Drug & supplement interaction

Ipecac + Escitalopram

Escitalopram brand name: Lexapro.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Ipecac 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

Ipecac 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 Ipecac 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.

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.

Ipecac safety at a glance

Ipecac overall Avoid No longer recommended for home or routine use due to risk of serious harm and lack of proven benefit.

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally; ipecac is a potential uterine stimulant. Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is not established, so it should be avoided while breastfeeding.

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 Escitalopram and Ipecac? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Escitalopram

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Escitalopram is filed under 7 classifications — including antidepressant drugs, cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) inhibitors, cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) inhibitors. Ipecac has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being activated charcoal (major) — and none of Escitalopram’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Ipecac Does Interact With Other Medications

Ipecac has 2 major, known drug interactions in our database — Escitalopram isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 No known interaction 2,828 (incl. Escitalopram)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ipecac

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

What to actually watch for

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

Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail
Ipecac
“Orally, ipecac syrup can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, GI irritation, dizziness, hypotension, dyspnea, and tachycardia. Rarely, it can also cause intracerebral hemorrhage, pneumomediastinum, retropneumoperitoneum, esophageal bleeding (3,6,11,13,15,18,56390,56440,56447,56448). Chronic use is associated with myopathies and death (6,18,56391,56412,56413,56414,56416,56421,56422,56424).”

Ipecac · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.
6 sources cited

3. Tyler VE. Herbs of Choice. Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

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.

13. Robbers JE, Speedie MK, Tyler VE. Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.

15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
“Orally, ipecac may cause dizziness (11). Overdose is associated with convulsions and coma (18).

Intravenously, ipecac in total doses over 1 gram can lead to nervous system symptoms (6).”

Ipecac · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in vertigo.
3 sources cited

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.

18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail
Ipecac
“Orally, ipecac causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and GI irritation (3,6,11,13,15,18,56390,56464). In some cases, these adverse effects are severe. There is a case report of a pneumomediastinum (air in the membrane around the heart) and retropneumoperitoneum (air behind the chest cavity) indicative of esophageal rupture following administration of a therapeutic dose of ipecac.”

Ipecac · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.
6 sources cited

3. Tyler VE. Herbs of Choice. Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

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.

13. Robbers JE, Speedie MK, Tyler VE. Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.

15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
A stuffy or runny nose Additional detail
Ipecac
“When inhaled, ipecac powder has resulted in occupational allergy symptoms, such as rhinitis.”

Ipecac · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
1 source cited

56445. Luczynska, C. M., Marshall, P. E., Scarisbrick, D. A., and Topping, M. D. Occupational allergy due to inhalation of ipecacuanha dust. Clin.Allergy 1984;14(2):169-175. DOI
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Dizziness reported in 4.5% of FDA reports for Escitalopram Additional detail

Ipecac

Recorded for Ipecac in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Diarrhea / Nausea / Vomiting reported in 6.8% of FDA reports for Escitalopram Additional detail

Ipecac

Recorded for Ipecac in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Seizures above.

Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Ipecac but not commonly for Escitalopram: an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, a fast or pounding heartbeat and low blood pressure.

Effects for Escitalopram come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Ipecac 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.

Special populations

Ipecac in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally; ipecac is a potential uterine stimulant.

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 Ipecac 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 Ipecac 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 Ipecac 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

How much people look this up

Where Ipecac 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 Ipecac

Top half

#455 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 Ipecac reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Ipecac and Escitalopram records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Ipecac

What is Ipecac?

Inducing vomiting after poisoning (historical)
Cough and chest congestion (expectorant)
Nausea and vomiting (homeopathic use)
Amebic dysentery (historical)

Ipecac comes from the root of a South American plant and was once widely used as syrup of ipecac to make people vomit after swallowing poison. Medical groups no longer recommend it for poisoning because it is not proven helpful and can be dangerous, and misuse has caused serious harm. There is no safe, established home use for ipecac today, and you should call Poison Control rather than reach for it.

