Drug & supplement interaction

Kava + Tiagabine

Tiagabine brand name: Gabitril.

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

Tiagabine falls into 2 drug categories that Kava can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Combining kava with CNS depressants can have additive sedative effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceA
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Kava and Tiagabine

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Kava interacts with whole categories of medication. Tiagabine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Kava in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Major).

Major

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Tiagabine

Tiagabine falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Kava interacts with.

Combining kava with CNS depressants can have additive sedative effects.
Kava has CNS depressant effects. Concomitant use of kava with other CNS depressants can increase the risk of drowsiness and motor reflex depression. Clinical practice guidelines from a joint taskforce of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) recommend that CNS depressants, including alcohol and benzodiazepines, not be used with kava.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence A

Interaction 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..

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

Here's the thing to keep in mind: tiagabine works by boosting GABA, a calming brain chemical that quiets nerve signals. Kava is thought to act on that same GABA system. So when you put the two together, their sedating effects can stack up. This isn't about kava changing how your body clears tiagabine, it's that both press the same brake pedal at once.

In real terms, that could mean more drowsiness, dizziness, trouble concentrating, or feeling unsteady on your feet. Major guideline groups specifically advise against pairing kava with calming medicines. Kava also carries a rare risk of liver harm on its own. Please don't change anything yet, just check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining these.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Pittler MH, Ernst E. Efficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2000;20:84-9. PubMed
  2. Munte TF, Heinze HJ, Matzke M, Steitz J. Effects of oxazepam and an extract of kava roots (Piper methysticum) on event-related potentials in a word recognition task. Neuropsychobiology 1993;27:46-53.
  3. Cairney S, Maruff P, Clough AR, et al. Saccade and cognitive impairment associated with kava intoxication. Hum Psychopharmacol 2003;18:525-33. PubMed
  4. Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, et al. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum. Psychopharmacology 2009;205:399-407. PubMed
  5. Sarris J, Ravindran A, Yatham LN, et al. Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety T
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Tiagabine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

It is unclear if kava inhibits CYP3AA; research is conflicting.
Although in vitro research suggests that kava inhibits CYP3A4, more robust clinical evidence shows that kava has no effect on CYP3A4. In a clinical study in healthy volunteers, taking kava 1000 mg twice daily (containing a daily dose of 138 mg kavalactones) for 28 days had no effect on CYP3A4 activity.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence B

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

Here's the short version on combining kava with tiagabine (Gabitril). Your body clears tiagabine partly through a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Early test-tube studies hinted that kava might slow that enzyme down, which in theory could let tiagabine build up and bring more drowsiness, dizziness, or trouble concentrating. But the better human research tells a calmer story: a clinical study found that real kava doses did not actually change CYP3A4 activity. So this interaction is rated minor and unlikely.

My bigger concern is overlap in effects, not metabolism. Both can be sedating, and kava has been tied to rare liver injury, which matters with any seizure medicine. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding kava, and don't change your tiagabine on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mathews JM, Etheridge AS, Black SR. Inhibition of human cytochrome P450 activities by kava extract and kavalactones. Drug Metab Dispos 2002;30:1153-7. PubMed
  2. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed
  3. Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, Hubbard MA, et al. In vivo effects of goldenseal, kava kava, black cohosh, and valerian on human cytochrome P450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4/5 phenotypes. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2005;77:415-26. PubMed
  4. Asher GN, Corbett AH, Hawke RL. Common Herbal Dietary Supplement-Drug Interactions. Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(2):101-107.

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

Kava Also Interacts With Other Medications

Kava has 247 major, 577 moderate, 341 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tiagabine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 247 Moderate 577 Minor 341 No known interaction 1,665 (incl. Tiagabine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Kava

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tiagabine

This page covers Kava only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tiagabine page lists 214 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 · 157 moderate · 48 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tiagabine page

“Anyone taking tiagabine (Gabitril) for seizures should treat its supplement interactions with real vigilance. The drug is cleared by the liver enzyme CYP3A4, so grapefruit can push its blood level up while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tiagabine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Kava as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 403 real supplement products containing Kava, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Kava. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tiagabine too, on top of Kava — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Kava and Tiagabine 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 Kava
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tiagabine
Steady interest

#1,472 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 Kava

What is Kava?

Kava
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Restlessness
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Relaxation in social or cultural settings
  • Menopausal symptoms

Kava is a Pacific Island plant traditionally used to promote relaxation and ease anxiety, and some studies suggest it may help mild anxiety. However, kava has been linked to rare but serious liver damage, so it should be used with caution, avoided by people with liver problems, and only used after talking with your pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Kava monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tiagabine

What Is Tiagabine Used For?

Brand name: Gabitril

Tiagabine hydrochloride tablets are approved as add-on (adjunctive) therapy for partial seizures in adults and adolescents aged 12 and older. It is not used alone — it is always added to an existing seizure medication regimen.

Both the film-coated and standard tablet forms of tiagabine hydrochloride carry this same indication. The safety and effectiveness of tiagabine have not been established for any other condition.

See full Tiagabine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kava

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

247Major
577Moderate
341Minor
1,664No known interaction
247 Major 577 Moderate 341 Minor 1,664 No interaction
Major

247 interactions

Showing 60 of 247 major interactions — see all 247 on the Kava page.

Moderate

577 interactions

Showing 60 of 577 moderate interactions — see all 577 on the Kava page.

Minor

341 interactions

Showing 60 of 341 minor interactions — see all 341 on the Kava page.

No interaction 1,664 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,664 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Kava list.

See the full Kava interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tiagabine, 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
Kava monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Tiagabine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Tiagabine, ranked by severity Tiagabine 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 Kava and Tiagabine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Kava with Tiagabine?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Kava and Tiagabine?
Tiagabine belongs to more than one drug category, and Kava interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Kava and Tiagabine interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Tiagabine and Kava?

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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.