Drug & supplement interaction

Cola Nut + Selegiline

Selegiline brand names: Carbex, Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar.

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

Cola Nut has a moderate interaction with Selegiline. Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk of a hypertensive crisis.

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

Cola Nut and Selegiline

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIs)

Why this applies to Selegiline

Selegiline falls under MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIs) — the group Cola Nut interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use might increase the risk of a hypertensive crisis.
Cola nut contains caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B in laboratory studies. Concomitant intake of large amounts of caffeine with MAOIs might precipitate a hypertensive crisis. In a case report, a patient that consumed 10-12 cups of caffeinated coffee and took the MAOI tranylcypromine presented with severe hypertension. Hypertension was resolved after the patient switched to drinking decaffeinated coffee.
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 simple version: Selegiline is an MAO inhibitor, the same family of medicines that can react badly with stimulants. Cola nut's main active ingredient is caffeine. The concern is that combining a stimulant like caffeine with an MAOI could, in theory, push your blood pressure up sharply, which we call a hypertensive crisis. Watch for warning signs like a pounding headache, racing heart, chest tightness, or feeling flushed and anxious.

I want to be honest about the strength of this: it's mostly theoretical, based on how these drugs work, with one older case report involving very heavy coffee drinking. A normal cup of coffee usually isn't a problem, but concentrated cola nut supplements pack more caffeine, so it's worth running past your pharmacist or doctor before adding one.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
  2. MacKenzie, T., Comi, R., Sluss, P., Keisari, R., Manwar, S., Kim, J., Larson, R., and Baron, J. A. Metabolic and hormonal effects of caffeine: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Metabolism 2007;56(12):1694-1698. PubMed
  3. Moisey, L. L., Robinson, L. E., and Graham, T. E. Consumption of caffeinated coffee and a high carbohydrate meal affects postprandial metabolism of a subsequent oral glucose tolerance test in young, healthy males. Br.J Nutr. 2010;103(6):833-841. PubMed
  4. Buscemi, S., Verga, S., Batsis, J. A., Donatelli, M., Tranchina, M. R., Belmonte, S., Mattina, A., Re, A., and Cerasola, G. Acute effects of coffee on endothelial function in healthy subjects. Eur.J Clin Nutr. 2010;64(5):483-489. PubMed
  5. Orozco-Gregorio, H., Mota-Rojas, D., Bonilla-Jaime, H., Trujillo-Ortega, M. E., Becerril-Herrera, M., Hernandez-Gonzalez, R., and Villanueva-Garcia, D. Effects of administration of caffeine on metabolic variables in neonatal pigs with peripartum asphyxia PubMed
  6. van der Hoeven N, Visser I, Schene A, van den Born BJ. Severe hypertension related to caffeinated coffee and tranylcypromine: a case report. Ann Intern Med. 2014 May 6;160(9):657-8. doi: 10.7326/L14-5009-8. No abstract available. 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

Cola Nut Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cola Nut has 546 moderate, 108 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Selegiline one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 546 Minor 108 No known interaction 2,176 (incl. Selegiline)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cola Nut

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Selegiline

This page covers Cola Nut only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Selegiline page lists 102 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Bitter Orange (major), Brewer's Yeast (major) and Cowhage (major).

By severity: 14 major · 75 moderate · 13 minor.

Open the Selegiline interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Cola Nut, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cola Nut. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Selegiline too, on top of Cola Nut — 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 Cola Nut and Selegiline 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 Cola Nut
Steady interest

#1,051 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Selegiline
Steady interest

#2,223 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 Cola Nut

What is Cola Nut?

Cola Nut
  • Energy and alertness
  • Mental focus
  • Physical performance
  • Weight loss support
  • Traditional digestive aid

Cola nut is a caffeine-containing seed from West Africa used mainly as a natural stimulant for energy and alertness. Most of its effects come from caffeine, and strong human evidence for specific health benefits is limited. Because of its caffeine content, people sensitive to stimulants and those who are pregnant or have heart conditions should be cautious.

Read the full Cola Nut monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Selegiline

What Is Selegiline Used For?

Brand names: Carbex, Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar

Selegiline is used as an add-on treatment for people with Parkinson's disease who are already taking levodopa/carbidopa but are finding that the medication's effects are wearing off or becoming less reliable. It is not used alone — it only works as part of a combination approach.

In clinical studies, adding selegiline helped reduce the amount of daily levodopa needed, cut down on "off" time (periods when symptoms break through), and improved things like tremor, speech, movement, and overall daily function.

See full Selegiline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cola Nut

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

0Major
546Moderate
108Minor
2,175No known interaction
546 Moderate 108 Minor 2,175 No interaction
Moderate

546 interactions

Showing 60 of 546 moderate interactions — see all 546 on the Cola Nut page.

Minor

108 interactions

Showing 60 of 108 minor interactions — see all 108 on the Cola Nut page.

No interaction 2,175 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,175 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cola Nut list.

See the full Cola Nut interactions page
See every supplement checked against Selegiline, 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
Cola Nut monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Selegiline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Selegiline, ranked by severity Selegiline 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 Cola Nut and Selegiline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cola Nut with Selegiline?
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.
How serious is the Cola Nut and Selegiline 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 Selegiline and Cola Nut?

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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.