Drug & supplement interaction

1,4-dmaa + Valproic Acid

Valproic Acid brand names: Depakene, Depacon, Valproate.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid 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 label for Valproic Acid states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid

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 Valproic Acid and 1,4-dmaa 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.

1,4-dmaa safety at a glance

1,4-dmaa overall Avoid Banned by the FDA and tied to serious cardiovascular harm; avoid use.
Pregnancy Avoid Not safe; powerful stimulants should be avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not safe; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Valproic Acid and 1,4-dmaa? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Valproic Acid

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Valproic Acid is filed under 8 classifications — including valproate, anticonvulsants, serotonergic drugs. 1,4-dmaa has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being stimulant drugs (moderate) — and none of Valproic Acid’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

1,4-dmaa Does Interact With Other Medications

1,4-dmaa has 172 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Valproic Acid 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 1,4-dmaa

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against 1,4-dmaa. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What 1,4-dmaa Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Valproic Acid. It is the side-effect record for 1,4-dmaa on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add 1,4-dmaa, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A stroke or mini-stroke Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, clinical evidence on the safety of 1,4-DMAA is lacking, although it has demonstrated stimulant and vasoconstrictive effects in animal studies. A related stimulant called 1,3-DMAA has been linked to serious adverse events in humans, including lactic acidosis, hemorrhagic stroke, heat stroke, and death.”

    1,4-dmaa · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in stroke.

    6 sources cited
    1. 100692. Cohen PA, Travis JC, Keizers PHJ, Deuster P, Venhuis BJ. Four experimental stimulants found in sports and weight loss supplements: 2-amino-6-methylheptane (octodrine), 1,4-dimethylamylamine (1,4-DMAA), 1,3-dimethylamylamine (1,3-DMAA) and 1,3-dimethylbuty
    2. 17599. Vorce SP, Holler JM, Cawrse BM, Magluilo J. Dimethylamylamine: A drug causing positive immunoassay results for amphetamines. J Anal Toxicol 2011;35:183-7. PubMed
    3. 17660. Adverse Event Report. Jack3d. Natural MedWatch, May 28, 2011.
    4. 17662. Starling S. Synthetic geranium substance raises ephedra-like red flags. Nutraingredients-use.com, May 11, 2010. Available at: http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Synthetic-geranium-substance-raises-ephedra-like-red-flags. (Accessed 12 August 2011
    5. 17663. Gee P, Jackson S, Easton J. Another bitter pill: a case of toxicity from DMAA party pills. N Z Med J 2010;123:124-7.
    6. 17904. Removal of the dietary supplement DMAA. Army Medicine, Office of the Surgeon General, 2011. Available at: http://humanperformanceresourcecenter.org/dietary-supplements/files/dmaa-pdf. (Accessed 4 January 2012).

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for 1,4-dmaa — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Valproic Acid’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Valproic Acid column appears here.

How to take them

Some Valproic Acid Products Have a Food Rule — 1,4-dmaa Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Valproic Acid says to take it with food. If you take 1,4-dmaa on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Valproic Acid with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Valproic Acid products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

irritation may benefit from administration of the drug with food or by slowly building up the dose from an initial low level.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Valproic Acid — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Valproic Acid drug page ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About 1,4-dmaa or Valproic Acid

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers 1,4-dmaa or Valproic Acid, 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 Valproic Acid

This page covers 1,4-dmaa only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Valproic Acid page lists 173 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: 9 major · 147 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Valproic Acid page

“Anyone taking valproic acid (Depakene, Depacon) for seizures or bipolar disorder should treat this list with genuine care. Of the 173 supplements and herbs on file, nine are rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Valproic Acid interaction page

How much people look this up

Where 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid 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 1,4-dmaa
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Valproic Acid
Top 25%

#394 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 1,4-dmaa reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 1,4-dmaa

What is 1,4-dmaa?

  • Energy and stimulation
  • Weight loss
  • Athletic performance
  • Focus and concentration

1,4-DMAA is a synthetic stimulant that the U.S. FDA has determined is not a legal dietary ingredient and considers unsafe in supplements. It has been linked to serious heart and blood pressure problems, and we recommend avoiding it entirely.

