Drug interactions
Ethanol + Melatonin
Severity: Moderate
Ethanol and Melatonin: 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
Alcohol and melatonin both cause drowsiness and can impair alertness and psychomotor performance. Together they may produce greater next-day impairment and sedation than either alone.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ethanol and Melatonin 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 central nervous system depressant effects.
What to do
Advise patients to avoid alcohol around the time melatonin is taken. Counsel against driving or operating machinery until the combined effect is known.
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 Melatonin
- Fluvoxamine + Melatonin Major
- Alfentanil + Melatonin Moderate
- Belladonna and opium + Melatonin Moderate
- Buprenorphine buccal + Melatonin Moderate
- Butabarbital + Melatonin Moderate
- Butalbital + Melatonin Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ethanol with Melatonin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ethanol and Melatonin 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. Alcohol and melatonin both cause drowsiness and can impair alertness and psychomotor performance. Together they may produce greater next-day impairment and sedation than either alone.
How serious is the interaction between Ethanol and Melatonin?
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 alcohol around the time melatonin is taken. Counsel against driving or operating machinery until the combined effect is known.
What other medicines interact with Melatonin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Melatonin with, for example, Fluvoxamine, Alfentanil, Belladonna and opium. The full list is on the Melatonin page.
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