Drug & supplement interaction

Wood Sage + Rifaximin

Rifaximin brand name: Xifaxan.

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

We found no known interaction between Wood Sage and Rifaximin 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.

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Interaction report

Wood Sage and Rifaximin

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 Rifaximin and Wood Sage 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Wood Sage at all — not against Rifaximin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Wood Sage safety at a glance

Wood Sage overall Use caution Human safety data is very limited, and some related Teucrium species have been linked to liver toxicity.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information exists, so avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data is available, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Rifaximin and Wood Sage? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Rifaximin’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Wood Sage. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Rifaximin’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Severe muscle breakdown Worth acting on
  • Trouble swallowing Worth acting on
  • A severe skin reaction Worth acting on
  • Low mood Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on
  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on
  • A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on
  • Hives Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 30 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifaximin. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 20,331 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Rifaximin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wood Sage’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Wood Sage side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Wood Sage has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Wood Sage or Rifaximin

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

This page covers Wood Sage only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Rifaximin page lists 44 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Bacillus Coagulans (moderate), Bacillus Subtilis (moderate), Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis (moderate) and Bifidobacterium Bifidum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 33 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Rifaximin page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry here I would treat as a hard stop while taking rifaximin (Xifaxan). Charcoal binds drugs in the gut and can cut how much gets absorbed, and it carries the only major rating among the 44 supplements on this page.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Rifaximin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Wood Sage and Rifaximin 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 Wood Sage
Steady interest

#1,308 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Rifaximin
Top half

#1,105 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. Wood Sage is not yet covered by that licensed database, so its write-up cites publicly available medical sources directly (see the references below).
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Wood Sage reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Wood Sage and Rifaximin records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Wood Sage

What is Wood Sage?

  • Digestive upset
  • Sore throat and mouth rinse
  • Mild fevers and colds
  • Wound and skin washes (traditional)
  • Appetite stimulation

Wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) is a wild herb in the mint family that has been used in traditional European folk medicine, mainly for digestion, sore throats, and minor wounds. There is very little modern scientific evidence to confirm it works for any health condition, and some related Teucrium species have been linked to liver harm, so caution is warranted. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Teucrium scorodonia · Lamiaceae · Aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowering tops) · Tea (infusion), tincture, dried herb

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

Wood Sage: dosing

There is no established or standardized dose for wood sage. It has not been studied well enough to recommend a specific safe amount.Traditionally it was used as a weak tea made from the dried herb, or as a tincture, but historical recipes vary and are not a substitute for tested dosing. Avoid long-term use.

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

Read the full Wood Sage monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Rifaximin

What Is Rifaximin Used For?

Brand name: Xifaxan

Xifaxan (rifaximin) tablets treat three distinct conditions. For travelers' diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli, it is approved for adults and children 12 and older. For irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), it is approved for adults. It is also used in adults to reduce the chance that hepatic encephalopathy (confusion and other brain symptoms caused by liver disease) will come back.

Important limits apply: Xifaxan should not be used for travelers' diarrhea that comes with fever, blood in the stool, or when a pathogen other than E. coli is suspected. It is also not suitable for bacterial infections outside the gut, because very little of the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream.

See full Rifaximin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wood Sage

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wood Sage list.

See the full Wood Sage interactions page
See every supplement checked against Rifaximin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Wood Sage References

The 3 sources that drive our Wood Sage monograph — publicly available pages from reputable medical and government organizations. Every link was verified to work before publishing. Wood Sage is not covered by the licensed Natural Medicines interaction database, so its page cites these public sources directly.

  1. Herbs at a Glance — NIH NCCIH Source
  2. Germander — LiverTox / NIH NCBI Bookshelf Source
  3. Herbal and Dietary Supplements — MedlinePlus Source

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 Wood Sage and Rifaximin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Wood Sage with Rifaximin?
We do not list a known interaction between Wood Sage and Rifaximin. 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.
Does Rifaximin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Rifaximin has documented interactions with 44 supplements in our database — Wood Sage is not one of them. The Rifaximin 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

Wood Sage monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Rifaximin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Rifaximin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Rifaximin, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Rifaximin and Wood Sage?

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.