Drug & supplement interaction

Rue + Ethosuximide

Ethosuximide brand name: Zarontin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Rue and Ethosuximide 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 two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Rue and Ethosuximide

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 Ethosuximide and Rue 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.

Rue safety at a glance

Rue overall Use caution Rue can be toxic in higher doses and the oil is especially risky, so use it cautiously if at all.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Rue has uterine stimulant and abortifacient effects; avoid using. Deaths have been reported in women who used rue as an abortifacient. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is not established and potentially toxic compounds may pass to the baby, so avoid use.

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 Ethosuximide and Rue? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Ethosuximide

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Ethosuximide is filed under 7 classifications — including anticonvulsants, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers, cns depressants. Rue has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being photosensitizing drugs (moderate) — and none of Ethosuximide’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

Rue Does Interact With Other Medications

Rue has 335 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Ethosuximide isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 335 No known interaction 2,495 (incl. Ethosuximide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rue

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Rue and Ethosuximide May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low mood Worth acting on Additional detail

    Rue

    “Orally, rue is well tolerated when taken in the amounts found in foods. The dried herb seems to be generally well tolerated when taken in medicinal doses; however, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.”

    Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    “Orally, therapeutic doses of rue can cause tremor, dizziness, drowsiness, sleep disorders, and depression. High doses can cause vertigo, seizures, and delirium (2,12,18).”

    Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Ethosuximide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ethosuximide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Drowsiness / Dizziness reported in 6.3% of FDA reports for Ethosuximide Additional detail

    Rue

    Recorded for Rue in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Low mood above.

    Ethosuximide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ethosuximide, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach pain / Vomiting Additional detail

    Rue

    “Orally, rue can cause gastrointestinal irritation and cramps at therapeutic doses (2,12). When taken in large doses, it causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting (2,12,18).”

    Rue · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    3 sources cited
    1. 2. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
    2. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    3. 18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

    Ethosuximide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ethosuximide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Rue but not commonly for Ethosuximide: shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, a skin rash and seizures.

Effects for Ethosuximide come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Rue come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 2,490 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Ethosuximide that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Rue in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Rue has uterine stimulant and abortifacient effects; avoid using. Deaths have been reported in women who used rue as an abortifacient.

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 Ethosuximide

This page covers Rue only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethosuximide page lists 226 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 Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 9 major · 179 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethosuximide page

“Ethosuximide (Zarontin) prevents absence seizures, and a steady blood level is what keeps them away, so I treat this list of 226 interacting supplements and herbs with real care, especially the nine rated major. More than half of the entries can change how the liver clears the drug; grapefruit can raise its level while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethosuximide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 47 real supplement products containing Rue, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rue. Even though Rue itself has no known interaction with Ethosuximide, 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 Rue and Ethosuximide 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 Rue
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethosuximide
Steady interest

#2,341 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 Rue reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Rue and Ethosuximide 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 Rue

What is Rue?

Rue
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Digestive upset
  • Muscle spasms and pain
  • Headache
  • Insect repellent (topical)
  • Traditional folk remedy

Rue is a strong-smelling herb from southern Europe with a long history in folk medicine, but there is very little reliable human research to support its health uses. It can be toxic in larger amounts and is considered unsafe during pregnancy, so most people should avoid it or use it only under professional guidance.

Ruta graveolens · Rutaceae · Aerial parts (leaves and flowering tops) and essential oil · Tea, tincture, dried herb, essential oil, topical preparations

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

Rue: dosing

There is no well-established or standardized safe dose of rue. Because the plant can be toxic and the amount of active compounds varies widely between products, it is hard to know what amount is safe.If you choose to use a commercial rue product, follow the directions on the label exactly and do not exceed them. The essential oil should not be taken internally.

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

Read the full Rue monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ethosuximide

What Is Ethosuximide Used For?

Brand name: Zarontin

Ethosuximide — sold as Zarontin and also available as generic Ethosuximide — is used to control absence (petit mal) epilepsy. Absence seizures are brief episodes where a person loses awareness for a few seconds, often mistaken for daydreaming.

Both Zarontin and Ethosuximide products (capsule and oral solution forms) are approved for this use. Either may also be used alongside other seizure medicines when a patient has absence seizures together with other types of epilepsy.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ethosuximide

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (2,490 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Seizure 367 reports
Somnolence 157 reports
Generalised tonic-clonic seizure 149 reports
Petit mal epilepsy 118 reports
Treatment failure 116 reports
See full Ethosuximide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rue

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

0Major
335Moderate
0Minor
2,494No known interaction
335 Moderate 2,494 No interaction
Moderate

335 interactions

Showing 60 of 335 moderate interactions — see all 335 on the Rue page.

No interaction 2,494 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Rue against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,494 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rue list.

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

Rue References

The 8 references that drive our Rue 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. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  3. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  4. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  5. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  6. Puig L. Pharmacodynamic interaction with phototoxic plants during PUVA therapy. Br J Dermatol 1997;136:973-4. PubMed
  7. Radotra I, Gardiner S, Barnes D. A phytophototoxic injury at a burns unit: the ungraceful after-effects of the "common rue" plant. J Burn Care Res. 2018;39(6):1064-6. PubMed
  8. Avallone G, Mastorino L, Agostini A, et al. Ruta graveolens phytophotodermatitis. Dermatol Online J 2021;27(7). 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 Rue and Ethosuximide Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Rue with Ethosuximide?
We do not list a known interaction between Rue and Ethosuximide. 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.
Do Rue and Ethosuximide have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Rue and Ethosuximide combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Ethosuximide is filed under 7 classifications, and Rue has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Ethosuximide'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 Rue interact with any other medications?
Yes. Rue has 335 documented drug interactions in our database — Ethosuximide 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 Ethosuximide interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ethosuximide has documented interactions with 226 supplements in our database — Rue is not one of them. The Ethosuximide 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

Rue monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ethosuximide drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Ethosuximide supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ethosuximide, 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 8 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ethosuximide and Rue?

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.