Synthetic chemical (not a true plant part) · Capsules, tablets, pre-workout powders

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether 1,4-dmaa is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our 1,4-dmaa record says about it on its own.

1,4-dmaa: dosing

There is no safe or established dose of 1,4-DMAA, and it is not a legal dietary ingredient in the United States. We do not recommend any amount.If you find a product that lists DMAA, 1,4-DMAA, or similar stimulant names on the label, do not take it, and consider reporting it.

From our 1,4-dmaa monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full 1,4-dmaa monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valproic Acid

What Is Valproic Acid Used For?

Brand names: Depakene, Depacon, Valproate

Valproic acid capsules (brands Valproic and Valproic Acid) and valproic acid oral solution (brand Valproic Acid) are both used to treat epilepsy. Specifically, they are approved for complex partial seizures (either alone or with other seizure types) as monotherapy or add-on therapy, and for simple and complex absence seizures as sole therapy or add-on therapy.

Both forms are intended for adults and pediatric patients. Always follow your prescriber's guidance on which product and regimen is right for you.

See full Valproic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & 1,4-dmaa

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against 1,4-dmaa — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
172Moderate
0Minor
2,657No known interaction
Moderate

172 interactions

Showing 60 of 172 moderate interactions — see all 172 on the 1,4-dmaa page.

No interaction 2,657 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

1,4-dmaa References

The 9 references that drive our 1,4-dmaa 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. Vorce SP, Holler JM, Cawrse BM, Magluilo J. Dimethylamylamine: A drug causing positive immunoassay results for amphetamines. J Anal Toxicol 2011;35:183-7. PubMed
  2. Adverse Event Report. Jack3d. Natural MedWatch, May 28, 2011.
  3. Starling S. Synthetic geranium substance raises ephedra-like red flags. Nutraingredients-use.com, May 11, 2010. Available at: http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Synthetic-geranium-substance-raises-ephedra-like-red-flags. (Accessed 12 August 2011
  4. Gee P, Jackson S, Easton J. Another bitter pill: a case of toxicity from DMAA party pills. N Z Med J 2010;123:124-7.
  5. Removal of the dietary supplement DMAA. Army Medicine, Office of the Surgeon General, 2011. Available at: http://humanperformanceresourcecenter.org/dietary-supplements/files/dmaa-pdf. (Accessed 4 January 2012).
  6. Archer JR, Dargan PI, Lostia AM, van der Walt J, Henderson K, Drake N, Sharma S, Wood DM, Walker CJ, Kicman AT. Running an unknown risk: a marathon death associated with the use of 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA). Drug Test Anal. 2015 May;7(5):433-8. PubMed
  7. Eliason MJ, Eichner A, Cancio A, Bestervelt L, Adams BD, Deuster PA. Case reports: Death of active duty soldiers following ingestion of dietary supplements containing 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA). Mil Med. 2012 Dec;177(12):1455-9. PubMed
  8. Palmer PG Jr. Deadly dimethylamylamine: "health" supplements are killing consumers while current regulations impede FDA action. J Leg Med. 2014;35(2):311-36. PubMed
  9. Cohen PA, Travis JC, Keizers PHJ, Deuster P, Venhuis BJ. Four experimental stimulants found in sports and weight loss supplements: 2-amino-6-methylheptane (octodrine), 1,4-dimethylamylamine (1,4-DMAA), 1,3-dimethylamylamine (1,3-DMAA) and 1,3-dimethylbuty

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 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take 1,4-dmaa with Valproic Acid?
We do not list a known interaction between 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid. 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.
Should I take 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Valproic Acid says to take it with food. If you take 1,4-dmaa on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Valproic Acid with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Valproic Acid products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the 1,4-dmaa and Valproic Acid combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Valproic Acid is filed under 8 classifications, and 1,4-dmaa has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Valproic Acid'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 1,4-dmaa interact with any other medications?
Yes. 1,4-dmaa has 172 documented drug interactions in our database — Valproic Acid 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 Valproic Acid interact with any supplements?
Yes. Valproic Acid has documented interactions with 173 supplements in our database — 1,4-dmaa is not one of them. The Valproic Acid 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 Valproic Acid and 1,4-dmaa?

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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.