Drug & supplement interaction

Valerian + Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine brand names: Trileptal, Oxtellar XR.

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

Valerian has a moderate interaction with Oxcarbazepine. Valerian can have additive sedative effects when used concomitantly with CNS depressant drugs.

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

Valerian and Oxcarbazepine

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Valerian interacts with.

Valerian can have additive sedative effects when used concomitantly with CNS depressant drugs.
Theoretically, concomitant use of valerian and drugs with sedative and anesthetic properties may cause additive therapeutic and adverse 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 gist of pairing valerian with your seizure medicine, oxcarbazepine (Trileptal or Oxtellar XR). Oxcarbazepine can already make people feel drowsy, dizzy, or a bit unsteady. Valerian is used as a calming, sleep-promoting herb, so the worry is simply that the two together could pile on those effects and leave you feeling more sleepy or foggy than usual. This isn't about valerian changing how your body breaks the drug down, it's just two calming things stacking up.

Honestly, this concern comes from lab and animal research, not strong human studies, so it may be mild or not noticeable for many people. Still, since balance and alertness matter, please run it past your pharmacist or doctor before adding valerian, especially when you're driving or starting a new dose.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Houghton PJ. The scientific basis for the reputed activity of Valerian. J Pharm Pharmacol 1999;51:505-12. PubMed
  2. Yuan CS, Mehendale S, Xiao Y, et al. The gamma-aminobutyric acidergic effects of valerian and valerenic acid on rat brainstem neuronal activity. Anesth Analg 2004;98:353-8. PubMed
  3. Carrasco MC, Vallejo JR, Pardo-de-Santayana M, et al. Interactions of Valeriana officinalis L. and Passiflora incarnata L. in a patient treated with lorazepam. Phytother Res. 2009 Dec;23:1795-6.

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 Oxcarbazepine 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. Oxcarbazepine)
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 Oxcarbazepine

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 Oxcarbazepine, 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 Oxcarbazepine

This page covers Valerian only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Oxcarbazepine page lists 122 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 Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 99 moderate · 16 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Oxcarbazepine page

“People take oxcarbazepine (Trileptal, Oxtellar XR) to keep seizures in check, and I want anyone on it to read the seven major-rated interactions below before adding any supplement. Of the 122 ingredients on file, 78 have sedative effects, so the calming and sleep aids many patients reach for, kava among them, can pile drowsiness on top…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Oxcarbazepine 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 Oxcarbazepine 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 Oxcarbazepine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Oxcarbazepine
Steady interest

#1,695 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 Oxcarbazepine

What Is Oxcarbazepine Used For?

Brand names: Trileptal, Oxtellar XR

Oxcarbazepine treats partial-onset seizures (seizures that start in one area of the brain). It can be used alone (monotherapy) or alongside other seizure medicines (adjunctive therapy).

For adults, oxcarbazepine tablets, film-coated tablets, and oral suspension are approved for both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy. Oxcarbazepine extended-release tablets are approved for partial-onset seizures in patients 6 years and older. In children, Trileptal and oxcarbazepine oral suspension are approved as monotherapy in children aged 4–16 and as adjunctive therapy in children aged 2–16.

See full Oxcarbazepine 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 Oxcarbazepine, 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 Oxcarbazepine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Oxcarbazepine, ranked by severity Oxcarbazepine 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 Oxcarbazepine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Valerian with Oxcarbazepine?
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 Oxcarbazepine 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 Oxcarbazepine and Valerian?

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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.