Is Kava Safe with Hydrocodone?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Do not take kava while using hydrocodone. This combination can cause life-threatening drug accumulation. Report signs of overdose such as pinpoint pupils, severe drowsiness, or slow breathing to emergency services immediately.
Why this interaction occurs
Hydrocodone undergoes significant CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 metabolism. Kava's inhibition of these pathways reduces hydrocodone clearance, leading to elevated and potentially toxic systemic opioid concentrations with heightened risk of respiratory depression and opioid toxicity.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 219,290 reports mentioning Hydrocodone. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Hydrocodone + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Kava interactions → · All Hydrocodone interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.