Carapichea ipecacuanha · Rubiaceae · Dried root and rhizome · Syrup (syrup of ipecac), tincture, liquid extract, homeopathic preparations

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

Ipecac: dosing

There is no recommended over-the-counter dose for ipecac because it is no longer advised for home use. We will not provide dosing amounts here, since using ipecac on your own can be harmful.If you have a product on hand, do not use it for poisoning—instead, call your Poison Control center or emergency services right away, as they can give the safest, up-to-date advice.For any homeopathic ipecac product, follow the directions on the label, but be aware these products are not proven to work.

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

Read the full Ipecac 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 & Ipecac

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

2Major

0Moderate

0Minor

2,827No known interaction

2 Major 2,827 No interaction

Major

2 interactions

No interaction 2,827 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,827 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ipecac list.

See the full Ipecac interactions page

See every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Ipecac References

The 39 references that drive our Ipecac 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.

Tyler VE. Herbs of Choice. Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.
The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
Robbers JE, Speedie MK, Tyler VE. Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.
McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
Burnham TH, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons, Updated Monthly. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis, MO.
Ipecac for the home treatment of poisonings. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 2003;19(12):191201.
Anon. Position paper: Ipecac syrup. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 2004;42:133-43. PubMed
Wax, P. M., Cobaugh, D. J., and Lawrence, R. A. Should home ipecac-induced emesis be routinely recommended in the management of toxic berry ingestions? Vet.Hum.Toxicol. 1999;41(6):394-397.
Bond, G. R. Home syrup of ipecac use does not reduce emergency department use or improve outcome. Pediatrics 2003;112(5):1061-1064. PubMed
Meadows-Oliver, M. Syrup of ipecac: new guidelines from the AAP. J.Pediatr.Health Care 2004;18(2):109-110.
Silber, T. J. Ipecac syrup abuse, morbidity, and mortality: isn't it time to repeal its over-the-counter status? J Adolesc.Health 2005;37(3):256-260. PubMed
Rashid, N. Medically unexplained myopathy due to ipecac abuse. Psychosomatics 2006;47(2):167-169. PubMed
Merigian, K. S., Woodard, M., Hedges, J. R., Roberts, J. R., Stuebing, R., and Rashkin, M. C. Prospective evaluation of gastric emptying in the self-poisoned patient. Am J Emerg.Med 1990;8(6):479-483. PubMed
Albertson, T. E., Derlet, R. W., Foulke, G. E., Minguillon, M. C., and Tharratt, S. R. Superiority of activated charcoal alone compared with ipecac and activated charcoal in the treatment of acute toxic ingestions. Ann.Emerg.Med 1989;18(1):56-59. PubMed
Day, L., Kelly, C., Reed, G., Andersen, J. M., and Keljo, J. M. Fatal cardiomyopathy: suspected child abuse by chronic ipecac administration. Vet.Hum.Toxicol. 1989;31(3):255-257.
Kuntzer, T., Bogousslavsky, J., Deruaz, J. P., Janzer, R., and Regli, F. Reversible emetine-induced myopathy with ECG abnormalities: a toxic myopathy. J Neurol. 1989;236(4):246-248. PubMed
Mateer, J. E., Farrell, B. J., Chou, S. S., and Gutmann, L. Reversible ipecac myopathy. Arch.Neurol. 1985;42(2):188-190. PubMed
Moldawsky, R. J. Myopathy and ipecac abuse in a bulimic patient. Psychosomatics 1985;26(5):448-449. PubMed
Kulig, K., Bar-Or, D., Cantrill, S. V., Rosen, P., and Rumack, B. H. Management of acutely poisoned patients without gastric emptying. Ann.Emerg.Med 1985;14(6):562-567. PubMed
