The short answer
Avoid self-starting oral Teucrium polium while taking valproate and discuss any current use with your prescriber. Human reports link this plant with liver injury. Valproate has its own liver warning, but a specific increase in risk from taking them together has not been established.
What this answer covers
Oral preparations reported as Teucrium polium in human cases. Findings are not substituted from Teucrium chamaedrys and do not establish equivalence across extracts or topical products.
- Supplement or preparation
- Teucrium polium
- Medication ingredient
- valproate
Human reports for this species
Three postpartum women developed jaundice and markedly elevated liver enzymes after taking preparations reported as Teucrium polium. Their liver tests improved after stopping the plant and receiving supportive treatment. Two reported similar earlier problems during use in a previous pregnancy.
What limits the evidence
These were individual cases in a particular postpartum setting, not a controlled valproate study. They cannot establish how often injury occurs or whether every preparation has the same effect. The report concerns T. polium, so evidence from a different Teucrium species is not needed to make this limited precaution.
Combining it with valproate
The valproate liver warning makes an additional possible cause of liver injury worth reviewing before use. Neither a safe combination dose nor a protective timing interval was established by the cited sources.
Review use and symptoms with your clinician
Bring the product label and your dose and duration of use to your prescriber. Valproate requires liver monitoring, especially early in treatment. Seek prompt medical assessment for new loss of appetite, vomiting, marked weakness or unusual lethargy. Do not abruptly stop an anticonvulsant prescribed for epilepsy; medication decisions need your treating team.
Evidence and practical considerations
Side effects & toxicity
Human Teucrium polium liver-injury reports and valproate labeling support a precaution about co-use, without demonstrating additive injury from the exact pair.
- Exact scope
- Oral preparations reported as Teucrium polium in human cases. Findings are not substituted from Teucrium chamaedrys and do not establish equivalence across extracts or topical products. with Oral valproate active moiety; label evidence is from oral valproic acid capsules, with Depakote exposure identified separately where relevant.
- Medication form and route
- oral valproate; supplement route as specified in source and scope
- Timing or duration
- No safe co-use duration or protective spacing interval established.
What remains uncertain
- Three uncontrolled postpartum cases with reported plant identity, no documented botanical authentication and no valproate comparison.
Factors that may matter: postpartum evidence setting; existing liver disease; uncertain botanical authentication.
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: current oral product label
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Patients prescribed oral valproic acid capsules.
Label warns of potentially fatal liver injury, especially during the first six months, and thrombocytopenia/coagulation abnormalities. It recommends baseline and follow-up liver and blood assessments. P450 oxidation is a minor metabolic pathway. Aspirin increased free valproate fraction in six pediatric patients; the study is aspirin-specific.
How this applies: Medication risk and identity context for RxCUI 40254 valproate; oral active-moiety bridge only.
Not a study of any of these botanical combinations. Active-moiety identity does not establish interchangeable doses, release kinetics or routes. Aspirin results do not establish salicin or methyl salicylate effects.
Source 2: three-patient case series
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Three postpartum women aged 33, 31 and 37.
Jaundice and markedly elevated liver enzymes improved after cessation and supportive care, including ursodeoxycholic acid. Two women reported similar problems during earlier pregnancies when using the plant.
How this applies: Exact reported T. polium signal; not borrowed from T. chamaedrys. Does not establish increased risk when combined with valproate.
Uncontrolled cases, postpartum context, no botanical authentication described and no valproate-specific comparison. Recovery cannot be attributed solely to cessation.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Original sources checked and exact-pair evidence package prepared; no clinical review asserted. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: 9e18f39086423986
This guide brings together the evidence records used by our interaction checker. Each finding retains its own preparation limits, research date, and source summaries.
Full citations require verification. Reading this answer and the source summaries does not.
Taking other supplements or medications?
Use the checker to explore your other combinations. Ask a pharmacist to review the exact products, amounts and medical conditions in your complete list.
Open the interaction checkerInformation, not medical advice. Do not change prescribed treatment based on this guide.