Drug & supplement interaction

Guarumo + Ethosuximide

Ethosuximide brand name: Zarontin.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Guarumo has a moderate interaction with Ethosuximide. In an animal study, an aqueous extract of guarumo depressed the central nervous system, inducing significant motor incoordination and muscle relaxant activity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Guarumo and Ethosuximide

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Ethosuximide

Ethosuximide falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Guarumo interacts with.

In an animal study, an aqueous extract of guarumo depressed the central nervous system, inducing significant motor incoordination and muscle relaxant activity. Theoretically, guarumo might potentiate the sedative effects of drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing with pairing guarumo and ethosuximide (Zarontin). Ethosuximide already tends to make some people feel drowsy, tired, or a little dizzy, and it can cause hiccups, nausea, or trouble concentrating. The concern here is simply additive sleepiness. In one animal study, a water extract of guarumo calmed the nervous system and caused noticeable muscle relaxation and clumsiness, so the worry is that it could add to that sedating side of your seizure medicine.

I want to be honest that this is theoretical and based only on lab and animal work, not on people taking both together, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Ethosuximide is not a prodrug, so this isn't about it being made stronger or weaker. Still, if you notice extra grogginess, please check in with your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Perez-Guerrero, C., Herrera, M. D., Ortiz, R., Alvarez, de Sotomayor, and Fernandez, M. A. A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;76(3):279-84. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Guarumo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Guarumo has 504 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ethosuximide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 504 No known interaction 2,326 (incl. Ethosuximide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Guarumo

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ethosuximide

This page covers Guarumo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethosuximide page lists 226 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 Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 179 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethosuximide page

“Ethosuximide (Zarontin) prevents absence seizures, and a steady blood level is what keeps them away, so I treat this list of 226 interacting supplements and herbs with real care, especially the nine rated major. More than half of the entries can change how the liver clears the drug; grapefruit can raise its level while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethosuximide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Guarumo and Ethosuximide 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 Guarumo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethosuximide
Steady interest

#2,341 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.

Supplement

About Guarumo

What is Guarumo?

Guarumo
  • Type 2 diabetes / blood sugar support
  • High blood pressure
  • Cough, asthma, and bronchitis
  • Heart failure symptoms
  • Liver and rheumatic complaints

Guarumo (Cecropia obtusifolia) is a tropical tree used in Latin American traditional medicine, most often as a leaf tea for diabetes and high blood pressure. Some early laboratory and small human studies suggest it may modestly affect blood sugar, but the evidence is limited and not strong enough to recommend it as a treatment. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a chronic condition or take medication.

Read the full Guarumo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ethosuximide

What Is Ethosuximide Used For?

Brand name: Zarontin

Ethosuximide — sold as Zarontin and also available as generic Ethosuximide — is used to control absence (petit mal) epilepsy. Absence seizures are brief episodes where a person loses awareness for a few seconds, often mistaken for daydreaming.

Both Zarontin and Ethosuximide products (capsule and oral solution forms) are approved for this use. Either may also be used alongside other seizure medicines when a patient has absence seizures together with other types of epilepsy.

See full Ethosuximide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Guarumo

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

0Major
504Moderate
0Minor
2,325No known interaction
504 Moderate 2,325 No interaction
Moderate

504 interactions

Showing 60 of 504 moderate interactions — see all 504 on the Guarumo page.

No interaction 2,325 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,325 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Guarumo list.

See the full Guarumo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ethosuximide, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

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

Keep exploring
Guarumo monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ethosuximide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ethosuximide, ranked by severity Ethosuximide drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Guarumo and Ethosuximide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Guarumo with Ethosuximide?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Guarumo and Ethosuximide interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Ethosuximide and Guarumo?

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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.