Drug & supplement interaction

Goji + Valproic Acid

Valproic Acid brand names: Depakene, Depacon, Valproate.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Goji 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

Goji 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 Goji 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.

Goji safety at a glance

Goji overall Use caution Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements have less safety data.
Pregnancy Avoid Avoid medicinal amounts during pregnancy due to limited safety data and traditional reports of uterine effects.
Breastfeeding Use caution Not enough reliable data on supplement use while breastfeeding, so caution is advised.

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

Still wondering about combining Valproic Acid and Goji? 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. Goji has documented interactions with 8 drug classes — the most serious being warfarin (coumadin) (major), antihypertensive drugs (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

Goji Does Interact With Other Medications

Goji has 2 major, 930 moderate, 68 minor 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.

Major 2 Moderate 930 Minor 68 No known interaction 1,830 (incl. Valproic Acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Goji

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Goji 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. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Shortness of breath / A severe allergic reaction / An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Goji

    “Several cases of allergic reactions secondary to consumption of goji berries have been reported. Symptoms included facial angioedema with dyspnea, pharyngeal itching, itching in the mouth, ears, and axilla, labial angioedema, and perioral skin rash. Anaphylaxis has also been reported.”

    Goji · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    2 sources cited
    1. 92116. Larramendi CH, García-Abujeta JL, Vicario S, García-Endrino A, López-Matas MA, García-Sedeño MD, et al. Goji berries (Lycium barbarum): Risk of allergic reactions in individuals with food allergy. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2012;22(5):345-50.
    2. 52538. Monzon, Ballarin S., Lopez-Matas, M. A., Saenz, Abad D., Perez-Cinto, N., and Carnes, J. Anaphylaxis associated with the ingestion of Goji berries (Lycium barbarum). J.Investig.Allergol.Clin.Immunol. 2011;21(7):567-570.

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Goji

    “Orally, consumption of goji berries has been associated with a single case report of autoimmune hepatitis. A case of acute hepatitis has also been reported in a female who consumed 2 ounces of a specific combination product (Euforia, Nuverus International) containing goji berry, pomegranate, curcumin, green tea, noni, acai berry, aloe vera, blueberry, resveratrol, mangosteen, and black seed, daily for one month.”

    Goji · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 52541. Franco, M., Monmany, J., Domingo, P., and Turbau, M. [Autoimmune hepatitis triggered by consumption of Goji berries]. Med.Clin.(Barc.) 9-22-2012;139(7):320-321.
    2. 90125. Jiménez-Encarnación E, Ríos G, Muñoz-Mirabal A, Vilá LM. Euforia-induced acute hepatitis in a patient with scleroderma. BMJ Case Rep 2012;2012. PubMed

    Valproic Acid

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

  • Itching / A skin rash Additional detail

    Goji

    Recorded for Goji in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Shortness of breath / A severe allergic reaction / An allergic reaction above.

    Valproic Acid

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

Effects for Valproic Acid come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Goji 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.

How to take them

Some Valproic Acid Products Have a Food Rule — Goji Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Valproic Acid says to take it with food. If you take Goji 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.

Overlapping uses

What Valproic Acid Is Prescribed For, and What Goji Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Valproic Acid is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Goji is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Valproic Acid is prescribed for: 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.

Goji has been studied for:

  • Depression studied, not established Goji has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Goji for depression

    It is unclear if oral goji berry polysaccharide is beneficial for adolescents with subthreshold depression.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Valproic Acid on your own; if you are taking Goji for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Goji 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 Goji 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 Goji 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 Goji as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,738 real supplement products containing Goji, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Goji. Even though Goji 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 Goji 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 Goji
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Valproic Acid
Top 25%

#405 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 Goji reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Goji and Valproic Acid 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.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Goji

What is Goji?

Goji
  • General antioxidant support
  • Eye health
  • Immune support
  • Anti-aging and well-being
  • Blood sugar support

Goji berries are a nutritious fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and plant polysaccharides, and they are safe for most people as a food. While they are popular for eye health, immune support, and general wellness, strong human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated goji supplements, especially if you take medications or are pregnant.

