Chondroitin Sulfate + Valacyclovir
Valacyclovir brand name: Valtrex.
We found no known interaction between Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir 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 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.
Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir
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 Valacyclovir and Chondroitin Sulfate 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.
Chondroitin Sulfate safety at a glance
Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.
Why No Interaction Is Listed for Valacyclovir
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Valacyclovir is filed under 3 classifications — organic anion transporter 1 (oat1) substrates, seizure threshold lowering drugs, oral drugs. Chondroitin Sulfate has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Valacyclovir’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.
Chondroitin Sulfate Does Interact With Other Medications
Chondroitin Sulfate has 2 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Valacyclovir isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.
Check Another of Your Medications Against Chondroitin Sulfate
We haven’t checked that one against Chondroitin Sulfate yet — ask our pharmacists directly.
Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Chondroitin Sulfate. Pick one to open its full report.
Questions About Chondroitin Sulfate 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 Chondroitin Sulfate 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:
- Provitalize With Levothyroxine, Valacyclovir, and Citalopram ›
- Is Valacyclovir Safe To Take With Acetaminophen And Guaifenesin? ›
- Alternatives To Valtrex For The Treatment Of Herpes ›
Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.
See Every Supplement That Interacts With Valacyclovir
This page covers Chondroitin Sulfate 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), African Wild Potato (moderate), Banderol (moderate), Biofeedback (moderate) and Caffeic Acid (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
Taking Chondroitin Sulfate as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions
We hold 2,347 real supplement products containing Chondroitin Sulfate, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chondroitin Sulfate. Even though Chondroitin Sulfate itself has no known interaction with Valacyclovir, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:
Where Chondroitin Sulfate 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.
#109 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days
#30 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days
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 Chondroitin Sulfate reference on this page ↓
- Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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.
About Chondroitin Sulfate
What is Chondroitin Sulfate?
- Osteoarthritis joint pain
- Joint stiffness
- Cartilage support
- Dry eye (eye drops)
Chondroitin sulfate is a naturally occurring building block of cartilage that is widely taken, often with glucosamine, for osteoarthritis joint pain. The evidence is mixed—some people report modest relief while large studies show little or no benefit—but it appears generally well tolerated. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have allergies or other health conditions.
Cartilage from animal sources (cattle, pig, shark, or fish) · Capsules, tablets, powders (often combined with glucosamine)
An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Chondroitin Sulfate is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Chondroitin Sulfate record says about it on its own.
Chondroitin Sulfate: dosing
There is no single official dose of chondroitin sulfate that is agreed upon for everyone. It is often taken once daily or split into smaller doses through the day, and it is frequently combined with glucosamine in joint-support products.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended.
From our Chondroitin Sulfate monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.
About Valacyclovir
What Is Valacyclovir Used For?
Brand name: Valtrex
Valacyclovir tablets are used in adults to treat cold sores (herpes labialis), genital herpes (initial and recurrent episodes), and shingles (herpes zoster). They can also be taken daily as suppressive therapy to reduce how often genital herpes outbreaks occur, and to lower the risk of passing genital herpes to a partner.
In children and adolescents, valacyclovir tablets are used to treat cold sores in those aged 12 and older, and chickenpox in those aged 2 to under 18. Valacyclovir has not been established as safe and effective for most uses in immunocompromised patients, with the exception of suppressive therapy for genital herpes in HIV-infected adults.
Most-Reported Side Effects for Valacyclovir
From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (70,056 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.
Other Drugs & Chondroitin Sulfate
Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Chondroitin Sulfate — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.
No drugs match “”.
2 interactions
No interaction 2,827 drugs checked — show the list
We also checked Chondroitin Sulfate against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.
- Apixaban ›
- Levothyroxine ›
- Amlodipine ›
- Methylphenidate ›
- Sertraline ›
- Testosterone ›
- Losartan Potassium ›
- Metoprolol ›
- Aspirin ›
- Ivermectin ›
- Rivaroxaban ›
- Rosuvastatin ›
- Escitalopram ›
- Tadalafil ›
- Acetaminophen ›
- Clopidogrel ›
- Atorvastatin ›
- Docusate ›
- Hydroxyurea ›
- Abemaciclib ›
- Methamphetamine ›
- Sumatriptan ›
- Ibuprofen ›
- Semaglutide ›
- Tirzepatide ›
- Prednisone ›
- Propranolol ›
- Lisdexamfetamine ›
- Acyclovir ›
- Bupropion ›
- Metformin ›
- Amoxicillin ›
- Lisinopril ›
- Bendamustine ›
- Amitriptyline ›
- Doxycycline ›
- Lamotrigine ›
- Fluoxetine ›
- Methotrexate ›
- Acetaminophen, Codeine ›
- Gabapentin ›
- Amphetamine ›
- Pregabalin ›
- Isotretinoin ›
- Dextroamphetamine ›
- Azithromycin ›
- Clonazepam ›
- Quetiapine ›
- Omeprazole ›
- Amlodipine Besylate ›
- Methylene Blue ›
- Duloxetine ›
- Letrozole ›
- Buspirone ›
- Citalopram ›
- Ciprofloxacin ›
- Naproxen ›
- Bisoprolol ›
- Levothyroxine, Liothyronine ›
- Acetaminophen, Oxycodone ›
Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,827 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chondroitin Sulfate list.
