Is kava (Piper methysticum) Safe with duloxetine?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Do not use kava supplements while taking duloxetine. Disclose all kava use to your prescriber, especially during medication transitions involving serotonergic drugs.
Why this interaction occurs
Kavalactones inhibit CYP2D6 and MAO enzymes, impairing metabolism of duloxetine and increasing serotonergic drug concentrations, which can precipitate serotonin syndrome particularly when combined with other serotonergic agents.
Evidence
Evidence level: limited.
Data source
PubMed - PMID 40510098
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 77,020 reports mentioning duloxetine. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the duloxetine + 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 kava (Piper methysticum) interactions → · All duloxetine interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.