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Class landing · Benzodiazepines

Supplements and benzodiazepines.

Diazepam, lorazepam, temazepam and the supplements that add CNS sedation.

Benzodiazepines (diazepam, lorazepam, temazepam) potentiate GABA at the GABA-A receptor. Several supplements act on the same axis. Combining them adds sedation in a way that is sometimes useful and often overshoots.

Kava is the clearest exclusion: independent hepatotoxicity risk (the UK MHRA suspended kava-containing medicines for human consumption in 2003) plus additive GABAergic sedation. Valerian and passionflower add CNS depression in a softer, dose-dependent way; the Akhondzadeh 2001 RCT found passionflower clinically comparable to oxazepam for generalised anxiety, which gives you a sense of the additive potential. Ashwagandha is theoretical-only at this stage but worth flagging. Note that St John’s Wort reduces diazepam levels (CYP3A4) but does not affect lorazepam or temazepam, which are glucuronidated rather than CYP3A4-metabolised. The class page pre-selects all three benzodiazepines.

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For adults over 18. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP or pharmacist, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.
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How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.

Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.

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The free checker answers one interaction question at a time. A Distil report reviews the bigger picture: your goals, diet, medications, current supplements and any blood results you provide, then shows what appears worth keeping, changing, adding or leaving out.

  • what your diet already covers, so you are not adding a capsule for something food is already handling
  • which evidence-graded compounds are worth considering for your goals, and which were considered but left out
  • what to keep, change or stop from what you already take, plus the order to introduce anything new
  • how your medications and complete supplement stack fit together, with daily timing and a clear point for reassessment

The interaction check is one section of the full report. You also get the reasoning behind each recommendation and the evidence references used.

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Distil's interactions database is reviewed and updated every quarter. We grade evidence transparently and publish our methodology, including every database change, at /about/methodology. This tool is information, not a substitute for clinical judgement. If you take medication and supplements together, your GP or pharmacist can review your full regimen against your medical history. If you want a full personalised stack reasoned against this same database, the Distil report is the next step up.