Drug & supplement interaction

Feverfew + Valproic Acid

Valproic Acid brand names: Depakene, Depacon, Valproate.

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 Feverfew and Valproic Acid 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 Valproic Acid 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

Feverfew and Valproic Acid

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 Valproic Acid and Feverfew 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.

Feverfew safety at a glance

Feverfew overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term, but it can cause allergic reactions and mouth irritation in some people.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Feverfew might cause uterine contractions and abortion; avoid using. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough reliable safety information, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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 Valproic Acid and Feverfew? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Valproic Acid

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Valproic Acid is filed under 8 classifications — including valproate, anticonvulsants, serotonergic drugs. Feverfew has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) substrates (moderate) — and none of Valproic Acid’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

Feverfew Does Interact With Other Medications

Feverfew has 929 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Valproic Acid isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 929 No known interaction 1,901 (incl. Valproic Acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Feverfew

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Feverfew and Valproic Acid 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Feverfew

    “Orally, feverfew can cause skin rash. Topically, allergic contact dermatitis can occur. Allergic reactions to feverfew may be more likely in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many other herbs.”

    Feverfew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    4 sources cited
    1. 12383. Ernst E, Pittler MH. The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review. Public Health Nutr 2000;3:509-14.
    2. 6958. Lamminpaa A, Estlander T, Jolanki R, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by decorative plants. Contact Dermatitis 1996;34:330-5. PubMed
    3. 42856. Jovanovic, M. and Poljacki, M. [Compositae dermatitis]. Med Pregl. 2003;56(1-2):43-49. PubMed
    4. 42891. Burry, J. N. Compositae dermatitis in South Australia: contact dermatitis from Chrysanthemum parthenium. Contact Dermatitis 1980;6(6):445.

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Changes to your period Additional detail

    Feverfew

    “Orally, feverfew has been associated with menstrual changes in one patient in a clinical study and in one case report involving a 36-year-old patient taking 800 mg of feverfew three times daily for 3 months.”

    Feverfew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 6959. Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:569-73. PubMed
    2. 107472. Alenzi KA, Alharbi FH, Tawhari FM, Fradees GS. Alteration of Coagulation Test Results and Vaginal Bleeding Associated With the Use of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). J Med Cases 2021;12(1):9-12.

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Mouth irritation or sores / Bloating or gas / Constipation / Stomach pain Additional detail

    Feverfew

    “Orally, feverfew can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating, and flatulence. Oral numbness has also been reported when feverfew has been taken sublingually in combination with ginger.”

    Feverfew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    2 sources cited
    1. 22602. Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesic M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache 2011;51:1078-86.
    2. 6959. Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:569-73. PubMed

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Numbness or tingling / Swelling Additional detail

    Feverfew

    Recorded for Feverfew in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Mouth irritation or sores / Bloating or gas / Constipation / Stomach pain above.

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Anxiety or restlessness / Trouble sleeping Additional detail

    Feverfew

    “Discontinuation of oral feverfew after long-term use may cause "post-feverfew syndrome", which includes symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, and insomnia.”

    Feverfew · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anxiety.

    2 sources cited
    1. 6959. Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:569-73. PubMed
    2. 12153. Pittler MH, Ernst E. Feverfew for preventing migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD002286. PubMed

    Valproic Acid

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

Showing the 10 most notable of 14 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for Feverfew but not commonly for Valproic Acid: a change in taste and heartburn.

Effects for Valproic Acid come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Feverfew come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 30,892 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Valproic Acid 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

Feverfew in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Feverfew might cause uterine contractions and abortion; 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 Valproic Acid Products Have a Food Rule — Feverfew Should Not Break It

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

irritation may benefit from administration of the drug with food or by slowly building up the dose from an initial low level.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Valproic Acid — 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 Feverfew or Valproic Acid

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

This page covers Feverfew only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Valproic Acid page lists 173 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 Kava (major).

By severity: 9 major · 147 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Valproic Acid page

“Anyone taking valproic acid (Depakene, Depacon) for seizures or bipolar disorder should treat this list with genuine care. Of the 173 supplements and herbs on file, nine are rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Valproic Acid interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 520 real supplement products containing Feverfew, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Feverfew. Even though Feverfew itself has no known interaction with Valproic Acid, 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 Feverfew and Valproic Acid 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 Feverfew
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Valproic Acid
Top half

#880 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 Feverfew reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Feverfew and Valproic Acid 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 Feverfew

What is Feverfew?

