Drug & supplement interaction

Asarabacca + Zolpidem

Zolpidem brand names: Ambien CR, Intermezzo, Sublinox.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Asarabacca and Zolpidem 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 Zolpidem 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

Asarabacca and Zolpidem

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 Zolpidem and Asarabacca 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.

Asarabacca safety at a glance

Asarabacca overall Avoid It is in a plant family linked to toxic aristolochic acid, which can harm the kidneys and cause cancer.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Asarabacca might act as a menstrual or uterine stimulant; contraindicated. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety has not been established and toxic compounds may pass to the baby, so avoid it.

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 Zolpidem and Asarabacca? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Zolpidem

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Zolpidem is filed under 4 classifications — including cns depressants, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates, oral drugs. Asarabacca has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being nephrotoxic drugs (major) — and none of Zolpidem’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

Asarabacca Does Interact With Other Medications

Asarabacca has 355 major, known drug interactions in our database — Zolpidem isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 355 No known interaction 2,475 (incl. Zolpidem)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Asarabacca

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Asarabacca and Zolpidem May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

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.

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail

    Asarabacca

    “Orally, asarabacca seems to be well tolerated when used appropriately (12). However, large doses may cause nausea and vomiting (12). Severe poisoning has also been reported. Symptoms of poisoning include burning of tongue, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, skin rashes, and partial paralysis (18). Also, asarabacca is commonly contaminated with aristolochic acid, which is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic.”

    Asarabacca · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    2. 553. Jaspersen-Schib R, Theus L, Guirguis-Oeschger M, et al. [Serious plant poisonings in Switzerland 1966-1994. Case analysis from the Swiss Toxicology Information Center]. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1996;126:1085-98.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
    4. 6118. Lewis CJ, Alpert S. Letter to health care professionals -- FDA concerned about botanical products, including dietary supplements, containing aristolochic acid. Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, Dietary Supplements. Center for Food Safety and Appli

    “Orally, large doses of asarabacca may cause nausea and vomiting (12). Severe poisoning has also been reported. Symptoms of poisoning include burning of tongue, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea (18).”

    Asarabacca · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    2. 553. Jaspersen-Schib R, Theus L, Guirguis-Oeschger M, et al. [Serious plant poisonings in Switzerland 1966-1994. Case analysis from the Swiss Toxicology Information Center]. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1996;126:1085-98.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Zolpidem

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Zolpidem. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Zolpidem come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Asarabacca come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Asarabacca in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Asarabacca might act as a menstrual or uterine stimulant; contraindicated.

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 Zolpidem Products Have a Food Rule — Asarabacca Should Not Break It

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

Administration The effect of Zolpidem Tartrate Tablets may be slowed by ingestion with or immediately after a meal.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Zolpidem — 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 Asarabacca or Zolpidem

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

This page covers Asarabacca only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Zolpidem page lists 195 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 · 147 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Zolpidem page

“Zolpidem (Ambien, Intermezzo) is a sleep medicine that works by slowing the brain, and the 195 supplements and herbal ingredients on this page deserve genuine care, starting with the nine rated major. Most of the list pulls in one of two directions.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Zolpidem interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Asarabacca, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Asarabacca. Even though Asarabacca itself has no known interaction with Zolpidem, 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 Asarabacca and Zolpidem 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 Asarabacca
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Zolpidem
Top 25%

#362 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 Asarabacca reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Asarabacca and Zolpidem 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 Asarabacca

What is Asarabacca?

Asarabacca
  • Sinus and nasal congestion
  • Coughs and bronchial complaints
  • Inducing sweating
  • Inducing vomiting (emetic)
  • Digestive upset

Asarabacca is a European woodland plant traditionally used to clear the nose, cause sweating, or trigger vomiting, but it is rarely used today. It belongs to a plant family that often contains aristolochic acid, a substance the FDA considers unsafe because it can cause serious kidney damage and cancer, so we do not recommend using it.

Asarum europaeum · Aristolochiaceae · Rhizome (root) and leaves · Dried herb, powder, tincture, traditional snuff

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

Asarabacca: dosing

There is no established safe or standardized dose for Asarabacca, and because of its toxicity, no dose can be recommended. Older herbal texts list traditional amounts for use as a snuff or emetic, but these do not account for the serious risks now understood.We advise not using this herb at all.

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

Read the full Asarabacca monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Zolpidem

What Is Zolpidem Used For?

Brand names: Ambien CR, Intermezzo, Sublinox

Zolpidem is used short-term for insomnia. Most formulations — including Ambien, oral tablets, and Zolpidem Tartrate Capsules — are approved to help people who have trouble falling asleep at bedtime. Zolpidem Tartrate Capsules are specifically indicated for adults under 65.

The extended-release formulations (including Zolpidem Tartrate Extended-Release Tablets) help with both falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. Sublingual tablets (Edluar, Zolpidem Tartrate Sublingual Tablet, and Zolpidem tartrate sublingual) are taken as needed when you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep — but only if at least 4 hours of sleep time remain before you need to be up.

See full Zolpidem drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Asarabacca

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

355Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,474No known interaction
355 Major 2,474 No interaction
Major

355 interactions

Showing 60 of 355 major interactions — see all 355 on the Asarabacca page.

No interaction 2,474 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,474 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Asarabacca list.

See the full Asarabacca interactions page
See every supplement checked against Zolpidem, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Asarabacca References

The 4 references that drive our Asarabacca 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. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  3. Jaspersen-Schib R, Theus L, Guirguis-Oeschger M, et al. [Serious plant poisonings in Switzerland 1966-1994. Case analysis from the Swiss Toxicology Information Center]. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1996;126:1085-98.
  4. Lewis CJ, Alpert S. Letter to health care professionals -- FDA concerned about botanical products, including dietary supplements, containing aristolochic acid. Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, Dietary Supplements. Center for Food Safety and Appli

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 Asarabacca and Zolpidem Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Asarabacca with Zolpidem?
We do not list a known interaction between Asarabacca and Zolpidem. 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 Asarabacca and Zolpidem have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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 Asarabacca and Zolpidem at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Zolpidem says to take it with food. If you take Asarabacca on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Zolpidem with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Zolpidem products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Asarabacca and Zolpidem combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Zolpidem is filed under 4 classifications, and Asarabacca has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Zolpidem'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 Asarabacca interact with any other medications?
Yes. Asarabacca has 355 documented drug interactions in our database — Zolpidem 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 Zolpidem interact with any supplements?
Yes. Zolpidem has documented interactions with 195 supplements in our database — Asarabacca is not one of them. The Zolpidem 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

Asarabacca monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Zolpidem drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Zolpidem supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Zolpidem, 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 4 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Zolpidem and Asarabacca?

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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.