Drug & supplement interaction

Pagoda Tree + Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

Glycerol Phenylbutyrate brand name: Ravicti.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Pagoda Tree 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.

Pagoda Tree safety at a glance

Pagoda Tree overall Use caution Generally used in traditional medicine, but human safety data are limited, so use cautiously.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When the seed is used orally; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of the fruit when used orally during pregnancy... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When the seed is used orally; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of the fruit when used orally during pregnancy... Read the full breastfeeding detail

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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Pagoda Tree? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Pagoda Tree has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being caffeine (moderate) — and none of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate’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

Pagoda Tree Does Interact With Other Medications

Pagoda Tree has 29 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Pagoda Tree

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

What to actually watch for

What Pagoda Tree Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. It is the side-effect record for Pagoda Tree on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Pagoda Tree, this list is the first place to look.

  • Swelling Additional detail

    “Orally, pagoda tree flower and fruit seem to be well tolerated. No adverse effects have been reported; however, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted. The pagoda tree seed is possibly unsafe when consumed long-term.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: With use of the seed, death and edema.”

    Pagoda Tree · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pregnancy-related edema.

    “Orally, using pagoda tree seed long-term may cause edema and death (18).”

    Pagoda Tree · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pregnancy-related edema.

    1 source cited
    1. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Pagoda Tree — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Glycerol Phenylbutyrate column appears here.

Special populations

Pagoda Tree in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When the seed is used orally; avoid using. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of the fruit when used orally during pregnancy or lactation.

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

How to take them

Some Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Products Have a Food Rule — Pagoda Tree Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Glycerol Phenylbutyrate says to take it with food. If you take Pagoda Tree on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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.

Instruct patients to take glycerol phenylbutyrate oral liquid with food or formula and to administer directly into the mouth via oral syringe.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate drug page ›

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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

This page covers Pagoda Tree only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page

“Ravicti (glycerol phenylbutyrate) pulls ammonia out of the blood in people with urea cycle disorders, so a dose that never gets absorbed is not a small problem, it can let ammonia climb toward dangerous levels. That is why this list deserves real attention even though it is short.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 162 real supplement products containing Pagoda Tree, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pagoda Tree. Even though Pagoda Tree itself has no known interaction with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate, 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 Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Pagoda Tree
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glycerol Phenylbutyrate
Top 10%

#149 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 Pagoda Tree reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 27, 2026. The Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Pagoda Tree

What is Pagoda Tree?

  • Supporting blood vessel and capillary health
  • Bleeding-related complaints (traditional use)
  • Source of the flavonoid rutin
  • General antioxidant support
  • Skin and circulation health (topical/cosmetic use)

Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum, also called the Japanese pagoda tree) is a traditional Asian medicinal plant best known as a natural source of the flavonoid rutin. While it has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine and some lab interest, strong human evidence for most uses is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Styphnolobium japonicum · Fabaceae · Flowers, flower buds, and fruit (pods); sometimes leaves · Dried flower buds, teas, powders, capsules, and standardized extracts

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

Pagoda Tree: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose of Pagoda Tree for any health condition. Traditional preparations and modern supplements vary widely in strength and form.If you choose to use a product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the suggested amount.

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

Read the full Pagoda Tree monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

What Is Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Used For?

Brand name: Ravicti

Glycerol phenylbutyrate oral liquid — available as the brand Ravicti and as a generic — is used for the long-term (chronic) management of urea cycle disorders (UCDs). UCDs are rare inherited conditions where the body cannot properly convert ammonia into urea, causing toxic ammonia levels to build up in the blood and brain.

It is used in patients whose ammonia cannot be controlled by a low-protein diet and/or amino acid supplements alone. It must always be used alongside dietary protein restriction and, in some cases, additional dietary supplements such as essential amino acids, arginine, or citrulline. It is not for treating a sudden, severe spike in ammonia (acute hyperammonemia), and its safety and effectiveness for N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) deficiency have not been established.

See full Glycerol Phenylbutyrate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pagoda Tree

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

0Major
29Moderate
0Minor
2,800No known interaction
Moderate

29 interactions

No interaction 2,800 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Pagoda Tree References

The 2 references that drive our Pagoda Tree 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. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  2. Chen, Y., Xiao, C. Q., He, Y. J., Chen, B. L., Wang, G., Zhou, G., Zhang, W., Tan, Z. R., Cao, S., Wang, L. P., and Zhou, H. H. Genistein alters caffeine exposure in healthy female volunteers. Eur.J Clin.Pharmacol. 2011;67(4):347-353. 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 Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Pagoda Tree with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate?
We do not list a known interaction between Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. 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 Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Glycerol Phenylbutyrate says to take it with food. If you take Pagoda Tree on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Glycerol Phenylbutyrate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Glycerol Phenylbutyrate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Pagoda Tree and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate is filed under 1 classification, and Pagoda Tree has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate'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 Pagoda Tree interact with any other medications?
Yes. Pagoda Tree has 29 documented drug interactions in our database — Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Pagoda Tree is not one of them. The Glycerol Phenylbutyrate 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 Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and Pagoda Tree?

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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.