Palmer, E. P. and Guay, A. T. Reversible myopathy secondary to abuse of ipecac in patients with major eating disorders. N.Engl.J.Med. 12-5-1985;313(23):1457-1459. PubMed
Schiff, R. J., Wurzel, C. L., Brunson, S. C., Kasloff, I., Nussbaum, M. P., and Frank, S. D. Death due to chronic syrup of ipecac use in a patient with bulimia. Pediatrics 1986;78(3):412-416. DOI
Rosenberg, N. L. and Ringel, S. P. Myopathy from surreptitious ipecac ingestion. West J.Med. 1986;145(3):386-388.
Friedman, A. G., Seime, R. J., Roberts, T., and Fremouw, W. J. Ipecac abuse: a serious complication in bulimia. Gen.Hosp.Psychiatry 1987;9(3):225-228. PubMed
Halbig, L., Gutmann, L., Goebel, H. H., Brick, J. F., and Schochet, S. Ultrastructural pathology in emetine-induced myopathy. Acta Neuropathol. 1988;75(6):577-582. PubMed
Brotman, M. C., Forbath, N., Garfinkel, P. E., and Humphrey, J. G. Myopathy due to ipecac syrup poisoning in a patient with anorexia nervosa. Can.Med.Assoc.J. 9-1-1981;125(5):453-454.
Bennett, H. S., Spiro, A. J., Pollack, M. A., and Zucker, P. Ipecac-induced myopathy simulating dermatomyositis. Neurology 1982;32(1):91-94. PubMed
Luczynska, C. M., Marshall, P. E., Scarisbrick, D. A., and Topping, M. D. Occupational allergy due to inhalation of ipecacuanha dust. Clin.Allergy 1984;14(2):169-175. DOI
Friedman, E. J. Death from ipecac intoxication in a patient with anorexia nervosa. Am.J.Psychiatry 1984;141(5):702-703. PubMed
Timberlake, G. A. Ipecac as a cause of the Mallory-Weiss syndrome. South.Med.J. 1984;77(6):804-805. PubMed
Wolowodiuk, O. J., McMicken, D. B., and O'Brien, P. Pneumomediastinum and retropneumoperitoneum: an unusual complication of syrup-of-ipecac-induced emesis. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1984;13(12):1148-1151. DOI
Klein-Schwartz, W., Gorman, R. L., Oderda, G. M., Wedin, G. P., and Saggar, D. Ipecac use in the elderly: the unanswered question. Ann.Emerg.Med. 1984;13(12):1152-1154. PubMed
Thyagarajan, D., Day, B. J., Wodak, J., Gilligan, B., and Dennett, X. Emetine myopathy in a patient with an eating disorder. Med J Aust. 12-6-1993;159(11-12):757-760. PubMed
Lacomis, D. Case of the month. June 1996--anorexia nervosa. Brain Pathol. 1996;6(4):535-536. PubMed
Andersen, J. M., Keljo, D. J., and Argyle, J. C. Secretory diarrhea caused by ipecac poisoning. J.Pediatr.Gastroenterol.Nutr. 1997;24(5):612-615. DOI
Ho, P. C., Dweik, R., and Cohen, M. C. Rapidly reversible cardiomyopathy associated with chronic ipecac ingestion. Clin.Cardiol. 1998;21(10):780-783. 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.

Related: nutrient depletion

Escitalopram Is Linked to Lower Levels of One Nutrient

Natural Medicines records Escitalopram as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Ipecac — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:

SODIUM›

Read the full Escitalopram nutrient depletion report ›

Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Ipecac and Escitalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Ipecac with Escitalopram?

We do not list a known interaction between Ipecac 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 Ipecac and Escitalopram have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 7 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.

How was the Ipecac and Escitalopram combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Escitalopram is filed under 7 classifications, and Ipecac has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Escitalopram's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Ipecac interact with any other medications?

Yes. Ipecac has 2 documented drug interactions in our database — Escitalopram is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Escitalopram interact with any supplements?

Yes. Escitalopram has documented interactions with 55 supplements in our database — Ipecac 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

Ipecac 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 39 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Escitalopram and Ipecac?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.