Drug & supplement interaction

Ficin + Citalopram

Citalopram brand name: Celexa.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Ficin and Citalopram 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

Ficin and Citalopram

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 Citalopram and Ficin 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 Ficin at all — not against Citalopram, 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.

Ficin safety at a glance

Ficin overall Use caution Human safety data are limited, and the crude latex can irritate skin and the digestive tract.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Ficin and Citalopram 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. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

    Ficin

    “Orally, taking large amounts of crude ficin (latex) can cause nausea, vomiting, psychomotor excitation, coma, seizures, diarrhea, headache, abdominal discomfort, somnolence, mydriasis, cerebral edema, and even death (11,100608).

    Topically, crude ficin (latex) is corrosive to skin and can cause bleeding with prolonged contact. Ficin can also cause contact allergies (11).”

    Ficin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    2 sources cited
    1. 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.
    2. 100608. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed

    “Orally, taking large amounts of crude ficin (latex) can cause psychomotor excitation, coma, seizures, headache, somnolence, cerebral edema, and even death. In a retrospective chart review, 94% of children and 85% of adults admitted to a hospital in Peru after taking a traditional crude ficin (latex) preparation had CNS-related adverse effects, the most common being psychomotor excitation, coma, and seizures.”

    Ficin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 100608. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed

    Citalopram

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

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Ficin

    “Topically, crude ficin (latex) is corrosive to skin and can cause bleeding with prolonged contact. Ficin can also cause contact allergies (11).”

    Ficin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    1 source cited
    1. 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.

    Citalopram

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

Reported for Ficin but not commonly for Citalopram: stomach upset, drowsiness, vomiting and diarrhea.

Effects for Citalopram come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Ficin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 106,559 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Citalopram 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.

Special populations

Ficin in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When crude ficin (latex) is used orally or topically. Serious adverse effects, including vomiting, seizures, and coma, have been reported in non-pregnant adults taking traditional ficin preparations orally at a dose of 1.5 cm3/kg or higher. Theoretically, taking crude ficin orally might cause harm to pregnant women, nursing infants, or unborn fetuses, avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Ficin or Citalopram

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

This page covers Ficin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Citalopram page lists 191 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lithium (major), St. John's Wort (major) and 5-htp (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 144 moderate · 43 minor.

Open the Citalopram interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4 real supplement products containing Ficin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ficin. Even though Ficin itself has no known interaction with Citalopram, 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 Ficin and Citalopram 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 Ficin
Steady interest

#1,255 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Citalopram
Top 5%

#51 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 Ficin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Ficin and Citalopram 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 Ficin

What is Ficin?

Ficin
  • Intestinal worms (helminth infections)
  • Digestive aid (protein digestion)
  • Anti-inflammatory uses
  • Wound and skin applications (traditional)
  • As a meat tenderizer and food preservative

Ficin is a protein-digesting enzyme from the latex of the tropical fig tree Ficus insipida. It has a long history of traditional use for intestinal worms and is studied in labs for breaking down proteins and bacterial biofilms, but solid human evidence for any health use is limited. The crude latex can be irritating and is not well-studied for safety, so talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Ficus insipida · Moraceae · Latex (milky sap) from the trunk; purified enzyme extracted from the latex · Crude latex, purified enzyme preparations (powders), and as an ingredient in some research or industrial products

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

Ficin: dosing

There is no established standard dose for Ficin. Traditional preparations of the latex vary widely, and there is no agreed-upon safe and effective amount for any health use.If you are considering a commercial product that contains ficin, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them.

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

Read the full Ficin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Citalopram

What Is Citalopram Used For?

Brand name: Celexa

Citalopram — available as tablets (including brand Celexa), oral solution, and capsules — is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This includes depression that causes persistent low mood, loss of interest in everyday activities, changes in sleep or appetite, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Citalopram capsules are specifically indicated for adults with MDD but are not intended for starting or stopping treatment — another citalopram product must be used for dose titration. All forms are indicated for adults only; citalopram tablets are not approved for use in children.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Citalopram

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (106,559 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 6,992 reports
Nausea 6,019 reports
Headache 5,146 reports
Toxicity to various agents 5,100 reports
Diarrhea 4,832 reports
See full Citalopram drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ficin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Ficin — 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
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Ficin References

The 3 references that drive our Ficin 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. Hansson A, Zelada JC, Noriega HP. Reevaluation of risks with the use of Ficus insipida latex as a traditional anthelmintic remedy in the Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;98(3):251-7. PubMed
  3. Ma JW, Hung JL, Takeuchi M, Shieh PC, Horng CT. A New Pharmacological Vitreolysis through the Supplement of Mixed Fruit Enzymes for Patients with Ocular Floaters or Vitreous Hemorrhage-Induced Floaters. J Clin Med 2022;11(22):6710. 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 Ficin and Citalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Ficin with Citalopram?
We do not list a known interaction between Ficin and Citalopram. 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 Ficin and Citalopram 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 Citalopram interact with any supplements?
Yes. Citalopram has documented interactions with 191 supplements in our database — Ficin is not one of them. The Citalopram interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Citalopram and Ficin?

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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.