Drug & supplement interaction

Yerba Santa + Imiquimod

Imiquimod brand names: Aldara, Zyclara, Vyloma.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Yerba Santa 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.

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Interaction report

Yerba Santa 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 Yerba Santa 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.

Yerba Santa safety at a glance

Yerba Santa overall Use caution Generally used in small amounts in foods and teas, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best to avoid medicinal amounts during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety has not been studied in nursing mothers, so avoid medicinal use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Imiquimod and Yerba Santa? 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. Yerba Santa has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being lithium (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

Yerba Santa Does Interact With Other Medications

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

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Yerba Santa

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

What to actually watch for

What Imiquimod’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Yerba Santa. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Imiquimod’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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on
  • Back pain
  • Fever
  • Itching
  • Swelling
  • Tiredness
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Imiquimod. Read the label on DailyMed › Yerba Santa’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Yerba Santa side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Yerba Santa has no side effects.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Imiquimod

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

We hold 276 real supplement products containing Yerba Santa, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yerba Santa. Even though Yerba Santa 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 Yerba Santa 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 Yerba Santa
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Imiquimod
Top half

#1,273 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.
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Yerba Santa and Imiquimod 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 Yerba Santa

What is Yerba Santa?

Yerba Santa
  • Coughs and colds
  • Chest congestion (expectorant)
  • Asthma and bronchitis
  • Sore throat
  • Masking bitter tastes in medicines

Yerba Santa is an aromatic shrub from the western United States and Mexico that has long been used in folk medicine for coughs, congestion, and other respiratory complaints. Modern scientific evidence supporting these uses is very limited, with most data coming from laboratory studies rather than human trials. It is best known today as a flavoring agent that helps mask the bitter taste of medicines; talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it for health purposes.

Eriodictyon californicum · Boraginaceae · Leaves · Tea, tincture, capsules, syrup, dried leaf, throat lozenges, and as a flavoring agent

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

Yerba Santa: dosing

There is no established standardized dose for Yerba Santa, and the amount of active compounds can vary a lot from product to product. Because of this, it is hard to recommend a specific safe and effective dose.If you choose to use it, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount. A pharmacist or doctor can help you decide whether it is appropriate for you, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition. Do not use it as a replacement for proven treatments for asthma or infections.

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

Read the full Yerba Santa 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 & Yerba Santa

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Yerba Santa — 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
Moderate

1 interaction

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

We checked Yerba Santa against Imiquimod in the Natural Medicines interaction database and found no documented interaction on file. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus, and supplement label details from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Yerba Santa and Imiquimod Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Yerba Santa with Imiquimod?
We do not list a known interaction between Yerba Santa 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.
How was the Yerba Santa and Imiquimod combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Imiquimod is filed under 1 classification, and Yerba Santa has documented interactions with 1 drug class — 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 Yerba Santa interact with any other medications?
Yes. Yerba Santa has 1 documented drug interaction 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 — Yerba Santa 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

Still Have a Question About Imiquimod and Yerba Santa?

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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.