Drug & supplement interaction

Adrue + Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal.

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

Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital

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. Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital 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 thing to keep in mind: phenobarbital already works by calming down activity in your brain, and adrue may have a mild sedating effect of its own. When you put the two together, those calming effects can stack up. In practice that could mean feeling extra drowsy, foggy, or unsteady, with slower reactions than usual. That matters even more if you drive or operate machinery.

I want to be honest about the evidence here. This concern comes mostly from animal and lab studies, not solid human research, so we can't say exactly how strong it is in real life. Still, since both can dial down your nervous system, I'd play it safe. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them rather than stopping or changing anything on your own.

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

BARBITURATES

2 of 2

Phenobarbital also falls under BARBITURATES.

Animal research suggests that taking adrue in combination with sodium thiopental increases total sleep time three-fold compared to the effects of sodium thiopental alone. Theoretically, concomitant use of adrue and barbiturates might increase the risk of drowsiness and motor reflex depression. Some barbiturates include amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), pentobarbital (Nembutal), phenobarbital (Luminal), secobarbital (Seconal), 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: Adrue seems to have its own mild calming, sleepy effect, and phenobarbital is already a strong brain depressant that slows down activity in your nervous system. Put the two together and they may pile on top of each other. In practice that could mean feeling extra drowsy or groggy, being unsteady or slow to react, and in a bigger sense, more sedation than you bargained for.

I do want to keep this in perspective. The concern here comes from animal and lab work, not solid human studies, where adrue tripled sleep time from a similar sedative. So this is more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Still, because phenobarbital is potent, don't combine them on your own. Run it by your pharmacist or doctor first so they can keep you safe.

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 Phenobarbital 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. Phenobarbital)
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 Phenobarbital

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 Phenobarbital, 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 Phenobarbital

This page covers Adrue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenobarbital page lists 174 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 Henbane (major).

By severity: 10 major · 143 moderate · 21 minor.

Open the Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenobarbital
Top half

#1,359 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 Phenobarbital

What Is Phenobarbital Used For?

Brand names: Phenobarbital, Solfoton, Luminal

Phenobarbital is mainly used to calm the nervous system (as a sedative) and to treat seizures. Oral tablets and oral solutions are used for sedation and for generalized and partial seizures.

Phenobarbital Sodium injection has a wider list. It is used for sedation, short-term insomnia, sedation before surgery, long-term seizure control, and emergency control of acute convulsions such as status epilepticus (a prolonged, dangerous seizure). It is also used in children as an anticonvulsant and sedative. Sezaby (intravenous) is approved only for neonatal seizures in term and preterm infants.

See full Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital, 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 Phenobarbital supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Phenobarbital, ranked by severity Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital Together: Common Questions

Can you take Adrue with Phenobarbital?
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 Phenobarbital?
Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital 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 Phenobarbital 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.