Drug interactions
Selegiline transdermal + Venlafaxine
Severity: Contraindicated
Selegiline transdermal and Venlafaxine: contraindicated 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
Transdermal selegiline is an MAO inhibitor that is nonselective at antidepressant doses, and combining it with venlafaxine can cause serotonin syndrome or hypertensive crisis. Labeling for selegiline contraindicates concomitant SNRIs.
What this interaction means in plain words
Selegiline transdermal and Venlafaxine are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
MAO inhibition by selegiline combined with serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition by venlafaxine leads to excess monoamines.
What to do
Do not use together. Allow at least 7 days after stopping venlafaxine before starting selegiline, and at least 14 days after stopping selegiline before starting venlafaxine.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Venlafaxine
- Isocarboxazid + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Phenelzine + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Procarbazine + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Rasagiline + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Safinamide + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Selegiline transdermal with Venlafaxine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Selegiline transdermal and Venlafaxine are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Transdermal selegiline is an MAO inhibitor that is nonselective at antidepressant doses, and combining it with venlafaxine can cause serotonin syndrome or hypertensive crisis. Labeling for selegiline contraindicates concomitant SNRIs.
How serious is the interaction between Selegiline transdermal and Venlafaxine?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Do not use together. Allow at least 7 days after stopping venlafaxine before starting selegiline, and at least 14 days after stopping selegiline before starting venlafaxine.
What other medicines interact with Venlafaxine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Venlafaxine with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Methylene blue, Phenelzine. The full list is on the Venlafaxine page.
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