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Can you take Selegiline with Tasimelteon?

1 drug interaction and 19 additional warnings found for the following 2 drugs:

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Drug interactions

Moderate drug interactions

Moderate:

selegiline tasimelteon

Applies to: selegiline and tasimelteon

Using selegiline together with tasimelteon may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Also avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. 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.

Food/lifestyle interactions

Major food/lifestyle interactions

Major:

selegiline Food/Lifestyle

Applies to: selegiline

While you are taking selegiline, you must not eat or drink certain foods and beverages that are high in tyramine. Eating these foods while you are taking selegiline 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).

Moderate food/lifestyle interactions

Moderate:

tasimelteon Food/Lifestyle

Applies to: tasimelteon

Food can delay the absorption of tasimelteon, which may increase the amount of time it takes for the medication to work. You should take tasimelteon without food at the same time each night before going to bed. If you are a smoker, there is a possibility that tasimelteon may not work as well for you due to reduced blood levels of the medication in smokers compared to nonsmokers. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with tasimelteon. It can increase some of the side effects including 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.

Moderate:

selegiline Alcohol (Ethanol)

Applies to: selegiline

Using selegiline together with ethanol (alcohol) may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with selegiline. Do not use more than the recommended dose of selegiline, and avoid driving, operating machinery, or engaging in potentially hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until you know how the medication affects you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. 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.

Disease interactions

16 potential interactions Applies to: 11 conditions, including High Blood Pressure, Depression, Hypotension, Psychosis, and Urinary Retention.

Cardiovascular Conditions and Disorders

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Cardiovascular Conditions and Disorders.

The use of selegiline has been associated with cardiovascular events such as tachycardia, bradycardia, syncope, hypertension, hypotension, arrhythmias, and aggravation of angina pectoris. Therapy with selegiline should be administered cautiously in patients with cardiac disease.

Depression

Major:

tasimelteon

Tasimelteon has a major potential interaction with Depression.

A variety of abnormal thinking and behavior changes have been reported to occur in association with the use of most anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics. Some of these changes include decreased inhibition, aggressiveness, agitation, and hallucinations. These drugs can cause or exacerbate mental depression and cause suicidal behavior and ideation. Therapy with these drugs should be administered cautiously in patients with a history of depression or other psychiatric disorders. Patients should be monitored for any changes in mood or behavior. It may be prudent to refrain from dispensing large quantities of medication to these patients.

Glaucoma/Intraocular Hypertension

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Glaucoma/Intraocular Hypertension.

The use of selegiline may exacerbate glaucoma. Therapy with selegiline should be administered cautiously in patients with glaucoma.

Moderate:

tasimelteon

Tasimelteon has a moderate potential interaction with Glaucoma/Intraocular Hypertension.

Some hypnotic drugs can have an anticholinergic effect and should be used with caution in patients with glaucoma, and trouble urinating due to retention or enlarged prostate.

High Blood Pressure

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with High Blood Pressure.

Selegiline can cause hypertensive reactions and it should be used with caution in patients with hypertension. Patients should report any symptoms such as occipital headache, palpitations, neck stiffness or soreness, nausea, sweating, dilated pupils and photophobia. Patients receiving therapy need to have monitored their blood pressure frequently to detect any evidence of pressor response. Additionally, patients should be advised to avoid foods and drinks with high tyramine content such as cheese, sour cream, beer, liver, bananas and others, as these might trigger a hypertensive crisis.

Hypotension

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Hypotension.

Dopamine agonists may impair the systemic regulation of blood pressure, with resultant orthostatic hypotension at any time, but especially during dose escalation. Additionally, patients with Parkinson's disease may have an impaired capacity to respond to an orthostatic challenge. For these reasons, patients with Parkinson's disease (or restless legs syndrome) who are being treated with dopaminergic agonists typically require careful monitoring for signs/symptoms of orthostatic hypotension, especially during dose escalation, and should be advised of this risk.

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Hypotension.

Hypotension has been observed during therapy with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. These drugs should be used with caution, especially in patients with tendency towards hypotension or taking other drugs known to cause hypotension.

Liver Disease

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Liver Disease.

Patients with mild to moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh 5 to 9), may require a dose reduction of selegiline depending on their clinical response. Selegiline is not recommended in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh >9).

Moderate:

tasimelteon

Tasimelteon has a moderate potential interaction with Liver Disease.

In general, anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics are extensively metabolized by the liver. Their plasma clearance may be decreased and their half-life prolonged in patients with impaired hepatic function. Therapy with these drugs should be administered cautiously in patients with liver disease (some are not recommended in severe liver impairment), and the dosage should be adjusted accordingly. Laboratory testing is recommended prior and during treatment.

Psychosis

Major:

selegiline

Selegiline has a major potential interaction with Psychosis.

Patients with major psychotic disorders should ordinarily not be treated with selegiline because of the risk of exacerbating psychosis.

Renal Dysfunction

Major:

selegiline

Selegiline has a major potential interaction with Renal Dysfunction.

Small increments in serum BUN and creatinine have been observed in patients treated with high dose of selegiline. Treatment with selegiline is not recommended in patients with severe renal impairment and end-stage renal disease (CrCl <30 mL/min).

Major:

tasimelteon

Tasimelteon has a major potential interaction with Renal Dysfunction.

Some anxiolytic, sedative and hypnotic drugs have not been studied in patients with severe renal impairment and should not be used on these patients.

Skin Cancer

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Skin Cancer.

Patients with Parkinson's disease have a higher risk of developing melanoma than the general population. Patients and providers should be advised to monitor for melanoma frequently and regularly when using selegiline. Skin examinations should be performed by qualified individuals (e.g., dermatologists).

Sleep Disorders

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Sleep Disorders.

Selegiline should be used with caution in patients with sleep disorders as it can cause somnolence. Patients should exercise caution when driving, operating machines, or working at heights during treatment. Treatment should be discontinued if patients develop daytime sleepiness with episodes of falling asleep during activities such as conversation, eating, etc. If not discontinued, patients should be very cautious about the activities that they engage in that could be potentially dangerous. Prescribers should question the patients specifically about somnolence, as it is rarely reported by patients, and ask about sleep disorders and the use of concomitant sedating medications.

Urinary Retention

Moderate:

selegiline

Selegiline has a moderate potential interaction with Urinary Retention.

The use of selegiline may exacerbate urinary retention. Therapy with selegiline should be administered cautiously in patients with urinary retention or obstruction.

Moderate:

tasimelteon

Tasimelteon has a moderate potential interaction with Urinary Retention.

Some hypnotic drugs can have an anticholinergic effect and should be used with caution in patients with glaucoma, and trouble urinating due to retention or enlarged prostate.

More resources

selegiline

A total of 537 drugs are known to interact with selegiline.

tasimelteon

A total of 464 drugs are known to interact with tasimelteon.

Drug Interaction Classification

These classifications are only a guideline. The relevance of a particular drug interaction to a specific individual is difficult to determine. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any medication.
Major Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit.
Moderate Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances.
Minor Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.
Unknown No interaction information available.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.