Drug & supplement interaction

Osha + Zidovudine

Zidovudine brand names: Retrovir, Retrovir Injection.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 27, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Osha and Zidovudine 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.

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Interaction report

Osha and Zidovudine

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 Zidovudine and Osha 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 Osha at all — not against Zidovudine, 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.

Osha safety at a glance

Osha overall Use caution Limited safety data exist, and wild osha can be confused with poisonous look-alike plants.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Osha has been used to stimulate menstruation and is reported to have abortifacient activity; contraindicated. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data are available, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Zidovudine and Osha? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Zidovudine’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Osha. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Zidovudine’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. 5 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Muscle weakness Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on
  • A low white blood cell count Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on
  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Joint pain
  • Reduced appetite
  • Muscle pain

Showing the 10 most notable of 19 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 Zidovudine. Read the label on DailyMed › Osha’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Osha side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Osha has no side effects.

Special populations

Osha in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Osha has been used to stimulate menstruation and is reported to have abortifacient activity; contraindicated.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Zidovudine

This page covers Osha only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Zidovudine page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 47 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Zidovudine page

“The liver is where the biggest danger on this page sits. Zidovudine (Retrovir), an HIV medicine that can strain the liver on its own, has 38 listed ingredients capable of piling on additional liver stress, led by Siberian cocklebur, a major-rated entry linked to actual liver failure.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Zidovudine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 336 real supplement products containing Osha, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Osha. Even though Osha itself has no known interaction with Zidovudine, 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 Osha and Zidovudine 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 Osha
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Zidovudine
Top 25%

#425 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 Osha reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Osha and Zidovudine 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 Osha

What is Osha?

  • Cough and sore throat
  • Respiratory infections and colds
  • Immune support
  • Digestive upset
  • Bronchitis and congestion

Osha is a root from a wild mountain plant native to the western United States and Mexico, traditionally used by Native American and Hispanic communities for coughs, colds, and sore throats. Solid human research is lacking, so its benefits remain unproven, and it should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Ligusticum porteri · Apiaceae · Root · Tea, tincture, capsules, lozenges, chewed raw root

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

Osha: dosing

There is no established standard dose for osha. The right amount depends on the form (tea, tincture, capsule, or lozenge) and the product's strength.If you choose to use osha, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed them.

From our Osha monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Osha monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Zidovudine

What Is Zidovudine Used For?

Brand names: Retrovir, Retrovir Injection

Zidovudine treats HIV-1 infection. It is used in combination with other antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medicines.

It is also used to prevent maternal-fetal HIV-1 transmission, meaning HIV passing from a pregnant woman to her baby. This involves treatment of the mother during pregnancy and labor, and treatment of the newborn after birth. Retrovir (capsules, oral solution and injection) and zidovudine capsules, tablets and oral solution are all labeled for both uses.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Zidovudine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (19,936 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Foetal exposure during pregnancy 2,651 reports
Drug exposure during pregnancy 1,933 reports
Anemia 1,279 reports
Premature baby 981 reports
Virologic failure 915 reports
See full Zidovudine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Osha

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Osha — 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 Osha 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 Osha list.

See the full Osha interactions page
See every supplement checked against Zidovudine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Osha References

The 2 references that drive our Osha 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. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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 Osha and Zidovudine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Osha with Zidovudine?
We do not list a known interaction between Osha and Zidovudine. 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.
Does Zidovudine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Zidovudine has documented interactions with 60 supplements in our database — Osha is not one of them. The Zidovudine 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

Osha monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Zidovudine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Zidovudine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Zidovudine, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Zidovudine and Osha?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.