Drug & supplement interaction

Pinellia Ternata + Cenobamate

Cenobamate brand name: Xcopri.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Pinellia Ternata has a moderate interaction with Cenobamate. Evidence from animal research shows that a Pinellia ternata preparation decreases activity and increases sleeping time.

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

Pinellia Ternata and Cenobamate

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Cenobamate

Cenobamate falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Pinellia Ternata interacts with.

Evidence from animal research shows that a Pinellia ternata preparation decreases activity and increases sleeping time. Theoretically, Pinellia ternata can potentiate the therapeutic effect of CNS depressants. Some of these medications include antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, and others.
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 short version: cenobamate already works by calming overactive electrical signals in the brain, so it can leave you feeling drowsy, dizzy, or a bit unsteady on its own. Pinellia ternata may add to that sedating effect. In animal studies, a Pinellia preparation lowered activity and made the animals sleep longer, so combining the two could, in theory, leave you feeling sleepier or more foggy than usual.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. The evidence here is only from lab and animal work, not from people, so it's a theoretical concern rather than something well proven. Still, since both can make you drowsy, it's worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before pairing them, especially when you're driving or just starting cenobamate.

References
  1. Lin S, Nie B, Yao G, Yang H, Ye R, Yuan Z. Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) makino preparation promotes sleep by increasing REM sleep. Nat Prod Res. 2019;33(22):3326-3329. PubMed

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

Pinellia Ternata Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pinellia Ternata has 255 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cenobamate 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 Pinellia Ternata

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cenobamate

This page covers Pinellia Ternata only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cenobamate page lists 122 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 Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 99 moderate · 16 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cenobamate page

“Anyone taking cenobamate (Xcopri) for seizures already knows the drug can cause drowsiness on its own, which is exactly why this list warrants genuine vigilance before adding a supplement. Of the 122 ingredients with an interaction on file, seven rate major, and the pattern is lopsided: 78 are sedating in their own right, from kava dow…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cenobamate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Pinellia Ternata, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pinellia Ternata. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cenobamate too, on top of Pinellia Ternata — 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 Pinellia Ternata and Cenobamate 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 Pinellia Ternata
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cenobamate
Steady interest

#2,352 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 Pinellia Ternata

What is Pinellia Ternata?

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Cough with phlegm
  • Morning sickness (traditional use)
  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Throat discomfort

Pinellia ternata is a tuber used in traditional Chinese medicine, most often for nausea, vomiting, and phlegmy coughs, and almost always as part of multi-herb formulas. The raw plant is toxic and must be specially processed before use, so it should only be used under qualified guidance. Solid human evidence is limited, and it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Pinellia Ternata monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cenobamate

What Is Cenobamate Used For?

Brand name: Xcopri

Xcopri (cenobamate) tablets are approved to treat partial-onset seizures in adults. Partial-onset seizures start in one area of the brain and may or may not spread further.

Xcopri can be used alone or together with other seizure medications. It is not approved for use in children.

See full Cenobamate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pinellia Ternata

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

0Major
255Moderate
0Minor
2,574No known interaction
Moderate

255 interactions

Showing 60 of 255 moderate interactions — see all 255 on the Pinellia Ternata page.

No interaction 2,574 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 Pinellia Ternata and Cenobamate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pinellia Ternata with Cenobamate?
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 Pinellia Ternata and Cenobamate 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 Cenobamate and Pinellia Ternata?

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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.