Drug & supplement interaction

Adrue + Diazepam

Diazepam brand names: Valium, Valium injection, Diastat AcuDial, Valtoco.

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

Diazepam falls into 2 drug categories that Adrue can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Animal research suggests that taking adrue in combination with sodium thiopental or diazepam increases total sleep time up to four-fold compared to the effects of the drugs alone.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Adrue and Diazepam

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Adrue interacts with whole categories of medication. Diazepam falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Adrue in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Diazepam

Diazepam falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Adrue interacts with.

Animal research suggests that taking adrue in combination with sodium thiopental or diazepam increases total sleep time up to four-fold compared to the effects of the drugs alone. Theoretically, concomitant use of adrue with CNS depressants might cause additive sedation. Some CNS depressants include benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), triazolam (Halcion), and estazolam (ProSom); barbiturates, such as mephobarbital (Mebaral), phenobarbital (Luminal Sodium), and pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal); zolpidem (Ambien); and others.
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 simple version: Diazepam already calms the brain, which is how it eases anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. Adrue may have its own mild calming, sleep-promoting effect. Put the two together and those effects could stack up, so you might feel more drowsy, foggy, lightheaded, or unsteady than usual. In animal studies, pairing adrue with diazepam stretched out sleep time quite a bit, though that doesn't always translate directly to people.

Keep in mind this is theoretical, based on lab and animal work rather than human trials, so I don't want to alarm you. Still, since extra sedation with diazepam can affect your driving and balance, please run this combo by your pharmacist or doctor before mixing them, especially if you're older or take other sedating medicines.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Rakotonirina, V. S., Bum, E. N., Rakotonirina, A., and Bopelet, M. Sedative properties of the decoction of the rhizome of Cyperus articulatus. Fitoterapia 2001;72(1):22-29. PubMed
Moderate

BENZODIAZEPINES

2 of 2

Diazepam also falls under BENZODIAZEPINES.

Animal research suggests that taking adrue in combination with diazepam increases total sleep time four-fold compared to the effects of diazepam alone. Theoretically, concomitant use adrue and benzodiazepines might increase the risk of drowsiness and motor reflex depression. Some benzodiazepines include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.
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 gist with Valium (diazepam): this medicine already calms an overactive brain, so it can make you drowsy, foggy, and a little unsteady on your own. Adrue has a traditional reputation as a mild calming herb, and in animal studies pairing it with diazepam roughly quadrupled total sleep time. The thinking is that the two may add together and deepen that sedative effect.

So in real life, the worry is extra sleepiness, slower reflexes, poor coordination, or feeling more out of it than usual. Keep in mind this comes only from lab and animal work, not human studies, so it's more theory than proven fact. Still, since both lean the same calming direction, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, especially if you drive.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Rakotonirina, V. S., Bum, E. N., Rakotonirina, A., and Bopelet, M. Sedative properties of the decoction of the rhizome of Cyperus articulatus. Fitoterapia 2001;72(1):22-29. PubMed

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

Adrue Also Interacts With Other Medications

Adrue has 255 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Diazepam one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 255 No known interaction 2,575 (incl. Diazepam)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Adrue

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Adrue or Diazepam

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

This page covers Adrue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Diazepam page lists 244 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 Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 191 moderate · 44 minor.

Open the Diazepam interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 6 real supplement products containing Adrue, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Adrue. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Diazepam too, on top of Adrue — 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 Adrue and Diazepam 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 Adrue
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Diazepam
Top 10%

#154 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 Adrue

What is Adrue?

Adrue
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Digestive upset, gas, and diarrhea
  • Calming or sedative effect
  • Traditional use for fevers and infections

Adrue (Cyperus articulatus) is a sedge whose rhizome has long been used in traditional medicine for nausea and other stomach complaints, and as a mild calming agent. Solid human studies are lacking, so its real benefits and safe doses are not well established. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Adrue monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Diazepam

What Is Diazepam Used For?

Brand names: Valium, Valium injection, Diastat AcuDial, Valtoco

Diazepam treats several different problems, depending on the product. Oral diazepam (tablets such as Valium, and oral solution) is used for anxiety disorders, short-term relief of anxiety symptoms, and symptom relief in acute alcohol withdrawal. It is also used alongside other treatments for muscle spasm and, adjunctively, for convulsive disorders (seizure disorders).

Diazepam injection is used for the same anxiety and alcohol withdrawal uses. It is also used before endoscopic procedures, before surgery, and before cardioversion (when given intravenously). It helps with muscle spasm and tetanus, and with status epilepticus (a prolonged, dangerous seizure) as an add-on. Diazepam rectal gel and Valtoco nasal spray are used only for seizure clusters (acute repetitive seizures) in people with epilepsy ages 2 and older.

See full Diazepam drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Adrue

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

0Major
255Moderate
0Minor
2,574No known interaction
255 Moderate 2,574 No interaction
Moderate

255 interactions

Showing 60 of 255 moderate interactions — see all 255 on the Adrue page.

No interaction 2,574 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,574 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Adrue list.

See the full Adrue interactions page
See every supplement checked against Diazepam, 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
Adrue monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Diazepam supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Diazepam, ranked by severity Diazepam 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 Adrue and Diazepam Together: Common Questions

Can you take Adrue with Diazepam?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Adrue and Diazepam?
Diazepam belongs to more than one drug category, and Adrue interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Adrue and Diazepam 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 Diazepam and Adrue?

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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.