Qelbree Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

When should I avoid Qelbree?

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Qelbree. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Qelbree for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Qelbree.

If you take medications affected by the enzyme CYP1A2. Your body uses the enzyme (protein) CYP1A2 to break down certain drugs. Qelbree can interfere with how this enzyme works, which can cause drugs that are broken down by CYP1A2 to build up in your body.

Certain drugs are more affected by CYP1A2, and taking them with Qelbree can increase your risk of side effects from these drugs. Examples include:

• duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• alosetron (Lotronex)
• ramelteon (Rozerem)
• tasimelteon (Hetlioz)

Let your doctor know if you take any of these medications before starting Qelbree treatment. They are not likely to prescribe Qelbree for you. Instead, they’ll recommend a different treatment for your ADHD.

If you take monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Taking Qelbree with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can increase your risk of severely high blood pressure. Due to this risk, you should not take Qelbree while you’re taking an MAOI or within 14 days of stopping MAOI treatment. Examples of MAOIs include phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Emsam), and linezolid (Zyvox).

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you have had an allergic reaction to Qelbree or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Qelbree. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before you start taking Qelbree, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Qelbree is safe for you to take.

Does Qelbree interact with alcohol?

Your doctor may recommend that you avoid alcohol or limit how much you drink during your Qelbree treatment. This is because high concentrations of alcohol may cause Qelbree levels to decrease, which can make the medication less effective.

Talk with your doctor to learn how much alcohol, if any, is safe to consume during your Qelbree treatment.

How long does Qelbree last in my body if I drink alcohol?

How long Qelbree lasts in your body can vary based on several factors, such as:

• how much alcohol you consume
• other medications you take
• other health conditions you have

Consuming large amounts of alcohol can decrease the level of Qelbree in your body, which means the drug is cleared from your body more quickly than usual. The drug’s effects won’t last as long with a lower level.

Does Qelbree interact with other drugs?

Before you start taking Qelbree, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Qelbree interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Qelbree?” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Qelbree. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Qelbree. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

Drug interactions explained

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Qelbree.

Interaction with certain antidepressants

If you have ADHD with depression, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant along with Qelbree. But certain antidepressants can interact with Qelbree.

Examples of antidepressants that interact with Qelbree include:

• duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• paroxetine (Paxil, Brisdelle, others)
• tricyclic antidepressants, such as desipramine and nortriptyline (Pamelor)

What could happen

Many drugs, including certain antidepressants, are broken down by certain enzymes (proteins) in your liver. Qelbree can make these enzymes less effective. This can cause the antidepressants to build up in your body, which may raise your risk of side effects from the antidepressants.

What you can do

Before starting Qelbree treatment, let your doctor know if you’re taking an antidepressant. Depending on which antidepressant you take, your doctor may monitor you for signs of increased side effects from your antidepressant. In some cases, they may lower the dose of your antidepressant to reduce your risk of side effects.

If you take duloxetine, your doctor will likely not prescribe Qelbree. This is because Qelbree can cause very high levels of duloxetine to build up in your body. In this case, your doctor will recommend a different treatment option for your ADHD.

Interaction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Qelbree can interact with a type of drug called MAOIs. These medications are prescribed to treat several conditions, including depression and certain infections.

Examples of MAOIs include:

• phenelzine (Nardil)
• selegiline (Emsam)
• linezolid (Zyvox)

What could happen

Taking Qelbree with an MAOI can increase your risk of serious side effects. These can include:

• seizures
• severely high blood pressure, which may be life threatening

What you can do

Before starting Qelbree, tell your doctor all the medications you take. Your doctor isn’t likely to prescribe Qelbree if you’re currently taking an MAOI. If you’ve recently taken an MAOI, your doctor will have you wait at least 14 days after your last dose before you start taking Qelbree.

If you must continue taking an MAOI, your doctor will likely discuss other treatment options for your ADHD besides Qelbree.

Interaction with certain sleep medications

Certain medications used to treat insomnia (trouble sleeping) can interact with Qelbree. Specifically, sleep medications known as melatonin receptor agonists interact with Qelbree.

