Is St. John's Wort Safe with venlafaxine?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Avoid taking St. John's Wort while using venlafaxine. If serotonin syndrome symptoms occur (agitation, confusion, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, muscle twitching), discontinue use and seek medical attention immediately.
Why this interaction occurs
Concomitant use of venlafaxine with St. John's Wort increases the risk of serotonin syndrome due to additive effects on the serotonergic neurotransmitter system.
Evidence
Evidence level: strong.
Data source
FDA Drug Label
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 92,249 reports mentioning venlafaxine. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the venlafaxine + 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 St. John's Wort interactions → · All venlafaxine interactions →
Already checked this one — check your whole list
Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.