Drug & supplement interaction

Goat's Rue + Valacyclovir

Valacyclovir brand name: Valtrex.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Goat's Rue 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.

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Interaction report

Goat's Rue 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 Goat's Rue 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.

Goat's Rue safety at a glance

Goat's Rue overall Use caution The fresh plant can be toxic, and well-controlled human safety data on supplements are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data exists, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Use caution It is traditionally used to support milk supply, but quality and safety vary, so use only with professional guidance.

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

Still wondering about combining Valacyclovir and Goat's Rue? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

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. Goat's Rue has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (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.

Keep it in perspective

Goat's Rue Does Interact With Other Medications

Goat's Rue has 122 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.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Goat's Rue

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Goat's Rue. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What Valacyclovir’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Goat's Rue. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Valacyclovir’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
  • Dehydration Worth acting on
  • Unsteadiness Worth acting on
  • Hallucinations Worth acting on
  • Confusion Worth acting on
  • A severe skin reaction Worth acting on
  • Seizures Worth acting on
  • Low mood Worth acting on
  • A low platelet count Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 35 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 Valacyclovir. Read the label on DailyMed › Goat's Rue’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Goat's Rue side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Goat's Rue has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Goat's Rue 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 Goat's Rue 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:

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 Valacyclovir

This page covers Goat's Rue 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

Open the Valacyclovir interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Goat's Rue as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 80 real supplement products containing Goat's Rue, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Goat's Rue. Even though Goat's Rue 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:

How much people look this up

Where Goat's Rue 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.

Supplement Goat's Rue
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Valacyclovir
Top 5%

#31 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 Goat's Rue reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Goat's Rue and Valacyclovir 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 Goat's Rue

What is Goat's Rue?

Goat's Rue
  • Boosting breast milk supply
  • Blood sugar support
  • Traditional digestive remedy
  • General tonic

Goat's rue is a traditional herb most often used by nursing parents to try to increase milk supply, and it has a historical link to diabetes research. Solid human evidence for either use is limited, and the plant can be toxic in larger amounts, so use it only under the guidance of a pharmacist or doctor.

Galega officinalis · Fabaceae · Above-ground parts (leaves, flowering tops, and seeds) · Tea, capsules, tincture, dried herb

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

Goat's Rue: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for goat's rue. Do not exceed the recommended amount, and choose products from reputable brands.

From our Goat's Rue monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Goat's Rue monograph & all interactions
Medication

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.

Fatigue 4,317 reports
Nausea 3,985 reports
Diarrhea 3,648 reports
Headache 2,964 reports
Fever 2,753 reports
See full Valacyclovir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Goat's Rue

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

0Major
122Moderate
0Minor
2,707No known interaction
Moderate

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 moderate interactions — see all 122 on the Goat's Rue page.

No interaction 2,707 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Goat's Rue References

The 6 references that drive our Goat's Rue 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. Atanasov AT. Effect of Galega officinalis L. extract on platelet aggregation in rats. J Herbs Spices Med Plants 1995;3:71-6.
  2. Atanasov, A. T. and Spasov, V. Inhibiting effect of desalted extract from Galega officinalis L. on platelet aggregation. Folia Med.(Plovdiv.) 1999;41(1):46-50.
  3. Atanasov, A. T. and Spasov, V. Inhibiting and disaggregating effect of gel-filtered Galega officinalis L. herbal extract on platelet aggregation. J.Ethnopharmacol. 2000;69(3):235-240. PubMed
  4. Atanasov, A. T. and Tchorbanov, B. Anti-platelet fraction from Galega officinalis L. inhibits platelet aggregation. J.Med.Food 2002;5(4):229-234.
  5. Atanasov, A. T. and Tchorbanov, B. J. Antiplatelet aggregation activity of a fraction isolated from Galega officinalis L. J Herbs Spices Medicinal Plant 2002;10(2):63-71.
  6. Salatino S, Giacomelli L, Carnevali I, Giacomelli E. The role of natural galactagogues during breast feeding: focus on a Galega officinalis based food supplement. Minerva Pediatr. 2017 Dec;69(6):531-537. 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 Goat's Rue and Valacyclovir Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Goat's Rue with Valacyclovir?
We do not list a known interaction between Goat's Rue and Valacyclovir. 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.
How was the Goat's Rue and Valacyclovir combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Valacyclovir is filed under 3 classifications, and Goat's Rue has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Valacyclovir'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 Goat's Rue interact with any other medications?
Yes. Goat's Rue has 122 documented drug interactions in our database — Valacyclovir 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 Valacyclovir interact with any supplements?
Yes. Valacyclovir has documented interactions with 27 supplements in our database — Goat's Rue is not one of them. The Valacyclovir 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 Valacyclovir and Goat's Rue?

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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.