (37,026 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fall 3,130 reports
Confusional state 2,010 reports
Dizziness 1,857 reports
Diarrhea 1,840 reports
Fatigue 1,794 reports
See full Donepezil drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & White Sandalwood

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

0Major
1Moderate
0Minor
2,828No known interaction
1 Moderate 2,828 No interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,828 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full White Sandalwood list.

See the full White Sandalwood interactions page
See every supplement checked against Donepezil, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

White Sandalwood References

The 5 references that drive our White Sandalwood 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  3. Sharma, R., Bajaj, A. K., and Singh, K. G. Sandalwood dermatitis. Int J Dermatol 1987;26(9):597. PubMed
  4. Hayakawa, R., Matsunaga, K., and Arima, Y. Depigmented contact dermatitis due to incense. Contact Dermatitis 1987;16(5):272-274. PubMed
  5. Warshaw EM, Zug KA, Belsito DV, et al. Positive patch-test reactions to essential oils in consecutive patients from North America and Central Europe. Dermatitis. 2017;28(4):246-252. 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 White Sandalwood and Donepezil Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take White Sandalwood with Donepezil?
We do not list a known interaction between White Sandalwood and Donepezil. 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 White Sandalwood and Donepezil have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
Are White Sandalwood and Donepezil used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for White Sandalwood in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Donepezil is being adjusted to a target.
How was the White Sandalwood and Donepezil combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Donepezil is filed under 7 classifications, and White Sandalwood has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Donepezil'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 White Sandalwood interact with any other medications?
Yes. White Sandalwood has 1 documented drug interaction in our database — Donepezil 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 Donepezil interact with any supplements?
Yes. Donepezil has documented interactions with 173 supplements in our database — White Sandalwood is not one of them. The Donepezil 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

White Sandalwood monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Donepezil drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Donepezil supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Donepezil, 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Donepezil and White Sandalwood?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.