Lycium barbarum · Solanaceae · Fruit (berries); root bark and leaves are also used in traditional medicine · Dried berries, juice, capsules, powders, teas, extracts

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

Goji: dosing

There is no official or proven standard dose for goji. Amounts used in studies and products vary widely depending on whether you use dried berries, juice, or an extract.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. They can help you choose a reputable product and make sure it fits with your other medicines and health conditions.

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

Read the full Goji 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 & Goji

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

2Major
930Moderate
68Minor
1,829No known interaction
2 Major 930 Moderate 68 Minor 1,829 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

930 interactions

Showing 60 of 930 moderate interactions — see all 930 on the Goji page.

Minor

68 interactions

Showing 60 of 68 minor interactions — see all 68 on the Goji page.

No interaction 1,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Goji list.

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

Goji References

The 14 references that drive our Goji 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. Huang KC. The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1999.
  2. Lam AY, Elmer GW, Mohutsky MA. Possible interaction between warfarin and Lycium Barbarum. Ann Pharmacother 2001;35:1199-201.
  3. Leung H, Hung A, Hui AC, Chan TY. Warfarin overdose due to the possible effects of Lycium barbarum L. Food Chem Toxicol 2008;46:1860-2. PubMed
  4. Amagase H, Nance DM. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi. J Altern Complement Med 2008;14:403-12.
  5. Rivera, C. A., Ferro, C. L., Bursua, A. J., and Gerber, B. S. Probable interaction between Lycium barbarum (goji) and warfarin. Pharmacotherapy 2012;32(3):e50-e53.
  6. Monzon, Ballarin S., Lopez-Matas, M. A., Saenz, Abad D., Perez-Cinto, N., and Carnes, J. Anaphylaxis associated with the ingestion of Goji berries (Lycium barbarum). J.Investig.Allergol.Clin.Immunol. 2011;21(7):567-570.
  7. Franco, M., Monmany, J., Domingo, P., and Turbau, M. [Autoimmune hepatitis triggered by consumption of Goji berries]. Med.Clin.(Barc.) 9-22-2012;139(7):320-321.
  8. Jiménez-Encarnación E, Ríos G, Muñoz-Mirabal A, Vilá LM. Euforia-induced acute hepatitis in a patient with scleroderma. BMJ Case Rep 2012;2012. PubMed
  9. Larramendi CH, García-Abujeta JL, Vicario S, García-Endrino A, López-Matas MA, García-Sedeño MD, et al. Goji berries (Lycium barbarum): Risk of allergic reactions in individuals with food allergy. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2012;22(5):345-50.
  10. Cai H, Liu F, Zuo P, Huang G, Song Z, Wang T, et al. Practical application of antidiabetic efficacy of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide in patients with type 2 diabetes. Med Chem. 2015;11(4):383-90.
  11. Potterat O. Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense): Phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety in the perspective of traditional uses and recent popularity. Planta Med 2010;76(1):7-19.
  12. Guzmán CE, Guzmán-Moreno CG, Assad-Morell JL, Edgar Francisco Carrizales-Sepúlveda EF. Flecainide toxicity associated with the use of goji berries: a case report. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2021;5(6):ytab204. PubMed
  13. Liu R, Tam TW, Mao J, et al. In vitro activity of Lycium barbarum (Goji) against major human phase I metabolism enzymes. Complement Integr Med. 2016;13(3):257-265.
  14. Zhang J, Tian L, Xie B. Bleeding due to a probable interaction between warfarin and Gouqizi (Lycium Barbarum L.). Toxicol Rep. 2015;2:1209-1212. 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 Goji and Valproic Acid Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Goji with Valproic Acid?
We do not list a known interaction between Goji 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 Goji and Valproic Acid have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 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 Goji 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 Goji 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.
Are Goji and Valproic Acid used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Goji in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Valproic Acid is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Goji and Valproic Acid combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Valproic Acid is filed under 8 classifications, and Goji has documented interactions with 8 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 Goji interact with any other medications?
Yes. Goji has 1,000 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 — Goji 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

Goji 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 14 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Valproic Acid and Goji?

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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.