Is Folate (Vitamin B9) Safe with Fluoxetine?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Monitor folate levels with long-term fluoxetine use. Supplementing with 400–800 mcg methylfolate daily may improve antidepressant efficacy. Consult your prescriber.
Why this interaction occurs
Clinical studies have shown that low folate levels are associated with poorer response to fluoxetine. Folate is a cofactor in the synthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Adjunctive methylfolate has shown benefit in augmenting SSRI response in depressed patients.
Evidence
Evidence level: strong.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 87,365 reports mentioning Fluoxetine. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Fluoxetine + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Folate (Vitamin B9) interactions → · All Fluoxetine interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.