Is Lemon Balm Safe with Phenobarbital?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Do not combine. Lemon Balm should be discontinued if phenobarbital is prescribed. Seek immediate medical advice if both are being used.
Why this interaction occurs
Phenobarbital is a potent CNS depressant acting on GABA-A receptors. Lemon Balm's GABAergic enhancement may produce clinically significant additive CNS and respiratory depression, particularly dangerous in elderly patients or those with compromised respiratory function.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 19,027 reports mentioning Phenobarbital. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Phenobarbital + 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 Lemon Balm interactions → · All Phenobarbital interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.