Drug & supplement interaction

Valerian + Cabotegravir

Cabotegravir brand name: Apretude.

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

Valerian has a moderate interaction with Cabotegravir. Valerian might weakly inhibit glucuronidation and increase concentrations of drugs metabolized by UGT1A1 and UGT2B7.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Valerian and Cabotegravir

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

Moderate

GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS

Why this applies to Cabotegravir

Cabotegravir falls under GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS — the group Valerian interacts with.

Valerian might weakly inhibit glucuronidation and increase concentrations of drugs metabolized by UGT1A1 and UGT2B7.
In vitro research shows that methanolic valerian extract and valerenic acid might competitively inhibit UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 (UGT1A1) and UGT2B7.
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 gist for anyone using Apretude (cabotegravir) for HIV prevention or treatment. Your body clears cabotegravir mainly through a process called glucuronidation, which involves enzymes named UGT1A1 and UGT2B7. Lab studies suggest valerian root might gently slow these same enzymes. In theory, that could let a little more cabotegravir build up in your system, which might mean a touch more of its usual effects, like headache, tiredness, or stomach upset.

I want to keep this in perspective. This is based only on test-tube research, not real people, so it's a weak, theoretical concern. Cabotegravir is also incredibly important to take reliably, so don't change anything on your own. Just mention the valerian to your pharmacist or HIV provider so they can keep an eye on things.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Alkharfy, K. M. and Frye, R. F. Effect of valerian, valerian/hops extracts, and valerenic acid on glucuronidation in vitro. Xenobiotica 2007;37(2):113-123.

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

Valerian Also Interacts With Other Medications

Valerian has 337 moderate, 564 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Cabotegravir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 337 Minor 564 No known interaction 1,929 (incl. Cabotegravir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Valerian

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Valerian or Cabotegravir

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

This page covers Valerian only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cabotegravir page lists 12 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Breadfruit (moderate), Brussels Sprout (moderate), Cabbage (moderate), Calcium D-glucarate (moderate) and Cannabidiol (cbd) (moderate).

By severity: 11 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cabotegravir page

“Cabotegravir (Apretude) prevents HIV only while its blood level stays steady, which is why this particular list, mild as it looks, deserves a real read. Every one of the interactions works through the same pathway, glucuronidation, the process the body uses to clear the drug.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cabotegravir interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,185 real supplement products containing Valerian, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Valerian. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Cabotegravir too, on top of Valerian — 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 Valerian and Cabotegravir 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 Valerian
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cabotegravir
Top half

#806 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 Valerian

What is Valerian?

Valerian
  • Insomnia and poor sleep
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Restlessness
  • Muscle tension or cramps
  • Menstrual discomfort

Valerian is an herb whose root is widely used as a natural sleep aid and for calming nerves. The evidence is mixed and often weak, so it may help some people sleep but does not work reliably for everyone. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Read the full Valerian monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cabotegravir

What Is Cabotegravir Used For?

Brand name: Apretude

Vocabria (cabotegravir) tablets are used in combination with rilpivirine (Edurant) to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents aged 12 and older who weigh at least 35 kg and whose HIV is already virologically suppressed (virus levels undetectable or very low on their current regimen). Vocabria tablets serve as a short-term oral lead-in — taken for roughly one month — before switching to long-acting injectable therapy.

Cabotegravir tablets are also used as an oral lead-in for HIV-1 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — helping HIV-negative adults and adolescents (weighing at least 35 kg) confirm they tolerate the drug before starting injectable PrEP. Both uses require confirmed HIV-negative status before starting.

See full Cabotegravir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Valerian

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

0Major
337Moderate
564Minor
1,928No known interaction
337 Moderate 564 Minor 1,928 No interaction
Moderate

337 interactions

Showing 60 of 337 moderate interactions — see all 337 on the Valerian page.

Minor

564 interactions

Showing 60 of 564 minor interactions — see all 564 on the Valerian page.

No interaction 1,928 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,928 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Valerian list.

See the full Valerian interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cabotegravir, 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
Valerian monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Cabotegravir supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Cabotegravir, ranked by severity Cabotegravir 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 Valerian and Cabotegravir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Valerian with Cabotegravir?
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 Valerian and Cabotegravir 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 Cabotegravir and 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.