Drug & supplement interaction

Sassafras + Lorazepam

Lorazepam brand name: Ativan.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Sassafras has a moderate interaction with Lorazepam. Theoretically, concomitant use of sassafras with drugs with sedative properties may cause additive sedative effects.

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

Sassafras and Lorazepam

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Lorazepam

Lorazepam falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Sassafras interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of sassafras with drugs with sedative properties may cause additive sedative effects.
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 simple version: lorazepam (Ativan) already calms the brain to ease anxiety or help you sleep. Sassafras may have its own mild sedative-type effects, so the worry is that pairing the two could stack that drowsiness on top of each other. In practice that might mean feeling sleepier than expected, foggy thinking, dizziness, or being a little unsteady on your feet.

I want to be honest about the strength of this concern. It's theoretical, based on how the ingredients behave rather than real-world reports, so it may not amount to much for everyone. That said, I'd avoid sassafras anyway because it contains safrole, which has real liver and cancer concerns. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Sassafras Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sassafras has 274 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Lorazepam one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 274 No known interaction 2,556 (incl. Lorazepam)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sassafras

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Sassafras or Lorazepam

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

This page covers Sassafras only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lorazepam page lists 119 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: 8 major · 94 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lorazepam page

“Lorazepam (Ativan) works by slowing brain activity, and that is exactly why this list deserves real caution. Of the 119 supplement and herbal ingredients on file, 78 are themselves nervous-system depressants, so adding them can deepen drowsiness or, at the extreme, slow breathing.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lorazepam interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 11 real supplement products containing Sassafras, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sassafras. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lorazepam too, on top of Sassafras — 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 Sassafras and Lorazepam 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 Sassafras
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lorazepam
Top 25%

#585 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 Sassafras

What is Sassafras?

  • Digestive complaints
  • Cold and flu symptoms
  • Joint and muscle aches
  • Skin conditions (topical folk use)
  • As a flavoring agent (traditional root beer)

Sassafras is an aromatic North American tree whose root bark and oil were once popular in teas and as a flavoring, but it contains safrole, a compound the FDA has banned in foods because it can cause cancer and liver damage. There is no good evidence it safely treats any health condition, and most experts recommend avoiding internal use. If you want the flavor, choose products that are labeled safrole-free.

Read the full Sassafras monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lorazepam

What Is Lorazepam Used For?

Brand name: Ativan

Lorazepam tablets (Ativan and generic) and the oral solution are used to manage anxiety disorders or for short-term relief of anxiety symptoms, including anxiety that comes with depressive symptoms. Loreev XR, an extended-release capsule, is specifically indicated for adults with anxiety disorders who are already stable on lorazepam tablets taken three times daily.

Ativan and generic lorazepam injections are used in two additional situations: treating status epilepticus (a medical emergency involving prolonged or repeated seizures) and as a pre-surgery medication in adults to produce sedation, ease anxiety, and reduce memory of events on the day of surgery.

See full Lorazepam drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sassafras

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

0Major
274Moderate
0Minor
2,555No known interaction
274 Moderate 2,555 No interaction
Moderate

274 interactions

Showing 60 of 274 moderate interactions — see all 274 on the Sassafras page.

No interaction 2,555 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,555 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Sassafras list.

See the full Sassafras interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lorazepam, ranked by severity
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
Sassafras monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Lorazepam supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Lorazepam, ranked by severity Lorazepam drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Sassafras and Lorazepam Together: Common Questions

Can you take Sassafras with Lorazepam?
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 Sassafras and Lorazepam 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 Lorazepam and Sassafras?

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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.