Drug & supplement interaction

Red-spur Valerian + Acyclovir

Acyclovir brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated June 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir

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 Acyclovir and Red-spur Valerian 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 Red-spur Valerian at all — not against Acyclovir, 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.

Red-spur Valerian safety at a glance

Red-spur Valerian overall Not established There is very little reliable safety data on red-spur valerian in humans.
Pregnancy Avoid Safety is unknown, so it is best to avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is no safety information for nursing, so avoid use.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Acyclovir and Red-spur Valerian? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Acyclovir’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Red-spur Valerian. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Acyclovir’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. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on mentioned in 5.0% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on
  • Joint pain
  • Tiredness mentioned in 7.0% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Stomach pain
  • A skin rash mentioned in 3.7% of FDA reports for Acyclovir
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea mentioned in 4.9% of FDA reports for Acyclovir

Showing the 10 most notable of 12 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 Acyclovir. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 114,761 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Acyclovir that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Red-spur Valerian’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Red-spur Valerian side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Red-spur Valerian has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Red-spur Valerian or Acyclovir

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Red-spur Valerian or Acyclovir, 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 Acyclovir

This page covers Red-spur Valerian only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acyclovir page lists 37 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 3 major · 23 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acyclovir page

“Kidney strain is the risk to understand first. Acyclovir (Zovirax) can stress the kidneys on its own, and a few ingredients here, Siberian cocklebur especially, are toxic to kidney tissue, so pairing them could compound the harm.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acyclovir interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir 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 Red-spur Valerian
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acyclovir
Top 5%

#59 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. Red-spur Valerian is not yet covered by that licensed database, so its write-up cites publicly available medical sources directly (see the references below).
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Red-spur Valerian reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Red-spur Valerian

What is Red-spur Valerian?

Red-spur Valerian
  • Sleep and relaxation
  • Anxiety and nervousness
  • Digestive upset
  • Headaches

Red-spur valerian (Centranthus ruber) is a Mediterranean ornamental plant that has been used in folk medicine as a mild sedative, but there is almost no modern scientific research to support these uses. It is a different plant from true valerian (Valeriana officinalis), and its safety has not been well studied, so caution is warranted—especially during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in children.

Centranthus ruber · Caprifoliaceae · Roots, leaves, and flowering tops · Rarely sold as a commercial supplement; traditionally used as teas or dried plant preparations

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

Red-spur Valerian: dosing

There is no established or standardized dose for red-spur valerian. It is not a common commercial supplement, and reliable dosing guidelines have not been set through research.If you find a product that contains it, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Red-spur Valerian monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Red-spur Valerian monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acyclovir

What Is Acyclovir Used For?

Brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr

Acyclovir treats infections caused by herpes viruses. Depending on the form, it is used for cold sores (herpes labialis), genital herpes (initial episodes and recurrent flare-ups), shingles (herpes zoster), and chickenpox (varicella). It can also be used long-term to suppress recurrent genital herpes outbreaks.

Some forms are approved for more serious situations: acyclovir injection is used in hospital settings for herpes simplex encephalitis (herpes infection of the brain), neonatal herpes (in newborns), and herpes or shingles infections in immunocompromised patients. Avaclyr ophthalmic ointment is specifically indicated for acute herpetic keratitis (a herpes ulcer on the cornea of the eye). Sitavig buccal tablet and Zovirax cream are specifically indicated for recurrent cold sores in immunocompetent adults.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Acyclovir

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (114,761 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 8,029 reports
Diarrhea 7,348 reports
Pneumonia 5,700 reports
Nausea 5,643 reports
Fever 4,989 reports
See full Acyclovir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Red-spur Valerian

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Red-spur Valerian — 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 Red-spur Valerian 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 Red-spur Valerian list.

See the full Red-spur Valerian interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acyclovir, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Red-spur Valerian References

The 2 sources that drive our Red-spur Valerian monograph — publicly available pages from reputable medical and government organizations. Every link was verified to work before publishing. Red-spur Valerian is not covered by the licensed Natural Medicines interaction database, so its page cites these public sources directly.

  1. Valerian - Health Professional Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Source
  2. Valerian — NIH NCCIH Source

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 Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Red-spur Valerian with Acyclovir?
We do not list a known interaction between Red-spur Valerian and Acyclovir. 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 Acyclovir interact with any supplements?
Yes. Acyclovir has documented interactions with 37 supplements in our database — Red-spur Valerian is not one of them. The Acyclovir 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

Red-spur Valerian monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Acyclovir drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Acyclovir supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Acyclovir, 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 Acyclovir and Red-spur Valerian?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.