Drug interactions
Clemastine + Kava
Severity: Moderate
Clemastine 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 properties and may add to the drowsiness caused by sedating antihistamines like clemastine. This can impair alertness and psychomotor performance. Kava is also associated with rare hepatotoxicity.
What this interaction means in plain words
Clemastine 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 through pharmacodynamic synergism (kavalactones enhance GABAergic activity, clemastine blocks central H1 receptors).
What to do
Advise patients to avoid driving or operating machinery and to avoid the combination where possible; choose a non-sedating antihistamine if an antihistamine is needed.
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?
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Other interactions of Clemastine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Clemastine with Kava?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Clemastine 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 properties and may add to the drowsiness caused by sedating antihistamines like clemastine. This can impair alertness and psychomotor performance. Kava is also associated with rare hepatotoxicity.
How serious is the interaction between Clemastine 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: Advise patients to avoid driving or operating machinery and to avoid the combination where possible; choose a non-sedating antihistamine if an antihistamine is needed.
What other medicines interact with Clemastine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Clemastine with, for example, Alfentanil, Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen, Buprenorphine buccal. The full list is on the Clemastine page.
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