Drug & supplement interaction

Celery + Amitriptyline

Amitriptyline brand name: Elavil.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Amitriptyline falls into 2 drug categories that Celery can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, celery might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Celery and Amitriptyline

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Celery interacts with whole categories of medication. Amitriptyline falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Celery in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Amitriptyline

Amitriptyline falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Celery interacts with.

Theoretically, celery might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
In vitro and animal research suggests that constituents of celery can inhibit CYP1A2. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist: your body partly relies on a liver enzyme called CYP1A2 to clear amitriptyline. Lab and animal studies hint that compounds in celery might slow that enzyme down. If that happened in people, amitriptyline could build up a bit, which may bump up its usual side effects, things like drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness when standing, or a faster heartbeat.

The important part: this is theoretical. It has only been seen in test tubes and animals, never confirmed in humans, and eating celery as food is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated celery seed extracts or oils are where I'd be a little more thoughtful. If you take those regularly, just give your pharmacist or doctor a heads-up rather than changing anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Peterson, S., Lampe, J. W., Bammler, T. K., Gross-Steinmeyer, K., and Eaton, D. L. Apiaceous vegetable constituents inhibit human cytochrome P-450 1A2 (hCYP1A2) activity and hCYP1A2-mediated mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1. Food Chem.Toxicol. 2006;44(9):147 PubMed
Minor

PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS

2 of 2

Amitriptyline also falls under PHOTOSENSITIZING DRUGS.

Theoretically, celery might increase the risk of photosensitivity reactions when taken with photosensitizing drugs.
Laboratory research shows that celery contains photosensitizing agents such as phenols and psoralens.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist of this one: both celery (in concentrated seed extract or oil form) and amitriptyline can each make your skin a little more sensitive to sunlight. Celery naturally contains compounds called psoralens, and amitriptyline is already known to occasionally cause photosensitivity. Put them together and, in theory, you might sunburn faster or get a rash on sun-exposed skin more easily than usual.

I want to be honest about the strength here: this is a minor, mostly theoretical concern based on lab data and scattered reports, not strong human studies. Eating celery as food is very unlikely to cause any trouble. If you take concentrated celery supplements, just use good sun sense (sunscreen, hat, limit midday sun) and check with your pharmacist if you have questions.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gral N, Beani JC, Bonnot D, et al. [Plasma levels of psoralens after celery ingestion]. Ann Dermatol Venereol 1993;120:599-603.
  2. Weber, I. C., Davis, C. P., and Greeson, D. M. Phytophotodermatitis: the other "lime" disease. J Emerg.Med 1999;17(2):235-237. PubMed
  3. Lombaert, G. A., Siemens, K. H., Pellaers, P., Mankotia, M., and Ng, W. Furanocoumarins in celery and parsnips: method and multiyear Canadian survey. J AOAC Int 2001;84(4):1135-1143. DOI
  4. Gorgus, E., Lohr, C., Raquet, N., Guth, S., and Schrenk, D. Limettin and furocoumarins in beverages containing citrus juices or extracts. Food Chem.Toxicol. 2010;48(1):93-98. PubMed
  5. Beier, R. C., Ivie, G. W., Oertli, E. H., and Holt, D. L. HPLC analysis of linear furocoumarins (psoralens) in healthy celery (Apium graveolens). Food Chem.Toxicol. 1983;21(2):163-165. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Celery Also Interacts With Other Medications

Celery has 448 moderate, 202 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Amitriptyline one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 448 Minor 202 No known interaction 2,180 (incl. Amitriptyline)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Celery

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Celery. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Celery or Amitriptyline

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Celery or Amitriptyline, 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 Amitriptyline

This page covers Celery only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Amitriptyline page lists 296 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major) and Beer (major).

By severity: 17 major · 228 moderate · 51 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Amitriptyline page

“Amitriptyline (Elavil), an older antidepressant now often prescribed for nerve pain, migraines, and sleep, is one of the drugs I genuinely want patients to be careful with, and 17 of the 296 supplement and herbal ingredients on this list carry a major rating. Most of the serious ones deepen the drowsiness amitriptyline already causes,…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Amitriptyline interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,687 real supplement products containing Celery, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Celery. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Amitriptyline too, on top of Celery — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Celery and Amitriptyline 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 Celery
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Amitriptyline
Top 1%

#22 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.

Supplement

About Celery

What is Celery?

Celery
  • High blood pressure
  • Fluid retention (diuretic)
  • Joint pain and inflammation
  • Anxiety and sleep
  • Digestive support

Celery is a common vegetable that is also taken as a seed extract or oil supplement, mainly for blood pressure, fluid retention, and joint discomfort. Human evidence for these supplement uses is limited and mostly preliminary, so it should not replace proven treatments. Celery is generally safe as food, but concentrated supplements and possible allergic reactions warrant caution.

Read the full Celery monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Amitriptyline

What Is Amitriptyline Used For?

Brand name: Elavil

Amitriptyline HCL and Amitriptyline Hydrochloride tablets are used to relieve symptoms of depression. Depression that originates from within the body (called endogenous depression) tends to respond better than other types of depression.

See full Amitriptyline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Celery

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

0Major
448Moderate
202Minor
2,179No known interaction
448 Moderate 202 Minor 2,179 No interaction
Moderate

448 interactions

Showing 60 of 448 moderate interactions — see all 448 on the Celery page.

Minor

202 interactions

Showing 60 of 202 minor interactions — see all 202 on the Celery page.

No interaction 2,179 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,179 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Celery list.

See the full Celery interactions page
See every supplement checked against Amitriptyline, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Celery monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Amitriptyline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Amitriptyline, ranked by severity Amitriptyline drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Celery and Amitriptyline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Celery with Amitriptyline?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Celery and Amitriptyline?
Amitriptyline belongs to more than one drug category, and Celery interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Celery and Amitriptyline interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Amitriptyline and Celery?

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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.