Drug & supplement interaction

Lemon Verbena + Midazolam

Midazolam brand names: Versed, Seizalam, Nayzilam.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Lemon Verbena has a moderate interaction with Midazolam. Theoretically, taking lemon verbena with benzodiazepines might increase the risk of sedation and respiratory depression.

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

Lemon Verbena and Midazolam

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

Moderate

BENZODIAZEPINES

Why this applies to Midazolam

Midazolam falls under BENZODIAZEPINES — the group Lemon Verbena interacts with.

Theoretically, taking lemon verbena with benzodiazepines might increase the risk of sedation and respiratory depression.
Animal research shows that lemon verbena has additive sedative effects in mice that also received diazepam.
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 gist: midazolam already works by calming brain activity to make you drowsy and relaxed before a procedure. In animal studies, lemon verbena seemed to add to that sedating effect when paired with a similar benzodiazepine. So the concern is simply extra sedation stacked on top of midazolam, which in theory could mean deeper drowsiness or, at the far end, slowed breathing.

I want to keep this in perspective, though. This is theoretical and based only on mouse research, not people, so it's a possibility rather than a proven problem. A cup of lemon verbena tea is unlikely to matter much, while concentrated supplements are more of a question mark. Since midazolam is usually given in a monitored medical setting, just let your care team or pharmacist know you use it.

References
  1. Afrasiabian F, Mirabzadeh Ardakani M, Rahmani K, et al. Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) for insomnia patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety. Phytother Res. 2019;33(2):350-359.

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

Lemon Verbena Also Interacts With Other Medications

Lemon Verbena has 21 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Midazolam one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lemon Verbena

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Lemon Verbena or Midazolam

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Lemon Verbena or Midazolam, 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 Midazolam

This page covers Lemon Verbena only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Midazolam page lists 202 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), Bitter Orange (major) and Fever Bark (major).

By severity: 11 major · 153 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Midazolam page

“Sedation stacked on sedation is the headline risk with midazolam (Versed, Seizalam, Nayzilam). Midazolam is a benzodiazepine used for sedation and seizure emergencies, and 78 of the 202 interacting ingredients here, beer and wine included, add their own drowsiness, which can slide into dangerously slowed breathing.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Midazolam interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 32 real supplement products containing Lemon Verbena, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lemon Verbena. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Midazolam too, on top of Lemon Verbena — 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 Lemon Verbena and Midazolam 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 Lemon Verbena
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Midazolam
Top half

#859 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 Lemon Verbena

What is Lemon Verbena?

Lemon Verbena
  • Digestive upset
  • Anxiety and trouble sleeping
  • Joint pain and inflammation
  • Exercise recovery and oxidative stress
  • Weight management
  • Flavoring and aromatherapy

Lemon verbena is a fragrant South American herb most often enjoyed as a tea or flavoring, and it contains polyphenols like verbascoside that have antioxidant activity in lab studies. Some small studies hint at benefits for inflammation, exercise recovery, and appetite, but the human evidence is limited and far from proven. It is generally well tolerated as a food and tea, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Lemon Verbena monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Midazolam

What Is Midazolam Used For?

Brand names: Versed, Seizalam, Nayzilam

Midazolam is used in several different forms depending on the setting. Injectable midazolam (given by IV or IM shot) is used before and during surgery or procedures — such as endoscopy, cardiac catheterization, or bronchoscopy — to cause sedation, reduce anxiety, and prevent memory of the event. It can also be used to start general anesthesia or to keep heavily sedated, ventilated patients comfortable in a critical care unit. Midazolam HCl oral syrup is used specifically in children for sedation and anxiety relief before procedures or anesthesia induction, in a monitored medical setting only.

Nayzilam nasal spray is indicated for a different purpose: the acute treatment of seizure clusters (also called acute repetitive seizures) in people aged 12 and older who have epilepsy. It is used intermittently — not as a daily seizure medicine — when a cluster of seizures breaks through the person's usual pattern.

See full Midazolam drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Lemon Verbena

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

0Major
21Moderate
0Minor
2,808No known interaction
Moderate

21 interactions

No interaction 2,808 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Lemon Verbena and Midazolam Together: Common Questions

Can you take Lemon Verbena with Midazolam?
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 Lemon Verbena and Midazolam 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 Midazolam and Lemon Verbena?

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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.