Distil ← Back to home
Medication · ssri

Supplements and Fluvoxamine.

Every documented pair, every citation. Below: 8 documented pairs grouped by mechanism.

Fluvoxamine, sold under the brand names Faverin, Luvox, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI): it raises synaptic serotonin by blocking its reuptake.

Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The class raises synaptic serotonin by blocking the serotonin reuptake transporter, with relatively low affinity for other monoamine systems. The most clinically important supplement concerns are serotonergic and additive. St John's Wort is a hard exclude per the BNF and MHRA. 5-HTP is a hard exclude on theoretical and case-report grounds. Tryptophan, rhodiola, and at higher doses saffron extract and SAMe, sit on the same pathway. Serotonin syndrome is rare but recognisable. Tremor, hyperthermia, clonus, agitation. Metabolic profiles vary across the class. Sertraline runs on CYP2B6 and CYP2C19. Fluoxetine and paroxetine are CYP2D6 inhibitors. Citalopram and escitalopram run on CYP2C19. Individual SSRI pages give a sharper picture. Discontinuation needs taper, not stop. SSRI withdrawal symptoms are real and documented in NICE NG222, and any planned change should run through the prescribing GP.

Below are the 8 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed against Fluvoxamine in the Distil database: 2 red and 6 amber. The pairs cluster around 2 mechanisms: Additive serotonergic activity and CYP1A2 inhibition. 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 30 June 2026. Each interaction below is assessed against PubMed-indexed evidence.

Additive serotonergic activity

Red Does 5-HTP interact with ?

5-HTP is the precursor your body uses to make serotonin. Combined with an SSRI like fluvoxamine, it can cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, sweating, tremor, confusion). Do not combine.

Evidence: Supported by human study data.

PMID 2035713 · PMID 15784664 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Red Does St John's Wort interact with ?

St John's Wort and fluvoxamine both raise serotonin levels. Combined, they can cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, sweating, tremor, raised heart rate, confusion). Do not combine.

Evidence: Supported by human study data.

PMID 11277608 · PMID 15260917 · PMID 10675182 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Amber Does L-Tryptophan interact with ?

Tryptophan is the building block your body uses to make serotonin, so adding it to fluvoxamine 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, based on case reports and a known mechanism.

PMID 3488767 · PMID 9429838 · PMID 2035713 · PMID 15784664 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.

Amber Does Rhodiola Rosea interact with ?

Rhodiola has mild effects on serotonin pathways that can add to fluvoxamine'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, based on case reports and a known mechanism.

PMID 19168123 · PMID 25413939 · PMID 30659561 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.

Amber Does SAMe interact with ?

SAMe has its own antidepressant, serotonin-related activity, which may add to fluvoxamine'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 fluvoxamine dose has recently changed.

Evidence: Limited human data, based on case reports and a known mechanism.

PMID 7854515 · PMID 30115553 · PMID 2035713 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.

Amber Does Saffron Extract interact with ?

Saffron has its own antidepressant effect, possibly via serotonin-receptor modulation. Combined with fluvoxamine, the serotonergic effect may stack. Most people tolerate the combination but discuss it with your GP before stacking, especially if your dose has recently changed.

Evidence: Limited human data, based on case reports and a known mechanism.

PMID 15852492 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

CYP1A2 inhibition

Amber Does Green Tea Extract interact with ?

Fluvoxamine slows the enzyme that breaks down caffeine, and green tea extract contains caffeine. Taking the two together can let caffeine build up and may cause jitteriness, a racing heart, or trouble sleeping. Choosing a decaffeinated or low-caffeine green tea extract, or keeping the dose modest, lowers the risk.

Evidence: Supported by human study data.

PMID 8807660 · PMID 9868741 · BNF: Fluvoxamine

Amber Does Melatonin interact with ?

Fluvoxamine slows the liver enzyme that clears melatonin, so taking the two together can push melatonin levels far higher than the dose alone suggests. This may mean stronger next-morning grogginess and heavier sedation. If you take fluvoxamine, a much lower melatonin dose tends to be enough, and it is worth raising with your prescriber first.

Evidence: Supported by human study data.

PMID 10668847 · PMID 25851638 · PMID 20478852 · BNF: Melatonin

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.

Loading database stats…

No affiliates. No commission. We earn nothing on what you buy.

For adults over 18. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP or pharmacist, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.
Add every supplement you take. Type a name and click each match to add it, as many as you like.
Add all your medications, brand or generic. Type and click each match to add it.
Anything we should know? (optional)
Pick any that apply. We adjust the findings where context changes the answer.
Add all the supplements and medications you take, then check them together in one go.
Not sure where to start? Try one:
How we decide

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 methodology
Your whole stack

Want this checked across everything you take?

This page checks the pairs you enter. The personalised Distil report goes further:

  • the same graded, cited interaction check across your whole stack, not just the pairs you thought to type in
  • where your current routine may be leaving you short of your goals
  • the evidence-graded compounds worth adding, and the ones worth dropping

It's a paid report: £79, or £49 founder pricing while we earn our first reviews. The interactions check is one section of it, and you can read a real one in full before you decide.

See a real sample report
Distil's interactions database is reviewed and updated every quarter. We grade evidence transparently and publish our methodology, including every database change, at /about/methodology. This tool is information, not a substitute for clinical judgement. If you take medication and supplements together, your GP or pharmacist can review your full regimen against your medical history. If you want a full personalised stack reasoned against this same database, the Distil report is the next step up.