Examples of melatonin receptor agonists include:

• ramelteon (Rozerem)
• tasimelteon (Hetlioz)

What could happen

Melatonin receptor agonists are broken down by an enzyme (protein) in your body called CYP1A2. Qelbree can decrease the effect of CYP1A2, which may cause the sleep medication to build up to very high levels in your body. This can increase your risk of side effects from the sleep medication. Examples of these side effects include:

• excessive sleepiness
• dizziness
• nausea
• fatigue (low energy)

What you can do

You should not take a melatonin receptor agonist while you’re taking Qelbree. You should tell your doctor about all the medications you take before starting Qelbree treatment. They may recommend a different treatment to help you sleep. If you must take a melatonin receptor agonist, your doctor may suggest an alternative treatment for your ADHD.

Are there other interactions with Qelbree?

Qelbree may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Qelbree.

Does Qelbree interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Qelbree, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Qelbree interactions with herbs or supplements

Qelbree can interact with the supplement melatonin. People typically take melatonin to treat insomnia (trouble sleeping). Taking Qelbree with melatonin can cause melatonin to build up to a very high level in your body. This may increase your risk of side effects from melatonin.

Due to this risk, your doctor will likely recommend that you don’t take melatonin while you’re taking Qelbree.

Qelbree and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Qelbree interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Qelbree.

Does Qelbree interact with food?

Qelbree can cause caffeine to build up in your body. This can increase your risk of caffeine-related side effects, such as:

• nervousness
• tremor
• fast heart rate
• irritability
• insomnia

Because of this, your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid or limit your caffeine consumption during your Qelbree treatment.

Does Qelbree interact with vaccines?

Currently, there are no reports of vaccines interacting with Xanax. If you have concerns about getting vaccines during your Qelbree treatment, talk with your doctor.

Does Qelbree interact with lab tests?

There are no specific reports of Qelbree interacting with lab tests. But it’s still important to tell your doctor that you’re taking Qelbree before getting any lab tests.

Does Qelbree interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Qelbree interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Qelbree.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Does my health history affect whether I should take Qelbree?

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Qelbree. Before taking Qelbree, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Qelbree is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Qelbree include:

Heart rate or blood pressure problems. Qelbree can raise your blood pressure and increase your heart rate. If you already have high blood pressure or problems with your heart rate, this medication can worsen these conditions.

Before starting Qelbree treatment, tell your doctor if you have high blood pressure or a heart rate problem. They’ll let you know if this medication is safe for you to take.

Mental health conditions. Qelbree can increase the risk of mania or hypomania in people with bipolar disorder. Before starting Qelbree treatment, tell your doctor if you or a family member has a mental health condition, including depression or bipolar disorder. They can help determine if this medication is right for you.

Severe kidney problems. Your kidneys help clear Qelbree from your body. If you have severe kidney problems, the drug could build up in your system. This could raise your risk of side effects. Before you start taking Qelbree, let your doctor know if you have kidney problems. They may prescribe a lower dose of Qelbree for you.

Pregnancy. It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Qelbree during pregnancy. But it’s possible that Qelbree may cause harm to someone who takes the drug during pregnancy. Because of this, your doctor may recommend that you do not take Qelbree during pregnancy.

If you become pregnant during your Qelbree treatment, tell your doctor right away. They’ll likely have you stop taking this medication during your pregnancy.

If it’s necessary for you to take Qelbree during pregnancy, consider enrolling in the National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications. This registry helps healthcare professionals learn about the safety of taking mental health drugs, such as Qelbree, during pregnancy.

For more information about this registry, talk with your doctor. You can also visit the registry website or call 1-866-961-2388 to learn more.

Breastfeeding. It’s not known whether Qelbree is safe to take while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking Qelbree.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Qelbree or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Qelbree. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

How can I prevent interactions?

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Qelbree. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

• Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
• What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Qelbree treatment.

It’s also important to understand Qelbree’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Qelbree, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Taking Qelbree exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

What should I ask my doctor?

If you still have questions about Qelbree and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask include:

• Could I still take Qelbree even if it interacts with a health condition I have?
• If I take Qelbree and have kidney problems, will I be monitored more closely during treatment?
• Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement during my Qelbree treatment?
• Does (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine salts) Adderall have similar interactions to Qelbree?

To learn more about Qelbree, see these articles:

• All About Qelbree
• Side Effects of Qelbree: What You Need to Know
• Dosage Details for Qelbree

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.