Drug & supplement interaction

Wild Lettuce + Sodium Oxybate

Sodium Oxybate brand name: Xyrem.

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 Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate 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 label for Sodium Oxybate states a food rule worth keeping to, and 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

Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate

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 Sodium Oxybate and Wild Lettuce 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.

Wild Lettuce safety at a glance

Wild Lettuce overall Use caution Limited human safety data exist, and high doses have been linked to side effects.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is no reliable safety data, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Pharmacist analysis

Studies are few and far between, but the only reported interactions with wild lettuce are with sedative drugs as wild lettuce is purported to have sedative effects.

This would include drugs like antihistamines, opioids, and benzodiazepines. These are detailed on our individual drug interaction pages.

Additionally, as wild lettuce may contain hyoscyamine, an anticholinergic drug, it should be used cautiously with other anticholinergic drugs due to the increased risk of side effects.


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Still wondering about combining Sodium Oxybate and Wild Lettuce? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sodium Oxybate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications — sodium-containing drugs, seizure threshold lowering drugs, oral drugs. Wild Lettuce has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticholinergic drugs (moderate) and cns depressants (moderate) — and none of Sodium Oxybate’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

Wild Lettuce Does Interact With Other Medications

Wild Lettuce has 393 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 393 No known interaction 2,437 (incl. Sodium Oxybate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wild Lettuce

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate 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.

  • Drowsiness / Dizziness / Headache reported in 6.0% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate Additional detail

    Wild Lettuce

    “There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of wild lettuce. Orally, large amounts of wild lettuce, as well as eating prematurely harvested wild lettuce, can cause sweating, increased respiration, tachycardia, pupil dilation, dizziness, ringing in the ears, vision disorders, pressure in the head, somnolence, excitatory states (18, 93563), respiratory depression, coma, and death (4).

    Topi…”

    Wild Lettuce · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 93566. Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ. The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1998;40(5):290-1.

    “Orally, large amounts of wild lettuce or prematurely harvested wild lettuce has been reported to cause dizziness, pressure in the head, somnolence, anxiety, headache, excitatory states (18, 93563), and coma (4).”

    Wild Lettuce · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anxiety.

    1 source cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

    Sodium Oxybate

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

  • Stomach pain / Nausea reported in 7.5% of FDA reports for Sodium Oxybate Additional detail

    Wild Lettuce

    “Orally, wild lettuce has been reported to cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

    Intravenously, boiled wild lettuce, prepared by hand in combination with valerian root, has been reported to cause nausea and abdominal pain in three intravenous drug users.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 93563. Besharat S, Besharat M, Jabbari A. Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) toxicity. BMJ Case Rep. 2009;2009. pii: bcr06.2008.0134.
    2. 93566. Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ. The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1998;40(5):290-1.

    Sodium Oxybate

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

  • Vomiting Additional detail

    Wild Lettuce

    Recorded for Wild Lettuce in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Stomach pain / Nausea above.

    Sodium Oxybate

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

Reported for Wild Lettuce but not commonly for Sodium Oxybate: ringing in the ears, trouble passing urine, an allergic reaction and a fast or pounding heartbeat.

Effects for Sodium Oxybate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Wild Lettuce come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 65,315 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Sodium Oxybate 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.

How to take them

Some Sodium Oxybate Products Have a Food Rule — Wild Lettuce Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take Wild Lettuce on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Sodium Oxybate with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Sodium Oxybate products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

• Allow 2 hours after eating before dosing ( 2.3 ).

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sodium Oxybate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Wild Lettuce or Sodium Oxybate

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

This page covers Wild Lettuce only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sodium Oxybate page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Biofeedback (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), Dendrobium (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sodium Oxybate page

“Activated charcoal is the single major-rated interaction with sodium oxybate (Xyrem), and it earns that rating because the drug only works if each dose is fully absorbed; charcoal can bind it in the gut and weaken the nighttime control it provides for narcolepsy. Treat this list with genuine care, since 17 of the 25 ingredients on file…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sodium Oxybate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 99 real supplement products containing Wild Lettuce, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wild Lettuce. Even though Wild Lettuce itself has no known interaction with Sodium Oxybate, 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 Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate 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 Wild Lettuce
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sodium Oxybate
Top 25%

#355 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 Wild Lettuce reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Wild Lettuce

What is Wild Lettuce?

Wild Lettuce
  • Insomnia and trouble sleeping
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Pain relief
  • Cough and respiratory symptoms
  • Muscle spasms

Wild lettuce is a traditional herb used mainly for sleep, anxiety, and pain, but solid human research supporting these uses is very limited. Because its safety is not well studied, it should be used cautiously, avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and discussed with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Lactuca virosa · Asteraceae · Leaves, dried milky sap (latex/lactucarium), and aerial parts · Capsules, tablets, dried herb, tea, tincture, extract, and smoking/vaping preparations

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

Wild Lettuce: dosing

There is no well-established or standardized dose for wild lettuce. The right amount can vary widely depending on the product, form (tea, capsule, tincture, or extract), and how it is prepared.Because a safe and effective dose has not been clearly defined in research, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and start with the lowest suggested amount.

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

Read the full Wild Lettuce monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sodium Oxybate

What Is Sodium Oxybate Used For?

Brand name: Xyrem

Sodium oxybate treats two major symptoms of narcolepsy: cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by emotion) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It is available in several products, each approved for these uses.

Xyrem (oral solution) and the generic sodium oxybate oral solution are approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients with narcolepsy. Lumryz (extended-release oral suspension) is specifically approved for cataplexy or EDS in patients 7 years of age and older with narcolepsy. The generic sodium oxybate oral solution label does not include the pediatric indication due to marketing exclusivity held by Xyrem.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sodium Oxybate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (65,536 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 4,928 reports
Anxiety 3,979 reports
Somnolence 3,965 reports
Insomnia 3,371 reports
Feeling abnormal 3,223 reports
See full Sodium Oxybate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wild Lettuce

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

0Major
393Moderate
0Minor
2,436No known interaction
393 Moderate 2,436 No interaction
Moderate

393 interactions

Showing 60 of 393 moderate interactions — see all 393 on the Wild Lettuce page.

No interaction 2,436 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,436 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wild Lettuce list.

See the full Wild Lettuce interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sodium Oxybate, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Wild Lettuce References

The 5 references that drive our Wild Lettuce 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  3. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  4. Besharat S, Besharat M, Jabbari A. Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) toxicity. BMJ Case Rep. 2009;2009. pii: bcr06.2008.0134.
  5. Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ. The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1998;40(5):290-1.

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 Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Wild Lettuce with Sodium Oxybate?
We do not list a known interaction between Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate. 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 Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 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.
Should I take Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sodium Oxybate says to take it with food. If you take Wild Lettuce on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sodium Oxybate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sodium Oxybate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Wild Lettuce and Sodium Oxybate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sodium Oxybate is filed under 3 classifications, and Wild Lettuce has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Sodium Oxybate'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 Wild Lettuce interact with any other medications?
Yes. Wild Lettuce has 393 documented drug interactions in our database — Sodium Oxybate 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 Sodium Oxybate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sodium Oxybate has documented interactions with 25 supplements in our database — Wild Lettuce is not one of them. The Sodium Oxybate 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

Wild Lettuce monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sodium Oxybate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Sodium Oxybate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sodium Oxybate, 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sodium Oxybate and Wild Lettuce?

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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.