Drug & supplement interaction

Melatonin + 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 Melatonin 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

Melatonin 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 Melatonin 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.

Melatonin safety at a glance

Melatonin overall Use caution Generally well tolerated for short-term use, but long-term safety is less certain and product quality varies.

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally or parenterally in high doses or with frequent use. High doses of melatonin 75-300 mg daily seem to inhibit ovulation, causing a contraceptive... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding has not been established, so avoid unless directed by your doctor.

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 Melatonin? 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. Melatonin has documented interactions with 18 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), anticonvulsants (moderate) and antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — 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

Melatonin Does Interact With Other Medications

Melatonin has 1,116 moderate, 345 minor known drug interactions in our database — Escitalopram isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,116 Minor 345 No known interaction 1,369 (incl. Escitalopram)

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.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Melatonin 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.

Low sodium Worth acting on Additional detail
Melatonin
“Orally, melatonin may cause migraine-like headache or dizziness. Often these symptoms occur during the first few days of treatment and subside after a few days. Melatonin may also cause drowsiness or fatigue when taken orally. These symptoms appear to be more common if melatonin is taken in the morning or at very high doses (greater than 50 mg).”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.
6 sources cited

1070. Ellis CM, Lemmens G, Parkes JD. Melatonin and insomnia. J Sleep Res 1996;5:61-5. PubMed

1077. Petrie K, Dawson AG, Thompson L, Brook R. A double-blind trial of melatonin as a treatment for jet lag in international cabin crew. Biol Psychiatr 1993;33:526-30. PubMed

15034. Weiss MD, Wasdell MB, Bomben MM, et al. Sleep hygiene and melatonin treatment for children and adolescents with ADHD and initial insomnia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2006;45:512-9. DOI

62384. Buscemi, N., Vandermeer, B., Pandya, R., Hooton, N., Tjosvold, L., Hartling, L., Baker, G., Vohra, S., and Klassen, T. Melatonin for treatment of sleep disorders. Evid.Rep.Technol.Assess.(Summ.) 2004;(108):1-7.

62450. van der Heijden, K. B., Smits, M. G., van Someren, E. J., Ridderinkhof, K. R., and Gunning, W. B. Effect of melatonin on sleep, behavior, and cognition in ADHD and chronic sleep-onset insomnia. J Am Acad.Child Adolesc.Psychiatry 2007;46(2):233-241. PubMed

62710. Bendz, L. M. and Scates, A. C. Melatonin treatment for insomnia in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Ann.Pharmacother. 2010;44(1):185-191. PubMed
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Seizures Worth acting on Additional detail

Melatonin

“Orally, melatonin is generally well tolerated.

Most Common Adverse Effects:

Orally: Dizziness, drowsiness, headache, and nausea.

Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

Orally: There is concern that melatonin may increase the risk for seizure.”

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

Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
A change in sex drive Additional detail
Melatonin
“Orally, melatonin may increase enuresis in adults and children. In perimenopausal adults, melatonin has caused a resumption of spotting or menstrual flow. Decreased libido has been noted for one patient treated with melatonin 3 mg daily for 8 weeks.”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in myasthenia gravis.
6 sources cited

58685. Rossignol, D. A. Novel and emerging treatments for autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. Ann.Clin Psychiatry 2009;21(4):213-236. DOI

62450. van der Heijden, K. B., Smits, M. G., van Someren, E. J., Ridderinkhof, K. R., and Gunning, W. B. Effect of melatonin on sleep, behavior, and cognition in ADHD and chronic sleep-onset insomnia. J Am Acad.Child Adolesc.Psychiatry 2007;46(2):233-241. PubMed

62710. Bendz, L. M. and Scates, A. C. Melatonin treatment for insomnia in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Ann.Pharmacother. 2010;44(1):185-191. PubMed

62770. van Geijlswijk, I. M., van der Heijden, K. B., Egberts, A. C., Korzilius, H. P., and Smits, M. G. Dose finding of melatonin for chronic idiopathic childhood sleep onset insomnia: an RCT. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010;212(3):379-391. PubMed

62804. Guenole, F., Godbout, R., Nicolas, A., Franco, P., Claustrat, B., and Baleyte, J. M. Melatonin for disordered sleep in individuals with autism spectrum disorders: systematic review and discussion. Sleep Med.Rev. 2011;15(6):379-387. PubMed

62811. Rossignol, D. A. and Frye, R. E. Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Dev.Med.Child Neurol. 2011;53(9):783-792. PubMed
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Anxiety or restlessness reported in 4.8% of FDA reports for Escitalopram Additional detail
Melatonin
“Orally, melatonin may cause mood changes, including dysphoria (sadness), dips in mood, nervousness, suicide or self-injury, or transient depression. Delusions and hallucinations have also been reported in clinical research. An analysis of adverse event case reports indicates that drug abuse, dependence, and withdrawal have been associated with melatonin use;”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (adhd).
6 sources cited

1764. Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, et al. Negative effects of melatonin on depression. Am J Psychiatry 1976;133:1181-1186. PubMed

62345. Smits, M. G., van Stel, H. F., van der, Heijden K., Meijer, A. M., Coenen, A. M., and Kerkhof, G. A. Melatonin improves health status and sleep in children with idiopathic chronic sleep-onset insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Am Acad.Chi PubMed

62450. van der Heijden, K. B., Smits, M. G., van Someren, E. J., Ridderinkhof, K. R., and Gunning, W. B. Effect of melatonin on sleep, behavior, and cognition in ADHD and chronic sleep-onset insomnia. J Am Acad.Child Adolesc.Psychiatry 2007;46(2):233-241. PubMed