Feverfew
  • Migraine prevention
  • Headache
  • Fever (traditional)
  • Arthritis and joint pain
  • Menstrual discomfort

Feverfew is a daisy-family herb best known for migraine prevention, where some studies suggest it may modestly lower how often migraines occur, though the evidence is mixed. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use in most adults but should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding and by people allergic to ragweed and related plants. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Tanacetum parthenium · Asteraceae · Leaves (dried or fresh); sometimes whole above-ground parts · Capsules, tablets, dried leaf, liquid extracts, teas

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

Feverfew: dosing

There is no single official or proven dose for feverfew, and products vary widely in strength and how they are prepared. Many supplements are standardized to a certain amount of parthenolide, but the best dose is not firmly established.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended. If you have used feverfew for a while, do not stop it suddenly without checking first.

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

Read the full Feverfew monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valproic Acid

What Is Valproic Acid Used For?

Brand names: Depakene, Depacon, Valproate

Valproic acid capsules (brands Valproic and Valproic Acid) and valproic acid oral solution (brand Valproic Acid) are both used to treat epilepsy. Specifically, they are approved for complex partial seizures (either alone or with other seizure types) as monotherapy or add-on therapy, and for simple and complex absence seizures as sole therapy or add-on therapy.

Both forms are intended for adults and pediatric patients. Always follow your prescriber's guidance on which product and regimen is right for you.

See full Valproic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Feverfew

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

0Major
929Moderate
0Minor
1,900No known interaction
929 Moderate 1,900 No interaction
Moderate

929 interactions

Showing 60 of 929 moderate interactions — see all 929 on the Feverfew page.

No interaction 1,900 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,900 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Feverfew list.

See the full Feverfew interactions page
See every supplement checked against Valproic Acid, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Feverfew References

The 18 references that drive our Feverfew 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. Awang DVC. Prescribing therapeutic feverfew (Tancetum pathrnium (L.) Schultz Bip., syn. Chrysanthemumparthenium (L.) Bernh). Int Med 1998;1:11-3.
  3. Heptinstall S, Groenewegen WA, Spangenberg P, Loesche W. Extracts of feverfew may inhibit platelet behaviour via neutralization of sulphydryl groups. J Pharm Pharmacol 1987;39:459-65. PubMed
  4. Heptinstall S, White A, Williamson L, Mitchell JR. Extracts of feverfew inhibit granule secretion in blood platelets and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Lancet 1985;1:1071-4. PubMed
  5. Makheja AN, Bailey JM. A platelet phospholipase inhibitor from the medicinal herb feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1982;8:653-60.
  6. Groenewegen WA, Heptinstall S. A comparison of the effects of an extract of feverfew and parthenolide, a component of feverfew, on human platelet activity in-vitro. J Pharm Pharmacol 1990;42:553-7. PubMed
  7. Heptinstall S, Groenewegen WA, Spangenberg P, Losche W. Inhibition of platelet behaviour by feverfew: a mechanism of action involving sulphydryl groups. Folia Haematol Int Mag Klin Morphol Blutforsch 1988;115:447-9.
  8. Biggs MJ, Johnson ES, Persaud NP, Ratcliffe DM. Platelet aggregation in patients using feverfew for migraine. Lancet 1982;2:776. PubMed
  9. Lamminpaa A, Estlander T, Jolanki R, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by decorative plants. Contact Dermatitis 1996;34:330-5. PubMed
  10. Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:569-73. PubMed
  11. Pittler MH, Ernst E. Feverfew for preventing migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD002286. PubMed
  12. Ernst E, Pittler MH. The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review. Public Health Nutr 2000;3:509-14.
  13. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
  14. Sil'vestrov VP, Kinitin AV, and Chesnokova, IV. [Immunological and metabolic disorders and the means for their correction in patients with chronic bronchitis]. Ter.Arkh. 1991;63:7-11.
  15. Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesic M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache 2011;51:1078-86.

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 Feverfew and Valproic Acid Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Feverfew with Valproic Acid?
We do not list a known interaction between Feverfew and Valproic Acid. 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 Feverfew and Valproic Acid have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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 Feverfew and Valproic Acid at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Valproic Acid says to take it with food. If you take Feverfew on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Valproic Acid with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Valproic Acid products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Feverfew and Valproic Acid combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Valproic Acid is filed under 8 classifications, and Feverfew has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Valproic Acid'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 Feverfew interact with any other medications?
Yes. Feverfew has 929 documented drug interactions in our database — Valproic Acid 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 Valproic Acid interact with any supplements?
Yes. Valproic Acid has documented interactions with 173 supplements in our database — Feverfew is not one of them. The Valproic Acid 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

Feverfew monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Valproic Acid drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Valproic Acid supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Valproic Acid, 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 18 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Valproic Acid and Feverfew?

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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.