Drug & supplement interaction

African Wild Potato + Valacyclovir

Valacyclovir brand name: Valtrex.

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

African Wild Potato has a moderate interaction with Valacyclovir. In vitro research shows that African wild potato extract inhibits OAT1.

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

African Wild Potato and Valacyclovir

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Valacyclovir

Valacyclovir falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES — the group African Wild Potato interacts with.

In vitro research shows that African wild potato extract inhibits OAT1. This drug transport protein is involved in renal tubular uptake of some drugs from the blood and then elimination in the urine. Inhibition of this transporter decreases renal elimination and increases drug levels in the body. The clinical significance of this in humans is not known.
Some substrates of OAT1 include acyclovir (Zovirax), adefovir (Hepsera), cephalosporins, cidofovir (Vistide), cimetidine (Tagamet), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), NSAIDs, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), pravastatin (Pravachol), probenecid, simvastatin (Zocor), and zidovudine (Retrovir).
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 valacyclovir (Valtrex): your kidneys clear it out of your body using a little transporter called OAT1. In lab tests, African Wild Potato appears to block that transporter. If it does the same thing in real people, the medicine could leave your body more slowly and build up a bit, which might mean more chance of side effects like headache, nausea, stomach upset, dizziness, or feeling unusually tired.

I want to be honest about how strong this is: it comes from test-tube studies only, not from people, so we really don't know if it matters in everyday life. Valacyclovir is also generally well tolerated. Still, since both lean on your kidneys, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, especially if your kidney function isn't perfect.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fasinu PS, Gutmann H, Schiller H, Bouic PJ, Rosenkranz B. The potential of Hypoxis hemerocallidea for herb-drug interaction. Pharm Biol. 2013 Dec;51(12):1499-507.

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

African Wild Potato Also Interacts With Other Medications

African Wild Potato has 1,006 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Valacyclovir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,006 No known interaction 1,824 (incl. Valacyclovir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against African Wild Potato

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

From our Q&A

Questions About African Wild Potato or Valacyclovir

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

This page covers African Wild Potato only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Valacyclovir page lists 27 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Banderol (moderate), Biofeedback (moderate), Caffeic Acid (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 17 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Valacyclovir page

“Valacyclovir (Valtrex) works against herpes outbreaks only if enough of it gets absorbed into your blood, and most of this list threatens exactly that. Of the 27 supplements on file, 17 can change how well oral medicines like this one are absorbed, and the single major-rated entry, activated charcoal, binds drugs in the gut outright.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Valacyclovir interaction page

One more smart check

Taking African Wild Potato as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1 real supplement products containing African Wild Potato, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides African Wild Potato. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Valacyclovir too, on top of African Wild Potato — 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 African Wild Potato and Valacyclovir 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 African Wild Potato
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Valacyclovir
Top 5%

#72 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 African Wild Potato

What is African Wild Potato?

  • Immune support
  • Prostate and urinary symptoms
  • Inflammation
  • General tonic/wellness
  • Skin conditions

African Wild Potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea) is a southern African plant traditionally used as a tonic and for immune, prostate, and inflammatory complaints. Human evidence for these uses is very limited, and safety—especially during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or with serious illness—is not well established. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full African Wild Potato monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valacyclovir

What Is Valacyclovir Used For?

Brand name: Valtrex

Valacyclovir treats infections caused by herpes viruses. In adults, it is used for cold sores, genital herpes and shingles (herpes zoster).

For genital herpes, it treats first and repeat episodes, helps suppress repeat outbreaks, and reduces the chance of passing the infection to a partner. In children, it is used for cold sores (age 12 and older) and chickenpox (ages 2 to under 18), as listed on the Valtrex and valacyclovir tablet labels.

See full Valacyclovir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & African Wild Potato

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

0Major
1,006Moderate
0Minor
1,823No known interaction
1,006 Moderate 1,823 No interaction
Moderate

1,006 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,006 moderate interactions — see all 1,006 on the African Wild Potato page.

No interaction 1,823 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,823 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full African Wild Potato list.

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

Can you take African Wild Potato with Valacyclovir?
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.
How serious is the African Wild Potato and Valacyclovir 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 Valacyclovir and African Wild Potato?

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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.