Dopamine and Selegiline: Interaction Details
AI-assisted, pharmacist-reviewed · Source data updated Aug 8, 2026 · Sources: FDA labeling, DDInter 2.0, cited literature
Selegiline
Dopamine
No brand names on record
How we grade severity & evidence
Severity levels
- Contraindicated: These should generally not be used together.
- Major: Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
- Moderate: Can be significant — usually manageable with monitoring.
- Minor: Usually limited clinical impact.
Evidence grades
- Established: Well documented — supported by controlled studies or strong clinical data.
- Probable: Good supporting evidence, though not definitively proven.
- Suspected: Some evidence suggests this interaction, but it is not well established.
- Possible: Limited or conflicting evidence; the interaction may occur.
- Theoretical: Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
Ratings come from the documented interaction literature and are reviewed by a pharmacist. They describe the documented risk of the combination, not what will necessarily happen to you — your dose, timing, and health picture all matter.
What happens
Increased hypertensive effects
Interaction Deep Dive
DOPamine is metabolized by monoamine oxidase (MAO), thus DOPamine effects will be prolonged in patients receiving MAO inhibitors. The interaction could result in severe hypertension and/or cardiac arrhythmias. No more than one-tenth of the usual dose of DOPamine should be given to patients receiving MAO inhibitors2. It is presumed that a hypertensive reaction induced by the concurrent use of selegiline and DOPamine in a patient resulted from the inhibition of DOPamine metabolism by selegiline leading to an exaggerated pressor response 1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Unknown
Literature reports
1 report — tap to read
a) A case report describes a 75-year-old male chronically receiving selegiline for Parkinson's disease who developed hypertensive crisis while being treated with low dose DOPamine for decreased urinary output. The patient experienced a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed in both lower extremities the morning of admission. His current medication regimen included levodopa/carbidopa, selegiline, moexipril, NPH insulin, allopurinol, aspirin. On day 1 the patient's blood pressure (BP) and urine output steadily declined. The patient was started on intravenous DOPamine. Fifty minutes after the initiation of DOPamine his BP was 228/50 mmHg. DOPamine was discontinued and BP decreased to 121/40 mmHg 30 minutes later. Upon rechallenge with DOPamine twice, the patient's BP increased significantly. The DOPamine infusion was subsequently discontinued each time. The patient did not experience further episodes of hypertension or renal dysfunction 1.
Common questions
Can I take Dopamine and Selegiline together?
Increased hypertensive effects Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Dopamine and Selegiline interaction?
It is rated moderate. Can be significant — usually manageable with monitoring.
How quickly could this interaction happen?
The documented onset is "delayed". Effects tend to build up gradually over days to weeks.
How strong is the evidence for this interaction?
The evidence is graded "probable". Good supporting evidence, though not definitively proven.
Questions for your pharmacist
- Does my dose of Dopamine or Selegiline need adjusting while I take them together?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call you or my prescriber right away?
- Does the timing of my doses matter for this combination?
- Is there anything you'd monitor while I'm on both?
References (2)
- Rose L, Ohlinger M, & Mauro V: A hypertensive reaction induced by concurrent use of selegiline and dopamine. Ann Pharmacother 2000; 34:1020-4. PubMed
- Horwitz D, Goldberg LI, & Sjoerdsma A: Increased blood pressure responses to dopamine and norepinephrine produced by monoamine oxidase inhibitors in man. J Lab Clin Med 1960; 56:747.
Keep reading about Selegiline
Keep reading about Dopamine
These medications also interact with supplements
Prescription drugs aren't the whole picture — herbal and dietary supplements can interact with them too. From the evidence-graded Natural Medicines database:
major · moderate · minor — check everything you take with our drug–supplement interaction checker.
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