Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Valerian 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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Valerian 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 Valerian drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the great majority are minor, with the moderate ones supported mostly by theoretical or limited evidence.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The main concern with valerian is added drowsiness. Because valerian itself has calming effects, combining it with alcohol, alprazolam (Xanax), or other sedating medications could theoretically make you more drowsy than expected, though even here the human evidence is limited and, in the case of alcohol, disputed. A small study also found valerian might slightly raise alprazolam levels, but this is not likely to matter clinically. Lab research hints valerian could slow the breakdown of certain other medications, but this has not been confirmed in people.

What the rest of the list means

Valerian appears alongside hundreds of medications mostly because of predicted effects on the body's drug-processing enzymes, not because of documented harm. In fact, human studies looked at two major enzyme pathways and found valerian did not meaningfully change how those medications are cleared. So a long interaction list here largely reflects caution, not proven problems.

Check your medications against Valerian

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Valerian

904 medications have a known interaction with Valerian, 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 Valerian using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Valerian 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 Valerian 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 Valerian affects

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

All 6 drug categories Valerian interacts with

Alcohol (ethanol)Alprazolam (xanax)Cns DepressantsGlucuronidated DrugsCytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates

Alcohol (Ethanol)

Valerian can have additive sedative effects when used concomitantly with alcohol.
Valerian has sedative effects. Theoretically, valerian might have an additive sedative effect when combined with alcohol. Excessive sedation has been reported in an alcohol-abusing individual who took valerian and Gingko biloba. However, the potential interaction between valerian and alcohol has been disputed in other research. Limited evidence suggests that a combination of valerian 160 mg and lemon balm 80 mg (Euvegal) does not cause further deterioration in reaction ability and reaction rate when taken with alcohol as compared to the effects of alcohol alone.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Alprazolam (Xanax)

Valerian can have additive sedative effects when used with alprazolam. Also, valerian in high doses might modestly increase alprazolam levels, though this is not likely to be clinically significant.
Valerian has sedative effects. Theoretically, valerian might cause additive sedation when combined with alprazolam. Also, a small pharmacokinetic study shows that taking valerian extract 1000 mg daily (providing 11 mg valerenic acid) might increase alprazolam levels by about 19%. This might be due to valerian's mild inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Despite being statistically significant, this increase is not likely to be clinically significant.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Cns Depressants

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.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Glucuronidated Drugs

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.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Valerian does not seem to have a clinically relevant effect on levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
Although some in vitro evidence suggests that valerian affects CYP2D6, clinical pharmacokinetic (PK) studies show that valerian is unlikely to affect the CYP2D6 enzyme. In one PK study, taking valerian 1000 mg (providing about 11 mg valerenic acid) nightly for 14 days did not affect the metabolism of dextromethorphan, a CYP2D6 substrate. In another PK study, taking valerian 125 mg three times daily for 28 days did not affect metabolism of debrisoquine, an accepted CYP2D6 probe-substrate.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence B

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Valerian does not seem to have a clinically relevant effect on levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Although some in vitro evidence suggests that valerian extract might inhibit or induce CYP3A4, clinical pharmacokinetic (PK) studies show that valerian does not have a clinically significant effect on the CYP3A4 enzyme. In one PK study, taking valerian 125 mg three times daily for 28 days did not affect metabolism of midazolam, an accepted CYP3A4 probe-substrate. In another PK study, taking valerian 1000 mg (providing about 11 mg valerenic acid) nightly for 14 days modestly increases levels of alprazolam, a CYP3A4 substrate, suggesting mild inhibition of CYP3A4. However, this mild inhibition is unlikely to be clinically relevant.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Monograph

Valerian: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

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.

Scientific name: Valeriana officinalis
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Part used: Root and rhizome
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, tinctures, liquid extracts, teas

People commonly use it for

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

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated short-term, but long-term safety is not well studied.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

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

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a flowering perennial herb native to Europe and parts of Asia, and it now grows in many other regions, including North America. It has pink or white flowers and a root that gives off a strong, distinctive smell that many people find unpleasant.

The root and rhizome (underground stem) are the parts used in supplements. People have used valerian for hundreds of years as a folk remedy to help with sleep and to calm the nerves. Today it is sold as capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures, and teas, often by itself or combined with other calming herbs like hops or lemon balm.

How it works

Valerian root contains many compounds, including valerenic acid and valepotriates, along with various oils and acids. The exact way it works is not fully understood.

Laboratory and animal research suggests valerian may affect GABA, a chemical messenger in the brain that helps calm nerve activity. By increasing or supporting GABA activity, valerian may have a mild sedative or relaxing effect. It is important to know that much of this is based on lab and animal studies, and we cannot be certain it works the same way in people.

Effectiveness

Does Valerian work?

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

Evidence overview · 10 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 9 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 Insomnia