Drug interactions
Green tea + Selegiline
Severity: Minor
Green tea and Selegiline: minor 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
Green tea contains caffeine, a stimulant that can raise heart rate and blood pressure. With an MAO inhibitor, large intakes might contribute to palpitations, arrhythmias or blood pressure elevation, although at the low oral doses of selegiline used in Parkinson disease the risk is modest.
What this interaction means in plain words
Green tea and Selegiline have a small, usually unimportant interaction. Most people can take both; the pharmacist may still mention it so that any unexpected effect is recognised.
Green tea belongs to Gastrointestinal Tract; Selegiline belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive sympathomimetic effects of caffeine with MAO inhibition, which may potentiate pressor responses.
What to do
Advise patients to keep green tea and other caffeine intake moderate and to report palpitations or headache. Check blood pressure if symptoms occur.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there anything I should notice while taking both?
- Do I need to tell my doctor at the next visit?
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Other interactions of Selegiline
- Amitriptyline + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Amoxapine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Atomoxetine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Benzphetamine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Brimonidine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine long-acting + Selegiline Contraindicated
Other interactions of Green tea
- Adenosine + Green tea Moderate
- Benzphetamine + Green tea Moderate
- Bortezomib + Green tea Moderate
- Dextroamphetamine + Green tea Moderate
- Diethylpropion + Green tea Moderate
- Ephedrine + Green tea Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Green tea with Selegiline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as minor. Green tea and Selegiline have a small, usually unimportant interaction. Most people can take both; the pharmacist may still mention it so that any unexpected effect is recognised. Green tea contains caffeine, a stimulant that can raise heart rate and blood pressure. With an MAO inhibitor, large intakes might contribute to palpitations, arrhythmias or blood pressure elevation, although at the low oral doses of selegiline used in Parkinson disease the risk is modest.
How serious is the interaction between Green tea and Selegiline?
MediHelp rates it minor, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Advise patients to keep green tea and other caffeine intake moderate and to report palpitations or headache. Check blood pressure if symptoms occur.
What other medicines interact with Selegiline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Selegiline with, for example, Amitriptyline, Amoxapine, Atomoxetine. The full list is on the Selegiline page.
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