Drug & supplement interaction

Forsythia + Sodium valproate

Sodium valproate brand name: Epilim.

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

We found no known interaction between Forsythia and Sodium valproate 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 valproate states a food rule worth keeping to.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Forsythia and Sodium valproate

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 valproate and Forsythia 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.

Forsythia safety at a glance

Forsythia overall Use caution Generally used short-term in traditional medicine, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

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

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sodium valproate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sodium valproate is filed under 8 classifications — including valproate, anticonvulsants, serotonergic drugs. Forsythia has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and azithromycin (zithromax) (minor) — and none of Sodium valproate’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

Forsythia Does Interact With Other Medications

Forsythia has 122 moderate, 1 minor known drug interactions in our database — Sodium valproate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 122 Minor 1 No known interaction 2,707 (incl. Sodium valproate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Forsythia

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

What to actually watch for

What Sodium valproate’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Forsythia. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Sodium valproate’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. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Mania or an unusually elevated mood Worth acting on
  • Hearing loss Worth acting on
  • Bone thinning Worth acting on
  • Memory problems Worth acting on
  • Trouble swallowing Worth acting on
  • Low sodium Worth acting on
  • Unsteadiness Worth acting on
  • A slow heartbeat Worth acting on
  • Hallucinations Worth acting on
  • Pancreatitis Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 75 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 Sodium valproate. Read the label on DailyMed › Forsythia’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Forsythia side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Forsythia has no side effects.

How to take them

Some Sodium valproate Products Have a Food Rule — Forsythia Should Not Break It

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

This page covers Forsythia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sodium valproate 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 Sodium valproate page

“Sodium valproate (Epilim) controls seizures and stabilizes mood, and the supplement list on this page warrants genuine care rather than a quick skim. Nine of the 173 ingredients on file carry a major rating, and most of the danger follows two patterns.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sodium valproate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 355 real supplement products containing Forsythia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Forsythia. Even though Forsythia itself has no known interaction with Sodium valproate, 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 Forsythia and Sodium valproate 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 Forsythia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sodium valproate
Top half

#1,321 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 Forsythia reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Forsythia and Sodium valproate records this page draws on were last updated June 20, 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 Forsythia

What is Forsythia?

  • Colds and flu symptoms
  • Sore throat
  • Fever
  • Inflammation
  • Antimicrobial support

Forsythia is a traditional Chinese herb, used mainly for cold and flu symptoms and as part of multi-herb formulas. Most evidence comes from laboratory, animal, and traditional use rather than strong human studies, so its real-world benefits remain unproven. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Forsythia suspensa · Oleaceae · Dried fruit (and sometimes leaves) · Dried fruit, teas, decoctions, capsules, and herbal formulas

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

Forsythia: dosing

There is no well-established standardized dose for forsythia. Traditional preparations use the dried fruit in decoctions, often as part of a multi-herb formula, and amounts vary by product and practitioner.If you use a commercial supplement, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Forsythia monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Forsythia

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

0Major
122Moderate
1Minor
2,706No known interaction
122 Moderate 1 Minor 2,706 No interaction
Moderate

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 moderate interactions — see all 122 on the Forsythia page.

Minor

1 interaction

No interaction 2,706 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,706 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Forsythia list.

See the full Forsythia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sodium valproate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Forsythia References

The 3 references that drive our Forsythia 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. Kong XT, Fang HT, Jiang GQ, et al. Treatment of acute bronchiolitis with Chinese herbs. Arch Dis Child 1993;68:468-71. PubMed
  2. Iwakami S, Wu JB, Ebizuka Y, Sankawa U. Platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonists contained in medicinal plants: lignans and sesquiterpenes. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1992;40:1196-8. PubMed
  3. Li XG, Ni J, Shen S, Wang XP, Tian JC. Pharmacokinetic interaction of Forsythia suspensa extract and azithromycin injection after single and co-intravenous administration in rats. Chin J Nat Med 2020;18(3):234-240. 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 Forsythia and Sodium valproate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Forsythia with Sodium valproate?
We do not list a known interaction between Forsythia and Sodium valproate. 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 Forsythia and Sodium valproate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium valproate says to take it with food. If you take Forsythia on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sodium valproate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sodium valproate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Forsythia and Sodium valproate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sodium valproate is filed under 8 classifications, and Forsythia has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Sodium valproate'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 Forsythia interact with any other medications?
Yes. Forsythia has 123 documented drug interactions in our database — Sodium valproate 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 valproate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sodium valproate has documented interactions with 173 supplements in our database — Forsythia is not one of them. The Sodium valproate 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

Forsythia monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sodium valproate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sodium valproate, 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sodium valproate and Forsythia?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.