Drug & supplement interaction

Celery + Lofepramine

Lofepramine brand names: Feprapax, Lomont, Gamanil, Tymelyt.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Lofepramine 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 Lofepramine

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. Lofepramine 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 Lofepramine

Lofepramine 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 for Lofepramine, a tricyclic antidepressant. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP1A2 to help break this medicine down. Lab and animal studies hint that compounds in celery may slow that same enzyme. If that happened in people, your body might clear Lofepramine a little more slowly, letting levels creep up. That could mean more of the usual side effects, things like dry mouth, drowsiness, blurry vision, constipation, or a faster heartbeat.

The honest part: this is purely theoretical and has never actually been seen in humans, and everyday celery on your plate is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated celery seed extracts or oils are the bigger question mark. If you take one regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

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

Lofepramine 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 for Lofepramine, an antidepressant that can already make some people a bit more sensitive to sunlight. Celery naturally contains compounds called psoralens that may do the same thing. So the worry on file is simple: taking concentrated celery supplements alongside Lofepramine might make your skin burn or react more easily in the sun than usual.

I want to be honest about how weak this is. It's mostly theoretical, based on lab findings and a few anecdotes, and it's rated as a minor concern. Eating celery as food is very unlikely to cause trouble. If you take celery seed extract or oil, just be a little extra careful with sun exposure, wear sunscreen, and check with your pharmacist or doctor if you notice unusual skin reactions.

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 Lofepramine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Lofepramine

This page covers Celery only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lofepramine page lists 244 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: 15 major · 190 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Lofepramine 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 Lofepramine 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 Lofepramine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lofepramine
Steady interest

#1,999 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
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
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
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Celery and Lofepramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Celery with Lofepramine?
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 Lofepramine?
Lofepramine 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 Lofepramine 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

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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.