Drug & supplement interaction

Rhodiola + Elbasvir, Grazoprevir

Elbasvir, Grazoprevir brand name: Zepatier.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Rhodiola has a minor interaction with Elbasvir, Grazoprevir. Theoretically, rhodiola might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

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

Rhodiola and Elbasvir, Grazoprevir

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Elbasvir, Grazoprevir

Elbasvir, Grazoprevir falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Rhodiola interacts with.

Theoretically, rhodiola might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that rhodiola inhibits CYP3A4. This effect is highly variable and appears to be dependent on the rhodiola product studied. However, a clinical study in healthy young males found that taking rhodiola extract 290 mg daily for 14 days does not inhibit the metabolism of midazolam, a CYP3A4 substrate.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 for your hepatitis C medicine, Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir). Your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear these antiviral drugs. In lab (test tube) studies, rhodiola can mildly block that enzyme, and in theory that could let the drug levels creep up a bit, which might mean more side effects like tiredness, headache, or nausea.

That said, this is a minor, mostly theoretical concern. When rhodiola was actually tested in real people, it did not meaningfully change how the body handled a similar CYP3A4 drug. So the worry is small. Still, since clearing hepatitis C matters, I'd run it by your pharmacist or doctor before adding rhodiola, just so they can keep an eye on things.

References
  1. Hellum BH, Tosse A, Hoybakk K, et al. Potent in vitro inhibition of CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein by Rhodiola rosea. Planta Med 2010;76:331-8.
  2. Thu OK, Nilsen OG, Hellum B. In vitro inhibition of cytochrome P-450 activities and quantification of constituents in a selection of commercial Rhodiola rosea products. Pharm Bio. 2016 Dec;54(12):3249-3256.
  3. Thu OK, Spigset O, Nilsen OG, Hellum B. Effect of commercial Rhodiola rosea on CYP enzyme activity in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Mar;72(3):295-300. 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

Rhodiola Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rhodiola has 624 moderate, 646 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Elbasvir, Grazoprevir 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 Rhodiola

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Rhodiola or Elbasvir, Grazoprevir

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

This page covers Rhodiola only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Elbasvir, Grazoprevir page lists 140 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 96 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Elbasvir, Grazoprevir page

“Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir) is a fixed-course hepatitis C cure, and success depends on holding steady drug levels through every week of treatment, so this list deserves genuine care. Three of the 140 ingredients on file rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Elbasvir, Grazoprevir interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,713 real supplement products containing Rhodiola, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rhodiola. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Elbasvir, Grazoprevir too, on top of Rhodiola — 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 Rhodiola and Elbasvir, Grazoprevir 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 Rhodiola
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Elbasvir, Grazoprevir
Steady interest

#2,643 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 Rhodiola

What is Rhodiola?

Rhodiola
  • Fatigue and low energy
  • Stress and coping (adaptogen)
  • Mental performance and focus
  • Mild depression
  • Physical and exercise performance

Rhodiola is an herb traditionally used to fight fatigue and help the body cope with stress. Some small studies suggest it may modestly reduce fatigue and improve mood, but the evidence is limited and not strong. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Rhodiola monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Elbasvir and Grazoprevir

What Is Elbasvir and Grazoprevir Used For?

Brand name: Zepatier

Zepatier is used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 or genotype 4 infection in adults and children 12 years of age and older (or weighing at least 30 kg). It works against both the most common strain of HCV (genotype 1) and genotype 4.

Depending on the specific genotype, prior treatment history, and certain viral characteristics, Zepatier may be prescribed alone or combined with another antiviral medicine called ribavirin. Your prescriber will determine the right regimen and duration for your situation.

See full Elbasvir and Grazoprevir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rhodiola

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

0Major
624Moderate
646Minor
1,559No known interaction
Moderate

624 interactions

Showing 60 of 624 moderate interactions — see all 624 on the Rhodiola page.

Minor

646 interactions

Showing 60 of 646 minor interactions — see all 646 on the Rhodiola page.

No interaction 1,559 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Rhodiola and Elbasvir, Grazoprevir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rhodiola with Elbasvir, Grazoprevir?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Rhodiola and Elbasvir, Grazoprevir interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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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.