Supplements and Buspirone.
Buspirone, sold under the brand name Buspar, is classified under "anxiolytic" in the BNF.
Buspirone (brand names Buspar) sits in the Distil medication database. The BNF classifies it under "anxiolytic". This means it sits outside the high-volume therapeutic classes (statins, PPIs, ACE inhibitors, SSRIs) where supplement-interaction surfaces are densely studied, and the published evidence base for specific supplement pairs is correspondingly thinner. Where interactions are documented in the Distil database, they are listed below with their clinical-reference citation; where pairs have not been explicitly assessed, the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes them into our next curation pass. Anyone combining Buspirone with a regular supplement stack benefits from explicit GP or pharmacist awareness rather than assuming no interaction exists by default.
Below are the 3 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed against Buspirone in the Distil database: 2 red and 1 amber. The pairs cluster around 1 mechanism: Additive serotonergic activity. Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not on this list is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by supplement, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued supplement into our next curation pass.
Documented interactions
Last reviewed 13 September 2026. Each interaction below lists the evidence its assessment drew on: some rest on studies of the exact pair, others on mechanism evidence, where a citation may support one part of the reasoning rather than the exact combination. The evidence line on each entry says which.
Additive serotonergic activity
Red Does 5-HTP interact with ?
5-HTP is turned into serotonin in the body, and buspirone is an anxiety medicine whose UK product information warns about using it with L-tryptophan, the substance 5-HTP is made from, so taking the two together can cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, sweating, tremor, a racing heart, confusion). Do not take 5-HTP with buspirone; if you already take both, tell the prescriber who manages your buspirone, and do not stop buspirone on your own.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports, alongside a known mechanism.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Red Does St John's Wort interact with ?
St John's Wort and buspirone both raise serotonin activity, and a published case linked the combination to serotonin syndrome, a potentially serious reaction. St John's Wort can also speed up the breakdown of buspirone and make it less effective. Because of the serotonin risk we treat this as a do-not-combine pair without specialist sign-off.
Evidence: Based on an established mechanism, with no direct study of this exact combination yet.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Amber Does Saffron Extract interact with ?
Saffron has its own antidepressant effect, possibly through serotonin-related pathways, and buspirone acts on serotonin receptors. Combining them may add to the serotonergic effect. Most people tolerate saffron well, but it is worth discussing with your GP before stacking, particularly if your dose has recently changed.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports, alongside a known mechanism.
What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope (food-supplement interactions only; for drug-drug interactions, the BNF is authoritative). Use the checker below to surface any supplement, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.
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How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.
Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.
Read the full methodologyA full supplement review, built around you, not a generic stack.
The free checker answers one interaction question at a time. A Distil report reviews the bigger picture: your goals, diet, medications, current supplements and any blood results you provide, then shows what appears worth keeping, changing, adding or leaving out.
- what your diet already covers, so you are not adding a capsule for something food is already handling
- which evidence-graded compounds are worth considering for your goals, and which were considered but left out
- what to keep, change or stop from what you already take, plus the order to introduce anything new
- how your medications and complete supplement stack fit together, with daily timing and a clear point for reassessment
The interaction check is one section of the full report. You also get the reasoning behind each recommendation and the evidence references used.
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Something missing?
If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.