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	Search Quick Order Form» Departments Vitamins Minerals Supplements Herbs Home & Grocery Diet & Fitness Body & Bath More Ways to Shop Brands A-Z Natural Remedies Children & Infants Women's Health Men's Health Seniors Free Catalog MotherNature.com's Catalog Is Here! Click Here to Get Your Free Copy Today. Newsletter Sign Up Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!		Library Home > Safetychecker by Drug Name > Selegiline SELEGILINE Introduction Safetychecker summary Vitamin interactions Herb interactions Food interactions References Visit The Healthy Living Bookshelf: 21 Online Health Books From Rodale Selegiline is used together with levodopa and carbidopa to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Safetychecker Summary for Selegiline (for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article) May be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better. 5-HTP Food L-Tryptophan Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous results. Ephedra Tyramine Depletion or interference None known Side effect reduction/prevention None known Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability None known Interactions with Dietary Supplements L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP Both L-tryptophan and 5-HTP have been used to treat depression. One controlled study showed that taking selegiline at the same time as 5-HTP enhanced the antidepressant effect when compared with 5-HTP alone.1 Further research is needed to determine whether taking selegiline and 5-HTP together might result in unwanted side effects. Interactions with Herbs Ephedra  (Ephedra sinica) Ephedrine is an active ingredient found in ephedra, an herb used in cold remedies and herbal weight loss products. One individual taking selegiline together with ephedrine experienced a serious side effect known as hypertensive crisis, in which blood pressure can reach dangerous levels.2 Though no studies have investigated whether the herb ephedra might result in similar effects, the current evidence suggests that people taking selegiline should avoid all products that contain ephedra. Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds Food Taking selegiline with food dramatically increases the absorption of the drug.3 Problems might occur when individuals switch from taking selegiline with food to taking it on an empty stomach and vice versa. Therefore, people should consistently take selegiline with a meal to enhance the effects of the drug and to avoid problems. Tyramine-containing Foods Rarely, people taking selegiline might experience a rapid rise in blood pressure and a severe throbbing headache when the drug is taken with foods that contain tyramine, such as cheese (especially aged); sour cream; yogurt; alcoholic beverages; meat, fish, and poultry; a variety of fruits and vegetables, including avocados, figs, and eggplant; fava beans; some soups; and chocolate.4 One study showed that taking 30 mg of selegiline each day greatly increases tyramine sensitivity.5 It has therefore been suggested that people taking 30 mg or more of selegiline per day should consume a tyramine-free diet. References: 1. Mendlewicz J, Youdim MB. Antidepressant potentiation of 5-hydroxytryptophan by L-deprenil in affective illness. J Affect Disord 1980;2:137–46. 2. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1025–7. 3. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1025–7. 4. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1025–7. 5. Prasad A, Glover V, Goodwin BL, et al. Enhanced pressor sensitivity to oral tyramine challenge following high dose selegiline treatment. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1998;95:540–3. Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc.  All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com Please read the disclaimer about the limitations of the information provided here. Do NOT rely solely on the information in this article. Learn more about Healthnotes, the company. Learn more about the authors of Safetychecker. The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.

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