Drug interactions
Chloral hydrate + Kava
Severity: Moderate
Chloral hydrate and Kava: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Kava has sedative and anxiolytic effects and can potentiate other CNS depressants. With chloral hydrate, excessive drowsiness and psychomotor impairment may occur, and kava also carries a risk of hepatotoxicity.
What this interaction means in plain words
Chloral hydrate and Kava can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression, with kavalactones modulating GABA-A receptors.
What to do
Avoid combining kava with chloral hydrate where possible, and counsel against driving. Stop kava if sedation or liver symptoms occur.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Chloral hydrate and Kava, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 7 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Chloral hydrate
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Chloral hydrate Contraindicated
- Chloral hydrate + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Chloral hydrate Major
- Alprazolam + Chloral hydrate Major
- Amobarbital + Chloral hydrate Major
- Belladonna and opium + Chloral hydrate Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Chloral hydrate with Kava?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Chloral hydrate and Kava can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Kava has sedative and anxiolytic effects and can potentiate other CNS depressants. With chloral hydrate, excessive drowsiness and psychomotor impairment may occur, and kava also carries a risk of hepatotoxicity.
How serious is the interaction between Chloral hydrate and Kava?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid combining kava with chloral hydrate where possible, and counsel against driving. Stop kava if sedation or liver symptoms occur.
What other medicines interact with Chloral hydrate?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Chloral hydrate with, for example, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Sodium oxybate, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Chloral hydrate page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