Chondroitin Sulfate References
The 22 references that drive our Chondroitin Sulfate 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.
- Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002.
- Tallia AF, Cardone DA. Asthma exacerbation associated with glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. J Am Board Fam Pract 2002;15:481-4..
- Danao-Camara T. Potential side effects of treatment with glucosamine and chondroitin. Arthritis Rheum 2000;43:2853. PubMed
- Rozenfeld V, Crain JL, Callahan AK. Possible augmentation of warfarin effect by glucosamine-chondroitin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2004;61:306-307. PubMed
- Clegg DO, Reda DJ, Harris CL, et al. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med 2006;354:795-808. DOI
- Knudsen J, Sokol GH. Potential glucosamine-warfarin interaction resulting in increased international normalized ratio: Case report and review of the literature and MedWatch database. Pharmacotherapy 2008;28:540-8. PubMed
- Yue QY, Strandell J, Myrberg O. Concomitant use of glucosamine potentiates the effect of warfarin. Jan 2006. Drug Safety 29(10):911-1010. DOI
- Nordling, J. and van, Ophoven A. Intravesical glycosaminoglycan replenishment with chondroitin sulphate in chronic forms of cystitis. A multi-national, multi-centre, prospective observational clinical trial. Arzneimittelforschung. 2008;58(7):328-335. PubMed
- Nickel, J. C., Egerdie, B., Downey, J., Singh, R., Skehan, A., Carr, L., and Irvine-Bird, K. A real-life multicentre clinical practice study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravesical chondroitin sulphate for the treatment of interstitial cystit
- Oliviero, U., Sorrentino, G. P., De Paola, P., Tranfaglia, E., D'Alessandro, A., Carifi, S., Porfido, F. A., Cerio, R., Grasso, A. M., Policicchio, D., and . Effects of the treatment with matrix on elderly people with chronic articular degeneration. Drug
- Crowley, D. C., Lau, F. C., Sharma, P., Evans, M., Guthrie, N., Bagchi, M., Bagchi, D., Dey, D. K., and Raychaudhuri, S. P. Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. Int.J.Med.Sc PubMed
- Nickel, J. C., Egerdie, R. B., Steinhoff, G., Palmer, B., and Hanno, P. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel group pilot evaluation of the efficacy and safety of intravesical sodium chondroitin sulfate versus vehicle control in patients with
- Sawitzke, A. D., Shi, H., Finco, M. F., Dunlop, D. D., Harris, C. L., Singer, N. G., Bradley, J. D., Silver, D., Jackson, C. G., Lane, N. E., Oddis, C. V., Wolfe, F., Lisse, J., Furst, D. E., Bingham, C. O., Reda, D. J., Moskowitz, R. W., Williams, H. J.
- Wildi, L. M., Raynauld, J. P., Martel-Pelletier, J., Beaulieu, A., Bessette, L., Morin, F., Abram, F., Dorais, M., and Pelletier, J. P. Chondroitin sulphate reduces both cartilage volume loss and bone marrow lesions in knee osteoarthritis patients starti
- Pavelka and et al. Double-blind, dose effect study of oral cs 4 & 6 1200mg, 800mg, 200mg against placebo in the treatment of femorotibial osteoarthritis. Wular Rheumatol Liter 1998;27(suppl 2):63.
- Cerda C, Bruguera M, Parés A. Hepatotoxicity associated with glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in patients with chronic liver disease. World J Gastroenterol 2013;19(32):5381-4. PubMed
- von Felden J, Montani M, Kessebohm K, Stickel F. Drug-induced acute liver injury mimicking autoimmune hepatitis after intake of dietary supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2013;51(3):219-23. PubMed
- Provenza JR, Shinjo SK, Silva JM, Peron CR, Rocha FA. Combined glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, once or three times daily, provides clinically relevant analgesia in knee osteoarthritis. Clin Rheumatol 2015;34:1455-62. PubMed
- Ossendza RA, Grandval P, Chinoune F, Rocher F, Chapel F, Bernardini D. [Acute cholestatic hepatitis due to glucosamine forte]. Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 2007 Apr;31(4):449-50.
- Greenlee H, Crew KD, Shao T, Kranwinkel G, Kalinsky K, Maurer M, Brafman L, Insel B, Tsai WY, Hershman DL. Phase II study of glucosamine with chondroitin on aromatase inhibitor-associated joint symptoms in women with breast cancer. Support Care Cancer 201 PubMed
- Chu EC, Huang KHK, Cheung G, Ng G, Lin A. Delayed Skin Allergy to Glucosamine Chondroitin Supplement. Cureus 2023;15(3):e36310. PubMed
- Lila AM, Alekseeva LI, Baranov AA, et al. Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine combination in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis: A long-term observational study in Russia. World J Orthop 2023;14(6):443-457. 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.
Taking Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir Together: Common Questions
Is it safe to take Chondroitin Sulfate with Valacyclovir?
Do Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir have any of the same side effects?
How was the Chondroitin Sulfate and Valacyclovir combination checked?
Does Chondroitin Sulfate interact with any other medications?
Does Valacyclovir interact with any supplements?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
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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.