Drug & supplement interaction

Melatonin + Clorazepate

Clorazepate brand names: Tranxene, Tranxene T-Tab, Tranxene SD.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Clorazepate falls into 2 drug categories that Melatonin can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking melatonin might increase the sedative effects of CNS depressants.

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

Melatonin and Clorazepate

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Clorazepate

Clorazepate falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Melatonin interacts with.

Theoretically, taking melatonin might increase the sedative effects of CNS depressants.
Melatonin has sedative effects. Theoretically, concomitant use of melatonin with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other sedative drugs might cause additive sedation.
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: both melatonin and clorazepate can make you drowsy, just through different routes. Clorazepate is a benzodiazepine that calms brain activity, while melatonin nudges your body toward sleep. Put them together and that sleepy effect can stack up, so you might feel more groggy, lightheaded, or slow to react than you'd expect, especially the next morning.

I want to be honest about the evidence here. This is a theoretical concern based on how each one works, not something proven to cause serious problems. For many people, occasional melatonin alongside clorazepate is fine, but go easy at first, avoid driving until you know how the combo hits you, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, particularly if you're older.

References
  1. Foster BC, Cvijovic K, Boon HS, et al. Melatonin Interaction Resulting in Severe Sedation. J Pharm Pharm Sci 2015;18(2):124-31. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICONVULSANTS

2 of 2

Clorazepate also falls under ANTICONVULSANTS.

Theoretically, melatonin may reduce the effects of anticonvulsants. Some clinical research suggests that melatonin may increase the frequency of seizures in certain patients, particularly children with neurological impairment.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 situation with melatonin and clorazepate (Tranxene). When clorazepate is being used to help control seizures, there's a possible concern worth knowing about. Some clinical research suggests melatonin may, in certain people, make seizures happen more often. This has been seen mostly in children with neurological conditions, so it's not something that affects everyone. The worry is that the melatonin could work against the seizure-calming benefit you're getting from clorazepate.

To be clear, much of this is theoretical, and clorazepate is also widely used for anxiety, where this seizure concern doesn't really apply. Still, if you or your child take clorazepate for seizures, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding melatonin so they can weigh it for your situation.

References
  1. Sheldon SH. Pro-convulsant effects of oral melatonin in neurologically disabled children. Lancet 1998;351:1254. PubMed
  2. Stewart LS. Endogenous melatonin and epileptogenesis: facts and hypothesis. Int J Neurosci 2001;107:77-85.. 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

Melatonin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Melatonin has 1,115 moderate, 345 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Clorazepate 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 Melatonin

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Melatonin or Clorazepate

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

This page covers Melatonin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Clorazepate page lists 109 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), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 8 major · 85 moderate · 16 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Clorazepate page

“Clorazepate (Tranxene) is a benzodiazepine, a sedative for anxiety and seizure control, and the supplements on this page deserve genuine vigilance before you add one to a prescription that already slows the brain. The overwhelming majority of these interactions pile extra drowsiness on top of the drug's own, and a few can push that tow…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Clorazepate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,885 real supplement products containing Melatonin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Melatonin. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Clorazepate too, on top of Melatonin — 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 Melatonin and Clorazepate 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 Melatonin
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Clorazepate
Steady interest

#2,069 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 Melatonin

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin
  • Trouble falling asleep (insomnia)
  • Jet lag
  • Delayed sleep phase syndrome
  • Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder
  • Shift-work sleep problems
  • Sleep problems in some children with conditions like autism or ADHD

Melatonin is a hormone your body makes naturally to help control your sleep-wake cycle, and the supplement form is widely used to help with sleep timing problems and jet lag. The evidence is strongest for certain circadian (body-clock) disorders and is more mixed for everyday insomnia. It is generally well tolerated for short-term use, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially for children or during pregnancy.

Read the full Melatonin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Clorazepate

What Is Clorazepate Used For?

Brand names: Tranxene, Tranxene T-Tab, Tranxene SD

Clorazepate dipotassium tablets are used to manage anxiety disorders or to provide short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. They are also used as an add-on (adjunctive) therapy alongside other medications to help control partial seizures in adults and children aged 9 and older.

In addition, clorazepate dipotassium tablets are used for symptomatic relief during acute alcohol withdrawal — helping to ease the physical symptoms that can occur when someone suddenly stops drinking.

See full Clorazepate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Melatonin

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

0Major
1,115Moderate
345Minor
1,369No known interaction
Moderate

1,115 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,115 moderate interactions — see all 1,115 on the Melatonin page.

Minor

345 interactions

Showing 60 of 345 minor interactions — see all 345 on the Melatonin page.

No interaction 1,369 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 Melatonin and Clorazepate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Melatonin with Clorazepate?
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 Melatonin and Clorazepate?
Clorazepate belongs to more than one drug category, and Melatonin 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 Melatonin and Clorazepate 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 Clorazepate and Melatonin?

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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.