Supplements and Citalopram.
Citalopram, sold under the brand names Cipramil, Celexa, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI): it raises synaptic serotonin by blocking its reuptake.
Citalopram is the second most prescribed SSRI in England after sertraline, used for depression and anxiety. Mechanism mirrors sertraline (serotonin transporter inhibition) but the metabolic profile differs. Citalopram is metabolised by CYP2C19, CYP3A4, and CYP2D6, which makes it more sensitive to PPI co-prescription. Omeprazole raises citalopram exposure modestly. The MHRA dose cap is the operative point. 40mg maximum in adults under 65. 20mg in adults over 65 or with hepatic impairment. The cap exists because QT prolongation rises with dose. That QT signal matters when citalopram stacks with anything else extending QT: certain antibiotics (clarithromycin, levofloxacin), some antiemetics, and a small number of supplements. Serotonergic interactions are the same as sertraline (St John's Wort, 5-HTP, tryptophan, rhodiola, saffron extract). Escitalopram, the S-enantiomer, sits in a similar class but with a separate dose schedule.
Below are the 7 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed against Citalopram in the Distil database: 2 severe and 5 caution. 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 11 October 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
Severe Does 5-HTP interact with Citalopram?
5-HTP is the precursor your body uses to make serotonin. Combined with an SSRI like citalopram, it can cause serotonin syndrome. Do not combine.
Evidence: Supported by human study data.
Severe Does St John's Wort interact with Citalopram?
St John's Wort and citalopram both raise serotonin levels. Combined, they can cause serotonin syndrome. Do not combine.
Evidence: Supported by human study data.
Caution Does Ashwagandha interact with Citalopram?
Ashwagandha may interact with citalopram. In people taking other SSRI antidepressants, side effects that eased once ashwagandha was stopped have been reported, and one person on escitalopram, the closest relative of citalopram, developed serotonin toxicity after a large dose of ashwagandha. No report involves citalopram itself, but it works the same way, so speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting ashwagandha and get urgent help if you notice twitching, agitation, fever or a racing heart.
Evidence: No direct study of this exact combination yet; the caution rests on a plausible mechanism or on reports involving a related medicine.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Caution Does L-Tryptophan interact with Citalopram?
Tryptophan is the building block your body uses to make serotonin, so adding it to citalopram raises serotonin from both directions. The combination can cause agitation, sweating, tremor, shivering, muscle twitching, or a racing heart. Do not stack them without your GP's involvement.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Caution Does Rhodiola Rosea interact with Citalopram?
Rhodiola has mild effects on serotonin pathways that can add to citalopram's. Most people tolerate the combination, but watch for restlessness, sweating, tremor, or a racing heart, and talk to your GP before stacking them, especially if your dose has recently changed.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Caution Does SAMe interact with Citalopram?
SAMe has its own antidepressant, serotonin-related activity, which may add to citalopram's. Most people tolerate the combination, but watch for restlessness, sweating, tremor, shivering, or a racing heart, and tell your GP before stacking them, especially if your citalopram dose has recently changed.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Caution Does Saffron Extract interact with Citalopram?
Saffron extract has its own antidepressant effect, possibly via serotonin-receptor modulation. Combined with citalopram, the serotonergic effect may stack. Watch for restlessness, sweating, or muscle twitching, and tell your GP if you start saffron while on citalopram.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports.
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 the checker decides
Every result has a source
Each pair we have assessed is cited to a published study (PMID) or the British National Formulary, so you can read the source yourself.
Four kinds of answer
Severe, caution, no known interaction, and not yet assessed. A pair we have not assessed is never shown as clear.
- Severe
- Caution
- No known interaction
- Not yet assessed
Nothing in our data is not a clearance
When nothing in our data records a problem with a pair, the result says no known interaction at typical doses, which is not a clearance: your pharmacist or GP can check the pair against your full medical history.
A 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.
£49 until 30 June 2027 · £79 from 1 July 2027.
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