Drug & supplement interaction

Benzoin + Escitalopram

Escitalopram brand name: Lexapro.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Benzoin and Escitalopram in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Benzoin and Escitalopram

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Escitalopram and Benzoin in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Benzoin at all — not against Escitalopram, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Benzoin safety at a glance

Benzoin overall Use caution Generally used topically and considered low-risk for most people, but it can cause skin and allergic reactions.
Pregnancy Use caution Topical use is likely low-risk, but safety is not well studied; avoid internal use and check with your doctor.
Breastfeeding Use caution Not well studied during breastfeeding, so use caution and ask your healthcare provider.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Escitalopram and Benzoin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Benzoin and Escitalopram May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Benzoin

    “Orally, compound benzoin tincture has been reported to cause gastritis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Topically, benzoin and compound benzoin tincture can cause contact dermatitis and other skin reactions (11,12,103827).”

    Benzoin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6002. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
    2. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
    3. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    4. 103827. Parmar RC, Patel DM, Patel MV, et al. Medicated adhesive dressing is a safe and non-inferior cutaneous seal as compared to compound tincture benzoin dermal seal for percutaneous interventions. J Family Med Prim Care. 2019;8(7):2384-8. PubMed

    “A case report describes gastritis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a young man who took compound benzoin tincture 2 teaspoons twice daily for 10 days orally, instead of by inhalation.”

    Benzoin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in gastritis.

    1 source cited
    1. 6002. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

    Escitalopram

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset Additional detail

    Benzoin

    Recorded for Benzoin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Bleeding or bruising above.

    Escitalopram

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Benzoin but not commonly for Escitalopram: a skin rash and hives.

Effects for Escitalopram come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Benzoin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 139,512 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Escitalopram that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

From our Q&A

Questions About Benzoin or Escitalopram

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Benzoin or Escitalopram, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Escitalopram

This page covers Benzoin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Escitalopram page lists 55 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Lithium (major), 5-htp (moderate), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate) and Ayahuasca (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 38 moderate · 15 minor.

Open the Escitalopram interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Benzoin as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 15 real supplement products containing Benzoin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Benzoin. Even though Benzoin itself has no known interaction with Escitalopram, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Benzoin and Escitalopram Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Benzoin
Steady interest

#1,339 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Escitalopram
Top 1%

#13 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Benzoin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Benzoin and Escitalopram records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Benzoin

What is Benzoin?

  • Skin protectant for cuts and cracked skin
  • Helping bandages and dressings stick to skin
  • Steam inhalation for cough and congestion
  • Throat and mouth soothing washes
  • Fragrance and incense
  • Mild antiseptic for minor wounds

Benzoin is a fragrant resin from Southeast Asian Styrax trees, used mainly on the skin as a protectant and as 'compound benzoin tincture' to help dressings stick. Evidence for internal or medicinal benefits is limited, and it can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, so it is best used topically as directed. Pregnant or breastfeeding people and anyone considering it should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Styrax benzoin · Styracaceae · Resin (balsamic gum) from the tree bark · Tincture (compound benzoin tincture), topical resin, inhalation/steam, incense, essential oil

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Benzoin is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Benzoin record says about it on its own.

Benzoin: dosing

There is no standardized medicinal dose of benzoin, and amounts vary widely by product and use. For skin and adhesive uses, follow the directions on the product label or the instructions from your healthcare provider.For steam inhalation or aromatherapy, manufacturers usually give a recommended amount to add to hot water or a diffuser.

From our Benzoin monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Benzoin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Escitalopram

What Is Escitalopram Used For?

Brand name: Lexapro

Escitalopram treats major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and in adolescents 12 years of age and older. It also treats generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults.

Lexapro (escitalopram) tablets are additionally approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder in pediatric patients 7 years of age and older. Escitalopram Capsules are indicated for MDD and GAD in adults younger than 65 years of age, and for MDD in pediatric patients 12 years and older — the capsule form is not indicated for patients 65 and older.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Escitalopram

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (139,512 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 9,542 reports
Nausea 9,514 reports
Headache 7,397 reports
Diarrhea 7,045 reports
Anxiety 6,668 reports
See full Escitalopram drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Benzoin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Benzoin — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Benzoin against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Benzoin list.

See the full Benzoin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Benzoin References

The 4 references that drive our Benzoin monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
  4. Parmar RC, Patel DM, Patel MV, et al. Medicated adhesive dressing is a safe and non-inferior cutaneous seal as compared to compound tincture benzoin dermal seal for percutaneous interventions. J Family Med Prim Care. 2019;8(7):2384-8. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Benzoin and Escitalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Benzoin with Escitalopram?
We do not list a known interaction between Benzoin and Escitalopram. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Benzoin and Escitalopram have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Does Escitalopram interact with any supplements?
Yes. Escitalopram has documented interactions with 55 supplements in our database — Benzoin is not one of them. The Escitalopram interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Benzoin monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Escitalopram drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Escitalopram supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 4 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Escitalopram and Benzoin?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.