Drug Interactions between safinamide and st. john's wort

While you are taking St. John's wort, you must not eat or drink certain foods and beverages that are high in tyramine. Eating these foods while you are taking St. John's wort can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels. This may cause life threatening symptoms such as sudden and severe headache, confusion, blurred vision, problems with speech or balance, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, seizure (convulsions), and sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body). Call your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms. Foods that are high in tyramine include: air dried meats, aged or fermented meats, sausage or salami, pickled herring, and any spoiled or improperly stored beef, poultry, fish, or liver, red wine, beer from a tap, beer that has not been pasteurize, aged cheeses, including blue, brick, brie, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and swiss, sauerkraut, over the counter supplements or cough and cold medicines that contain tyramine, soy beans, soy sauce, tofu, miso soup, bean curd, fava beans, or yeast extracts (such as Marmite). Caffeine intake should be limited as well. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with St. John's wort. Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of St. John's wort such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns.

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Safinamide may be taken with or without food. While there is no need to strictly avoid most foods and beverages that contain tyramine (usually aged, fermented, cured, smoked, or pickled foods such as air-dried and fermented meats or fish, aged cheeses, most soybean products, yeast extracts, red wine, beer, and sauerkraut) during treatment with safinamide, certain foods such as some of the aged cheeses (for example, Boursault, Liederkrantz, Mycella, and Stilton) and pickled herring may contain very high amounts of tyramine and should generally be avoided if possible. Consumption of very high levels of tyramine (greater than 150 mg) while on safinamide treatment may lead to dangerous increases in your blood pressure, a condition known as hypertensive crisis. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are uncertain about what foods, if any, to avoid. You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience sudden and severe headache, blurred vision, confusion, seizures, chest pain, nausea or vomiting, sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), speech difficulties, fever, sweating, lightheadedness, and/or fainting during treatment with safinamide, as these may be signs and symptoms of a hypertensive crisis. Do not take larger doses or use the medication more frequently than prescribed. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

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