Strattera Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Does Strattera interact with other drugs?

An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Before you start taking Strattera, 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 Strattera interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Strattera?” 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 Strattera. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Strattera. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

* Doctors do not typically prescribe Strattera with an MAOI drug. To learn more, see the “When should I avoid Strattera?” section that follows.

When should I avoid Strattera?

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

If you have closed-angle glaucoma: If you have an eye condition called closed-angle glaucoma, your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can make this condition worse. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

If you have pheochromocytoma: If you have pheochromocytoma (a type of adrenal gland tumor) or you’ve had this condition in the past, your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can worsen certain symptoms of this condition. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

If you have severe cardiovascular problems: If you have a severe cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel) problem, your doctor may not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. This could be dangerous if you have a severe cardiovascular problem, such as very high blood pressure, heart disease, or an irregular heartbeat. Talk with your doctor about other treatment options that may be safer for you.

If you take an MAOI drug: If you take a type of drug called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking these drugs together can cause serious or even life threatening side effects.

MAOIs are used to treat depression, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions. Examples of MAOIs include:

• isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• linezolid (Zyvox)
• phenelzine (Nardil)
• rasagiline (Azilect)
• selegiline (Emsam, Zelapar)
• tranylcypromine (Parnate)

If you’ve recently taken an MOAI drug, you need to wait at least 14 days after your last dose of the MAOI before taking Strattera. Likewise, you should not take an MAOI within 14 days after stopping Strattera treatment. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Strattera or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Strattera for you. 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 Strattera, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Strattera is safe for you to take.

Does Strattera interact with alcohol?

Strattera is not known to interact with alcohol. But Strattera and alcohol can cause some similar side effects, such as nausea, headache, and dizziness. So you may be more likely to experience these side effects if you drink alcohol during your Strattera treatment.

If you have questions about consuming alcohol while taking Strattera, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Drug interactions explained

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

Interactions with SSRI antidepressants

Strattera can interact with certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, which are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders.

Examples of SSRIs that can interact with Strattera include:

• citalopram (Celexa)
• escitalopram (Lexapro)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• paroxetine (Paxil)

What could happen

Certain SSRIs, such as fluoxetine and paroxetine, can slow the action of an enzyme that helps clear Strattera from your body. Taking Strattera with one of these SSRIs can increase the level of Strattera in your body, which can raise your risk of side effects from Strattera. Examples include nausea, reduced appetite, and long QT syndrome. (To learn more about Strattera’s side effects, see this article.)

Certain other SSRIs, such as citalopram and escitalopram, can cause long QT syndrome. Strattera can also cause long QT syndrome, so taking these drugs together can raise your risk of this side effect. Long QT syndrome can cause a dangerous irregular heartbeat.

If you have a heart problem or an electrolyte imbalance, such as low potassium levels, you may have a higher risk of irregular heartbeat if you take Strattera with an SSRI.

What you can do

If you take Strattera with certain SSRIs, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Strattera for you. You should not take a higher dose of either medication than your doctor prescribes.

Your doctor may monitor you more closely during your treatment if you take Strattera with an SSRI. For example, they may order electrocardiograms (ECGs) to check your heart rhythm and blood tests to check your electrolyte levels.

If you take Strattera and an SSRI together, tell your doctor right away if you have bothersome side effects or symptoms of long QT syndrome. These may include heart palpitations, dizziness, and fainting.

If you have questions about taking Strattera with an SSRI, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interactions with certain antibiotics

Strattera can interact with certain antibiotics, which are used to treat bacterial infections.

Examples of antibiotics that can interact with Strattera include:

• azithromycin (Z-Pak, others)
• clarithromycin
• erythromycin (Ery-Tab, others)

What could happen

Strattera and certain antibiotics can both cause long QT syndrome. So taking these drugs together can raise your risk of this side effect. Long QT syndrome can cause a dangerous irregular heartbeat.

If you have a heart problem or an electrolyte imbalance, such as low potassium levels, you may have a higher risk of irregular heartbeat if you take Strattera with these antibiotics.

What you can do

If you take Strattera, your doctor will likely not prescribe an antibiotic that can cause long QT syndrome.

If your doctor does prescribe one of these antibiotics while you’re taking Strattera, they’ll likely monitor you more closely. For example, they may order electrocardiograms (ECGs) to check your heart rhythm and blood tests to check your electrolyte levels.

If you take Strattera with one of these antibiotics, tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of long QT syndrome. These may include heart palpitations, dizziness, and fainting.

If you have questions about taking Strattera with an antibiotic, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with beta agonists

Strattera can interact with beta agonists, which are used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Examples of beta agonist medications include:

• albuterol (Ventolin HFA, others)
• levalbuterol (Xopenex)
• salmeterol (Serevent, others)

What could happen

Strattera and beta agonists can both increase your heart rate and blood pressure. So taking these drugs together can raise your risk of having these side effects or could make them more severe.

If you take Strattera with a beta agonist and you have high blood pressure or a heart problem, you may have a higher risk of increased heart rate or blood pressure.

What you can do

If you take Strattera with a beta agonist, your doctor may monitor your heart rate and blood pressure more closely during your treatment.

If you have questions about taking these drugs together, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Are there other interactions with Strattera?

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

Does Strattera interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Strattera, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins and supplements 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.

Strattera and herbs

There are currently no reports of Strattera interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs 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 Strattera.

Strattera and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Strattera 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 Strattera.

Does Strattera interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Strattera interacting with food, so there aren’t any specific foods you need to avoid while taking Strattera. But if you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment, talk with your doctor.

Does Strattera interact with vaccines or lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Strattera interacting with vaccines or lab tests. If you have questions about receiving certain vaccines or having lab tests during your Strattera treatment, talk with your doctor.

Does Strattera interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Strattera 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 Strattera.

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 Strattera?

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

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

Cardiovascular problems: If you have a severe cardiovascular problem, your doctor may not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. This could be dangerous if you have a severe cardiovascular problem, such as very high blood pressure, heart disease, or an irregular heartbeat. Talk with your doctor about other treatment options that may be safer for you.

Adrenal gland tumor: If you have or have had a type of adrenal gland tumor called a pheochromocytoma, your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can worsen certain symptoms of this condition. Talk with your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Closed-angle glaucoma: If you have closed-angle glaucoma, your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. This is because taking Strattera can make this condition worse. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Mania or bipolar disorder: If you have a history or risk of mania or bipolar disorder, taking Strattera can raise your risk of having a manic episode. Before starting Strattera treatment, talk with your doctor about any mental health conditions you or your family members have had. This can help your doctor determine whether Strattera is right for you.

Liver problems: Your liver is responsible for clearing Strattera from your body. If you have a liver problem, levels of Strattera can build up in your body. This can raise your risk of side effects. Because of this, your doctor will likely prescribe a lower dosage of Strattera for you.

Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Strattera is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before taking Strattera.

If you do take Strattera while pregnant, consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry collects details about pregnancy issues reported with Strattera. To learn more, call 866-961-2388 or visit the registry website. You can also talk with your doctor for more details.

Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Strattera while breastfeeding. It’s unknown whether the drug passes into breast milk or whether it may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor about your options.

Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Strattera or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Strattera for you. 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.

Risk of suicidal thoughts in children and teenagers: Strattera has a boxed warning about the risk of suicidal thoughts in children and teenagers. To learn more, see the “Boxed warning” section at the beginning of this article.

How can I prevent interactions?

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Strattera. 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 (they can also help you fill out a medication list)
• what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Strattera treatment

It’s also important to understand Strattera’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 Strattera, 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 Strattera exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

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.