Drug & supplement interaction

American Ginseng + Sodium Oxybate

Sodium Oxybate brand name: Xyrem.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate

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 Sodium Oxybate and American Ginseng 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.

American Ginseng safety at a glance

American Ginseng overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term in healthy adults, but quality and dosing vary and long-term safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Ginsenoside Rb1, an active constituent of American ginseng, has teratogenic effects in animal models; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Too little is known about safety while breastfeeding, so avoidance is the safer choice.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Sodium Oxybate and American Ginseng? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sodium Oxybate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications — sodium-containing drugs, seizure threshold lowering drugs, oral drugs. American Ginseng has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being warfarin (coumadin) (major), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Sodium Oxybate’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

American Ginseng Does Interact With Other Medications

American Ginseng has 2 major, 215 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 215 No known interaction 2,613 (incl. Sodium Oxybate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against American Ginseng

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Headache reported in 4.9% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate Additional detail

    American Ginseng

    “Orally, headache has been reported with American ginseng use.”

    American Ginseng · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 22369. Stavro PM, Woo M, Leiter LA, et al. Long-term intake of North American ginseng has no effect on 24-hour blood pressure and renal function. Hypertension 2006;47(4):791-6. PubMed

    Sodium Oxybate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Sodium Oxybate, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Sodium Oxybate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for American Ginseng come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 65,315 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sodium Oxybate that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

American Ginseng in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Ginsenoside Rb1, an active constituent of American ginseng, has teratogenic effects in animal models; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Sodium Oxybate Products Have a Food Rule — American Ginseng Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take American Ginseng on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate 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.

• Allow 2 hours after eating before dosing ( 2.3 ).

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sodium Oxybate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

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 American Ginseng or Sodium Oxybate

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

This page covers American Ginseng only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sodium Oxybate page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Biofeedback (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), Dendrobium (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sodium Oxybate page

“Activated charcoal is the single major-rated interaction with sodium oxybate (Xyrem), and it earns that rating because the drug only works if each dose is fully absorbed; charcoal can bind it in the gut and weaken the nighttime control it provides for narcolepsy. Treat this list with genuine care, since 17 of the 25 ingredients on file…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sodium Oxybate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 992 real supplement products containing American Ginseng, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides American Ginseng. Even though American Ginseng itself has no known interaction with Sodium Oxybate, 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 American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate 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 American Ginseng
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sodium Oxybate
Top 10%

#256 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 American Ginseng reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 American Ginseng

What is American Ginseng?

American Ginseng
  • Stress and energy support
  • Immune support and colds
  • Blood sugar management
  • Mental focus and clarity
  • General wellness (adaptogen)

American ginseng is an herbal root used as an 'adaptogen' to support energy, stress, immune function, and blood sugar. Some uses—such as reducing the chance or length of colds and modestly lowering after-meal blood sugar—have early supportive evidence, but most claims are not well proven. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before use, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

Panax quinquefolius · Araliaceae · Root (and sometimes leaves) · Capsules, tablets, dried root, powder, tea, liquid extracts, tinctures

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

American Ginseng: dosing

There is no single official dose for American ginseng. Products differ in their root concentration and ginsenoside content, so the right amount depends on the specific product.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. Because it may affect sleep, many people take it earlier in the day.

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

Read the full American Ginseng monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sodium Oxybate

What Is Sodium Oxybate Used For?

Brand name: Xyrem

Sodium oxybate treats two major symptoms of narcolepsy: cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by emotion) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It is available in several products, each approved for these uses.

Xyrem (oral solution) and the generic sodium oxybate oral solution are approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients with narcolepsy. Lumryz (extended-release oral suspension) is specifically approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients 7 years of age and older with narcolepsy. The generic sodium oxybate oral solution label does not include the pediatric indication due to marketing exclusivity held by Xyrem.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sodium Oxybate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (65,536 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 4,928 reports
Anxiety 3,979 reports
Somnolence 3,965 reports
Insomnia 3,371 reports
Feeling abnormal 3,223 reports
See full Sodium Oxybate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & American Ginseng

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

2Major
215Moderate
0Minor
2,612No known interaction
2 Major 215 Moderate 2,612 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

215 interactions

Showing 60 of 215 moderate interactions — see all 215 on the American Ginseng page.

No interaction 2,612 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,612 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full American Ginseng list.

See the full American Ginseng interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sodium Oxybate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

American Ginseng References

The 12 references that drive our American Ginseng 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. Shader RI, Greenblatt DJ. Phenelzine and the dream machine-ramblings and reflections. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1985;5:65. PubMed
  2. Jones BD, Runikis AM. Interaction of ginseng with phenelzine. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1987;7:201-2. PubMed
  3. Janetzky K, Morreale AP. Probable interaction between warfarin and ginseng. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1997;54:692-3. PubMed
  4. Vuksan V, Sievenpiper JL, Koo VY, et al. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1009-13. PubMed
  5. Vuksan V, Stavro MP, Sievenpiper JL, et al. Similar postprandial glycemic reductions with escalation of dose and administration time of American ginseng in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1221-6. PubMed
  6. Chan LY, Chiu PY, Lau TK. An in-vitro study of ginsenoside Rb(1)-induced teratogenicity using a whole rat embryo culture model. Hum Reprod 2003;18:2166-8..
  7. McElhaney JE, Gravenstein S, Cole SK, et al. A Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Proprietary Extract of North American Ginseng (CVT-E002) to Prevent Acute Respiratory Illness in Institutionalized Older Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:13-9. PubMed
  8. Yuan CS, Wei G, Dey L, et al. American ginseng reduces warfarin's effect in healthy patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2004;141:23-7.
  9. Predy GN, Goel V, Lovlin R, et al. Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2005;173:1043-8.. PubMed
  10. McElhaney JE, Goel V, Toane B, et al. Efficacy of COLD-fX in the prevention of respiratory symptoms in community-dwelling adults: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med 2006;12:153-7. PubMed
  11. Predy GN, Goel V, Lovlin RE, et al. Immune modulating effects of daily supplementation of COLD-fX (a proprietary extract of North American ginseng) in healthy adults. J Clin Biochem Nutr 2006;39:162-167. DOI
  12. Stavro PM, Woo M, Leiter LA, et al. Long-term intake of North American ginseng has no effect on 24-hour blood pressure and renal function. Hypertension 2006;47(4):791-6. PubMed

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 American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take American Ginseng with Sodium Oxybate?
We do not list a known interaction between American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate. 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.
Do American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take American Ginseng on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sodium Oxybate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sodium Oxybate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the American Ginseng and Sodium Oxybate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications, and American Ginseng has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Sodium Oxybate'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 American Ginseng interact with any other medications?
Yes. American Ginseng has 217 documented drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sodium Oxybate has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — American Ginseng is not one of them. The Sodium Oxybate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

American Ginseng monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sodium Oxybate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Sodium Oxybate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sodium Oxybate, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sodium Oxybate and American Ginseng?

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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.