Herb & supplement monograph

Lavender Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Lavender interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Lavender is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Lavender is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Lavender Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Lavender drug interaction appears low for most people. No interactions are rated major, and the entire list rests on a single theoretical concern that human studies have not confirmed.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one area worth watching is CNS depressants, meaning sedatives, sleep medicines, and other drugs that slow brain activity. Lab research suggests lavender may have calming effects, so in theory it could add to the drowsiness these medicines cause. That said, clinical studies of people taking oral lavender oil or lavender flower powder for weeks to months did not report extra drowsiness or sleepiness. If you take a sedating medicine and feel unusually drowsy while using lavender, that is the combination to think about first.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications can look worrying, but it reflects one theoretical concern applied across the many drugs with sedating effects, not hundreds of separate problems. In human studies, the predicted extra sedation has not actually appeared, so for most people this remains a precaution rather than a proven risk.

Check your medications against Lavender

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Lavender interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Lavender

248 medications have a known interaction with Lavender, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Lavender using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Lavender interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Lavender combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Lavender affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Lavender is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Lavender interacts with

Cns Depressants

Theoretically, lavender might potentiate the therapeutic effects and adverse effects of CNS depressants.
Laboratory research suggests that lavender has sedative effects. However, clinical studies in patients taking oral lavender oil (Silexan) 160 mg for 10 weeks or taking lavender flower powder 1 gram daily for 2 months have not reported side effects of drowsiness, sedation, or sleepiness. There is still some concern that higher doses or different preparations of lavender might have additive effects with CNS depressant medications.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Monograph

Lavender: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Lavender is a fragrant herb most popular for promoting relaxation, easing anxiety, and supporting sleep, with some encouraging evidence for a standardized oral lavender oil product for anxiety. While generally well tolerated, the essential oil should never be swallowed unless made for that purpose, and pregnant or breastfeeding people should use caution and talk to a healthcare provider first.

Scientific name: Lavandula angustifolia
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Flowers and essential oil
Common forms: Essential oil, oral capsules, tea, dried flowers, aromatherapy products, topical creams

People commonly use it for

Anxiety and stress
Sleep problems
Relaxation and calming
Minor skin conditions
Aromatherapy

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated in approved forms, but essential oil is toxic if swallowed and skin contact can irritate some people.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable evidence available. Preliminary clinical research shows that lavender essential oil can be inhaled during labor, with no apparen...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable evidence available. Preliminary clinical research shows that lavender essential oil can be inhaled during labor, with no apparen...

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Lavender is a flowering shrub in the mint family that is native to the Mediterranean region but is now grown around the world. It is well known for its purple flowers and sweet, floral scent.

People have used lavender for centuries in perfumes, soaps, and household products. In herbal medicine and aromatherapy, it is most often used to help with relaxation, stress, and sleep. It comes in many forms, including dried flowers for tea, essential oil for aromatherapy or skin use, and capsules made from a standardized lavender oil.

How it works

Lavender essential oil contains compounds such as linalool and linalyl acetate, which are thought to be responsible for many of its effects. Laboratory and animal studies suggest these compounds may affect the nervous system in ways that promote calm.

Researchers believe lavender may influence brain chemical messengers and receptors involved in anxiety and mood, somewhat similar to how some calming medicines work, though much more gently. When inhaled, the scent may also signal relaxation through the sense of smell.

Many of these proposed mechanisms come from laboratory and animal research, so it is not fully clear how strongly they apply to people.

Effectiveness

Does Lavender work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 38 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 36 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Dysmenorrhea