Drug & supplement interaction

Winter Cherry + Divalproex Sodium

Divalproex Sodium brand name: Depakote.

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 Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium 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 Divalproex Sodium states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium

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 Divalproex Sodium and Winter Cherry 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.

Winter Cherry safety at a glance

Winter Cherry overall Use caution Often well tolerated for short-term use, but quality of products and long-term safety are not well established.
Pregnancy Avoid Traditionally avoided in pregnancy because of possible effects on the uterus; do not use.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Divalproex Sodium and Winter Cherry? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Divalproex Sodium

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Divalproex Sodium is filed under 7 classifications — including valproate, anticonvulsants, cns depressants. Winter Cherry has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2e1 (cyp2e1) substrates (moderate) — and none of Divalproex Sodium’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

Winter Cherry Does Interact With Other Medications

Winter Cherry has 156 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Divalproex Sodium isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 156 No known interaction 2,674 (incl. Divalproex Sodium)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Winter Cherry

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

What to actually watch for

What Divalproex Sodium’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Winter Cherry. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Divalproex Sodium’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Mania or an unusually elevated mood Worth acting on
  • Hearing loss Worth acting on
  • Bone thinning Worth acting on
  • Pain or burning when passing urine Worth acting on
  • Memory problems Worth acting on
  • Low sodium Worth acting on
  • Unsteadiness Worth acting on
  • A slow heartbeat Worth acting on
  • Seizures Worth acting on mentioned in 5.7% of FDA reports for Divalproex Sodium
  • Hallucinations Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 72 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Divalproex Sodium. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 46,266 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Divalproex Sodium that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Winter Cherry’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Winter Cherry side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Winter Cherry has no side effects.

How to take them

Some Divalproex Sodium Products Have a Food Rule — Winter Cherry Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Divalproex Sodium says to take it with food. If you take Winter Cherry on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Divalproex Sodium 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 Divalproex Sodium 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.

irritation may benefit from administration of the drug with food or by slowly building up the dose from an initial low level.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Divalproex Sodium — 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 Winter Cherry or Divalproex Sodium

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

This page covers Winter Cherry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Divalproex Sodium page lists 134 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 · 110 moderate · 17 minor.

Open the Divalproex Sodium interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium 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 Winter Cherry
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Divalproex Sodium
Steady interest

#1,652 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 Winter Cherry reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium 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 Winter Cherry

What is Winter Cherry?

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Fatigue and low energy
  • Sleep support
  • General vitality and tonic
  • Athletic performance

Winter Cherry is another name for ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), an herb long used in Ayurvedic medicine, most often for stress, sleep, and energy. Some small studies suggest it may help with stress and anxiety, but the evidence is still limited and not definitive. It is generally well tolerated short-term, but pregnant women should avoid it, and anyone with a health condition should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Withania somnifera · Solanaceae · Root, and sometimes leaves and berries · Capsules, tablets, powder (churna), root extract, tea, tinctures

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

Winter Cherry: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for Winter Cherry, and products vary widely in strength and how they are made (for example, different root extracts standardized to different amounts of withanolides).Because of this, the best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. It is often used for a limited period rather than indefinitely. A pharmacist or doctor can help you choose a reputable product and decide whether it is appropriate for you.

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

Read the full Winter Cherry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valproic Acid

What Is Valproic Acid Used For?

Brand name: Depakote

Valproic acid capsules (brands Valproic and Valproic Acid) and valproic acid oral solution (brand Valproic Acid) are both used to treat epilepsy. Specifically, they are approved for complex partial seizures (either alone or with other seizure types) as monotherapy or add-on therapy, and for simple and complex absence seizures as sole therapy or add-on therapy.

Both forms are intended for adults and pediatric patients. Always follow your prescriber's guidance on which product and regimen is right for you.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Divalproex Sodium

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (46,266 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Seizure 2,620 reports
Weight increased 2,168 reports
Nausea 2,109 reports
Fatigue 1,963 reports
Somnolence 1,901 reports
See full Valproic Acid drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Winter Cherry

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

0Major
156Moderate
0Minor
2,673No known interaction
156 Moderate 2,673 No interaction
Moderate

156 interactions

Showing 60 of 156 moderate interactions — see all 156 on the Winter Cherry page.

No interaction 2,673 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,673 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Winter Cherry list.

See the full Winter Cherry interactions page
See every supplement checked against Divalproex Sodium, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Winter Cherry References

The 2 references that drive our Winter Cherry 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. Beiraghdar F, Einollahi B, Ghadyani A, et al. A two-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Viola odorata, Echium amoenum and Physalis alkekengi mixture in symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) men. Pharm Biol 2017;55(1):1800-5.
  2. Hu XF, Zhang Q, Zhang PP, et al. Evaluation of in vitro/in vivo anti-diabetic effects and identification of compounds from Physalis alkekengi. Fitoterapia. 2018;127:129-137. 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 Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Winter Cherry with Divalproex Sodium?
We do not list a known interaction between Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium. 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.
Should I take Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Divalproex Sodium says to take it with food. If you take Winter Cherry on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Divalproex Sodium with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Divalproex Sodium products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Winter Cherry and Divalproex Sodium combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Divalproex Sodium is filed under 7 classifications, and Winter Cherry has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Divalproex Sodium'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 Winter Cherry interact with any other medications?
Yes. Winter Cherry has 156 documented drug interactions in our database — Divalproex Sodium 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 Divalproex Sodium interact with any supplements?
Yes. Divalproex Sodium has documented interactions with 134 supplements in our database — Winter Cherry is not one of them. The Divalproex Sodium 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

Winter Cherry monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Valproic Acid drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Divalproex Sodium supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Divalproex Sodium, 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Divalproex Sodium and Winter Cherry?

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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.