Drug interactions
Ketamine + Selegiline
Severity: Moderate
Ketamine and Selegiline: 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
Ketamine has sympathomimetic effects, and combining it with an MAO inhibitor may produce exaggerated hypertension and tachycardia. Selegiline's MAO-B selectivity lowers but does not remove this risk.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ketamine and Selegiline 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.
Ketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Selegiline belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Ketamine promotes catecholamine release and reduces reuptake, and MAO inhibition may potentiate the resulting sympathetic response.
What to do
Monitor blood pressure and heart rate continuously if ketamine is needed, and have antihypertensive treatment available. Consider an alternative anesthetic in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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 Selegiline
- Amitriptyline + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Amoxapine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Atomoxetine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Benzphetamine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Brimonidine + Selegiline Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine long-acting + Selegiline Contraindicated
Other interactions of Ketamine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ketamine with Selegiline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ketamine and Selegiline 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. Ketamine has sympathomimetic effects, and combining it with an MAO inhibitor may produce exaggerated hypertension and tachycardia. Selegiline's MAO-B selectivity lowers but does not remove this risk.
How serious is the interaction between Ketamine and Selegiline?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor blood pressure and heart rate continuously if ketamine is needed, and have antihypertensive treatment available. Consider an alternative anesthetic in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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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