Drug & supplement interaction

Job's Tears + Sodium Oxybate

Sodium Oxybate brand name: Xyrem.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate 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 Oxybate states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate

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 Oxybate and Job's Tears 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.

Job's Tears safety at a glance

Job's Tears overall Use caution Generally safe as a cooked food, but concentrated supplement evidence is limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Traditionally avoided in pregnancy and human safety data are lacking.
Breastfeeding Use caution Not enough reliable data; use only ordinary food amounts and check with a clinician.

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

Still wondering about combining Sodium Oxybate and Job's Tears? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sodium Oxybate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications — sodium-containing drugs, seizure threshold lowering drugs, oral drugs. Job's Tears has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), chlorzoxazone (parafon forte, paraflex) (moderate) and dextromethorphan (robitussin dm, others) (moderate) — and none of Sodium Oxybate’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

Job's Tears Does Interact With Other Medications

Job's Tears has 128 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate 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 Job's Tears

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

What to actually watch for

What Sodium Oxybate’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Job's Tears. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Sodium Oxybate’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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on
  • Weight loss
  • Tremor or shakiness
  • Drowsiness mentioned in 6.0% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate
  • Dry mouth
  • Reduced appetite
  • Stomach pain
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea mentioned in 7.5% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate
  • Headache mentioned in 4.9% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate

Showing the 10 most notable of 12 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 Oxybate. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 65,315 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sodium Oxybate that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Job's Tears’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Job's Tears side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Job's Tears has no side effects.

How to take them

Some Sodium Oxybate Products Have a Food Rule — Job's Tears Should Not Break It

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

• Allow 2 hours after eating before dosing ( 2.3 ).

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sodium Oxybate — 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Job's Tears or Sodium Oxybate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Job's Tears or Sodium Oxybate, 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 Sodium Oxybate

This page covers Job's Tears only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sodium Oxybate page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Biofeedback (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), Dendrobium (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sodium Oxybate page

“Activated charcoal is the single major-rated interaction with sodium oxybate (Xyrem), and it earns that rating because the drug only works if each dose is fully absorbed; charcoal can bind it in the gut and weaken the nighttime control it provides for narcolepsy. Treat this list with genuine care, since 17 of the 25 ingredients on file…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sodium Oxybate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Job's Tears as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 111 real supplement products containing Job's Tears, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Job's Tears. Even though Job's Tears itself has no known interaction with Sodium Oxybate, 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 Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate 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 Job's Tears
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sodium Oxybate
Top 10%

#284 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 Job's Tears reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Job's Tears

What is Job's Tears?

  • Digestive support
  • Skin health and smoothness
  • Mild swelling or water retention
  • General nourishing food/tonic
  • Joint discomfort (traditional use)

Job's Tears is a grain-like seed long used as a food and in traditional medicine, especially in East Asia. While it is generally safe as a food and is being studied for possible effects on metabolism, inflammation, and immunity, strong human evidence for its health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially during pregnancy.

Coix lacryma-jobi · Poaceae · Seeds (grain/kernel), sometimes root · Whole grain, cooked food, tea, powder, capsules, flour

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

Job's Tears: dosing

There is no established standardized dose for Job's Tears as a supplement. As a food, it is simply cooked and eaten like other whole grains.For capsules, powders, or teas, follow the directions on the product label, since strengths vary widely between products.

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

Read the full Job's Tears monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sodium Oxybate

What Is Sodium Oxybate Used For?

Brand name: Xyrem

Sodium oxybate treats two major symptoms of narcolepsy: cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by emotion) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It is available in several products, each approved for these uses.

Xyrem (oral solution) and the generic sodium oxybate oral solution are approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients with narcolepsy. Lumryz (extended-release oral suspension) is specifically approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients 7 years of age and older with narcolepsy. The generic sodium oxybate oral solution label does not include the pediatric indication due to marketing exclusivity held by Xyrem.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sodium Oxybate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (65,536 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 4,928 reports
Anxiety 3,979 reports
Somnolence 3,965 reports
Insomnia 3,371 reports
Feeling abnormal 3,223 reports
See full Sodium Oxybate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Job's Tears

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

0Major
128Moderate
0Minor
2,701No known interaction
Moderate

128 interactions

Showing 60 of 128 moderate interactions — see all 128 on the Job's Tears page.

No interaction 2,701 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Job's Tears References

The 3 references that drive our Job's Tears 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. Chiang W, Cheng C, Chiang M, Chung KT. Effects of dehulled adlay on the culture count of some microbiota and their metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract of rats. J Agric Food Chem 2000;48:829-32. PubMed
  2. Yu YM, Chang WC, Liu CS, Tsai CM. Effect of young barley leaf extract and adlay on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers. Biol Pharm Bull 2004;27:802-5. PubMed
  3. Yao HT, Lin JH, Liu YT, Li ML, Chiang W. Food-Drug Interaction between the Adlay Bran Oil and Drugs in Rats. Nutrients 2019;11(10):2473. 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 Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Job's Tears with Sodium Oxybate?
We do not list a known interaction between Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate. 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 Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take Job's Tears on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sodium Oxybate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sodium Oxybate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Job's Tears and Sodium Oxybate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications, and Job's Tears has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Sodium Oxybate'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 Job's Tears interact with any other medications?
Yes. Job's Tears has 128 documented drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate 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 Oxybate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sodium Oxybate has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — Job's Tears is not one of them. The Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate and Job's Tears?

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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.