Drug & supplement interaction

Couch Grass + Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

Glycerol Phenylbutyrate brand name: Ravicti.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Couch Grass 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Couch Grass at all — not against Glycerol Phenylbutyrate, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Couch Grass safety at a glance

Couch Grass overall Use caution Generally considered well tolerated, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Couch Grass? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Glycerol Phenylbutyrate’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Couch Grass. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Dehydration Worth acting on
  • A low platelet count Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on
  • A low white blood cell count Worth acting on
  • Heartburn
  • A change in taste
  • Mood changes or irritability
  • Reduced appetite mentioned in 7.7% of FDA reports for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate
  • Bloating or gas
  • A stuffy or runny nose

Showing the 10 most notable of 23 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 1,358 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Couch Grass’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Couch Grass side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Couch Grass has no side effects.

How to take them

Some Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Products Have a Food Rule — Couch Grass Should Not Break It

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

Instruct patients to take glycerol phenylbutyrate oral liquid with food or formula and to administer directly into the mouth via oral syringe.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

This page covers Couch Grass only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page

“Ravicti (glycerol phenylbutyrate) pulls ammonia out of the blood in people with urea cycle disorders, so a dose that never gets absorbed is not a small problem, it can let ammonia climb toward dangerous levels. That is why this list deserves real attention even though it is short.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,482 real supplement products containing Couch Grass, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Couch Grass. Even though Couch Grass itself has no known interaction with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate, 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 Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Couch Grass
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glycerol Phenylbutyrate
Top 10%

#213 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.
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Couch Grass

What is Couch Grass?

  • Urinary tract complaints
  • Mild bladder irritation
  • Increasing urine flow (diuretic)
  • Kidney 'gravel' or stones (traditional)
  • Soothing inflamed urinary passages
  • Sore throat or cough (traditional)

Couch grass is a common lawn weed whose rhizome has long been used in traditional European herbal medicine, mainly for urinary and bladder complaints. High-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits are largely unproven. It is generally considered well tolerated, but you should talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have kidney or heart problems.

Elymus repens · Poaceae · Dried rhizome (underground stem) and roots · Tea (infusion or decoction), liquid extract, tincture, capsules

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

Couch Grass: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose of couch grass, because it has not been studied carefully in modern trials. Traditional preparations include teas made from the dried rhizome and liquid extracts or tinctures.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. If you take couch grass, drinking plenty of water is often advised, particularly when it is used for urinary complaints.

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

Read the full Couch Grass monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

What Is Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Used For?

Brand name: Ravicti

Glycerol phenylbutyrate oral liquid — available as the brand Ravicti and as a generic — is used for the long-term (chronic) management of urea cycle disorders (UCDs). UCDs are rare inherited conditions where the body cannot properly convert ammonia into urea, causing toxic ammonia levels to build up in the blood and brain.

It is used in patients whose ammonia cannot be controlled by a low-protein diet and/or amino acid supplements alone. It must always be used alongside dietary protein restriction and, in some cases, additional dietary supplements such as essential amino acids, arginine, or citrulline. It is not for treating a sudden, severe spike in ammonia (acute hyperammonemia), and its safety and effectiveness for N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) deficiency have not been established.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (1,358 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Ammonia increased 197 reports
Vomiting 165 reports
Hyperammonaemia 158 reports
Decreased appetite 104 reports
Nausea 74 reports
See full Glycerol Phenylbutyrate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Couch Grass

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

We checked Couch Grass against Glycerol Phenylbutyrate in the Natural Medicines interaction database and found no documented interaction on file. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus, and supplement label details from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Couch Grass with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate?
We do not list a known interaction between Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. 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.
Should I take Couch Grass and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Glycerol Phenylbutyrate says to take it with food. If you take Couch Grass on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Glycerol Phenylbutyrate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Glycerol Phenylbutyrate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Couch Grass is not one of them. The Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Couch Grass?

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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.