Drug & supplement interaction

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) + Cabotegravir Sodium

Cabotegravir Sodium brand name: Vocabria.

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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium 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 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

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium

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 Cabotegravir Sodium and Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) at all — not against Cabotegravir Sodium, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) safety at a glance

Hydroxymethylbutyr... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in healthy adults for short-term use, but long-term safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data exists, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is no reliable safety information, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Cabotegravir Sodium and Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium 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.

  • Bloating or gas / Stomach pain / Nausea reported in 3.7% of FDA reports for Cabotegravir Sodium Additional detail

    Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)

    “Orally, abdominal pain, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, heartburn, and nausea have been reported rarely in people taking HMB in clinical trials.”

    Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    3 sources cited
    1. 99245. Berton L, Bano G, Carraro S, et al. Effect of oral beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on physical performance in healthy old women over 65 years: An open label randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0141757. PubMed
    2. 102872. Tritto AC, Bueno S, Rodrigues RMP, Gualano B, Roschel H, Artioli GG. Negligible effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate free acid and calcium salt on strength and hypertrophic responses to resistance training: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Int J S PubMed
    3. 108770. Osuka Y, Kojima N, Sasai H, et al. Effects of exercise and/or ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate supplementation on muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in older women with low muscle mass: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A PubMed

    Cabotegravir Sodium

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cabotegravir Sodium, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) but not commonly for Cabotegravir Sodium: raised blood pressure, constipation, stomach upset and heartburn.

Effects for Cabotegravir Sodium come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 1,558 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cabotegravir Sodium 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cabotegravir Sodium

This page covers Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cabotegravir Sodium page lists 29 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Breadfruit (moderate), Brussels Sprout (moderate), Cabbage (moderate) and Calcium D-glucarate (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 18 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cabotegravir Sodium page

“Cabotegravir (Vocabria) is an HIV medicine, and keeping its blood level steady is what keeps the virus suppressed, so I read this list of 29 interacting supplements with genuine concern. The one major entry is activated charcoal, a popular detox remedy that soaks up drugs in the gut and cuts how much reaches you.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cabotegravir Sodium interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium 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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)
Steady interest

#1,301 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cabotegravir Sodium
Steady interest

#2,367 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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium 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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)

What is Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)?

  • Building or preserving muscle mass
  • Improving strength with resistance training
  • Reducing muscle breakdown
  • Supporting recovery after exercise
  • Preventing muscle loss in older adults or illness

HMB is a compound made in the body from the amino acid leucine and is sold as a supplement mainly to support muscle. The best evidence suggests it may help slow muscle loss in certain situations, such as during illness, bed rest, or aging, but results in healthy athletes are mixed. It appears generally well tolerated for most adults, but you should check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Not applicable (HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine) · Capsules, tablets, powder, drink mixes; available as calcium-HMB (CaHMB) and free-acid HMB

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

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb): dosing

There is no single official dose of HMB, and the best amount depends on the goal and the person. Most research has used HMB taken in divided doses across the day, often alongside resistance training or protein intake.The two common forms are calcium-HMB and free-acid HMB, which may be absorbed differently.

From our Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cabotegravir

What Is Cabotegravir Used For?

Brand name: Vocabria

Vocabria (cabotegravir) tablets are used in combination with rilpivirine (Edurant) to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents aged 12 and older who weigh at least 35 kg and whose HIV is already virologically suppressed (virus levels undetectable or very low on their current regimen). Vocabria tablets serve as a short-term oral lead-in — taken for roughly one month — before switching to long-acting injectable therapy.

Cabotegravir tablets are also used as an oral lead-in for HIV-1 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — helping HIV-negative adults and adolescents (weighing at least 35 kg) confirm they tolerate the drug before starting injectable PrEP. Both uses require confirmed HIV-negative status before starting.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cabotegravir Sodium

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (1,558 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Viral load increased 109 reports
Injection site pain 105 reports
Virologic failure 64 reports
Hepatitis b 63 reports
Pathogen resistance 61 reports
See full Cabotegravir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) list.

See the full Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cabotegravir Sodium, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) References

The 3 references that drive our Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) 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. Berton L, Bano G, Carraro S, et al. Effect of oral beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on physical performance in healthy old women over 65 years: An open label randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0141757. PubMed
  2. Tritto AC, Bueno S, Rodrigues RMP, Gualano B, Roschel H, Artioli GG. Negligible effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate free acid and calcium salt on strength and hypertrophic responses to resistance training: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Int J S PubMed
  3. Osuka Y, Kojima N, Sasai H, et al. Effects of exercise and/or ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate supplementation on muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in older women with low muscle mass: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A 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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) with Cabotegravir Sodium?
We do not list a known interaction between Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium. 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 Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) and Cabotegravir Sodium have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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.
Does Cabotegravir Sodium interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cabotegravir Sodium has documented interactions with 29 supplements in our database — Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) is not one of them. The Cabotegravir Sodium 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

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb) monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Cabotegravir drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Cabotegravir Sodium supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Cabotegravir Sodium, 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 Cabotegravir Sodium and Hydroxymethylbutyrate (hmb)?

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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.