62792. van Geijlswijk, I. M., Korzilius, H. P., and Smits, M. G. The use of exogenous melatonin in delayed sleep phase disorder: a meta-analysis. Sleep 2010;33(12):1605-1614. PubMed

62784. Alstadhaug, K. B., Odeh, F., Salvesen, R., and Bekkelund, S. I. Prophylaxis of migraine with melatonin: a randomized controlled trial. Neurology 10-26-2010;75(17):1527-1532. PubMed

114510. Ha M, Yoon D, Lee CY, et al. Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase. J Pineal Res 2024;76(2):e12949. PubMed
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 ›
Back pain Additional detail
Melatonin
“Orally, melatonin might increase fall risk. Analysis of a large adverse event database suggests that the rate of accidents and falls is higher with melatonin use when compared with the average rate of all other medications combined. However, the rate of accidents and falls with melatonin use seems to be lower when compared with other sleep medications.”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in back pain.
6 sources cited

114510. Ha M, Yoon D, Lee CY, et al. Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase. J Pineal Res 2024;76(2):e12949. PubMed

97442. Lui MFG, Chow HKD, Wong WMK, Tsang WNW. Melatonin affects postural control in community-dwelling older adults while dual-tasking: a randomized observation study. J Aging Phys Act. 2018 May 29:1-24. PubMed

9181. Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002;2:CD001520. PubMed

62456. Klupinska, G., Poplawski, T., Drzewoski, J., Harasiuk, A., Reiter, R. J., Blasiak, J., and Chojnacki, J. Therapeutic effect of melatonin in patients with functional dyspepsia. J.Clin.Gastroenterol. 2007;41(3):270-274. PubMed

9715. Williamson BL, Tomlinson AJ, Naylor S, Gleich GJ. Contaminants in commercial preparations of melatonin. Mayo Clin Proc 1997;72:1094-5. PubMed

9716. Williamson BL, Tomlinson AJ, Mishra PK, et al. Structural characterization of contaminants found in commercial preparations of melatonin: similarities to case-related compounds from L-tryptophan associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Chem Res To
Escitalopram

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

Melatonin

Recorded for Melatonin 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 ›
Trouble sleeping Additional detail
Melatonin
“A case of autoimmune hepatitis has been reported for a patient who took melatonin orally to treat insomnia. Melatonin use has also been linked to a few cases of Gilbert's syndrome.”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hepatitis.
2 sources cited

63037. Hong, Y. G. and Riegler, J. L. Is melatonin associated with the development of autoimmune hepatitis? J Clin Gastroenterol 1997;25(1):376-378. PubMed

114510. Ha M, Yoon D, Lee CY, et al. Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase. J Pineal Res 2024;76(2):e12949. PubMed
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Tiredness reported in 6.8% of FDA reports for Escitalopram Additional detail
Melatonin
“There are case reports of body temperature fluctuation and post viral fatigue syndrome associated with melatonin intake.”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fatigue.
1 source cited

114510. Ha M, Yoon D, Lee CY, et al. Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase. J Pineal Res 2024;76(2):e12949. PubMed
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 ›
Constipation Additional detail
Melatonin
“Orally, melatonin may cause nausea, abdominal cramps, or mild abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, or decreased appetite. Often these symptoms occur during the first few days of treatment and subside after a few days. In some cases, rates of symptoms are similar between melatonin and placebo.”

Melatonin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.
6 sources cited

62384. Buscemi, N., Vandermeer, B., Pandya, R., Hooton, N., Tjosvold, L., Hartling, L., Baker, G., Vohra, S., and Klassen, T. Melatonin for treatment of sleep disorders. Evid.Rep.Technol.Assess.(Summ.) 2004;(108):1-7.

62770. van Geijlswijk, I. M., van der Heijden, K. B., Egberts, A. C., Korzilius, H. P., and Smits, M. G. Dose finding of melatonin for chronic idiopathic childhood sleep onset insomnia: an RCT. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010;212(3):379-391. PubMed

114510. Ha M, Yoon D, Lee CY, et al. Investigating the safety profiles of exogenous melatonin and associated adverse events: A pharmacovigilance study using WHO-VigiBase. J Pineal Res 2024;76(2):e12949. PubMed

62450. van der Heijden, K. B., Smits, M. G., van Someren, E. J., Ridderinkhof, K. R., and Gunning, W. B. Effect of melatonin on sleep, behavior, and cognition in ADHD and chronic sleep-onset insomnia. J Am Acad.Child Adolesc.Psychiatry 2007;46(2):233-241. PubMed

62754. Elkhayat, H. A., Hassanein, S. M., Tomoum, H. Y., Abd-Elhamid, I. A., Asaad, T., and Elwakkad, A. S. Melatonin and sleep-related problems in children with intractable epilepsy. Pediatr.Neurol. 2010;42(4):249-254. PubMed

62914. Papavasiliou, P. S., Cotzias, G. C., Duby, S. E., Steck, A. J., Bell, M., and Lawrence, W. H. Melatonin and parkinsonism. JAMA 7-3-1972;221(1):88-89. DOI
Escitalopram

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

Showing the 10 most notable of 13 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for Melatonin but not commonly for Escitalopram: dependence or withdrawal symptoms, reduced appetite, confusion and hallucinations.

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

Melatonin in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally or parenterally in high doses or with frequent use. High doses of melatonin 75-300 mg daily seem to inhibit ovulation, causing a contraceptive effect. Advise pregnant patients and patients wishing to become pregnant to avoid using melatonin frequently or in high doses. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of melatonin in lower doses during pregnancy. Some research shows that taking melatonin 2 mg daily does not affect anterior pituitary hormone levels in females who are not pregnant; this suggests that low doses may not have a contraceptive effect. Other research shows that taking melatonin 3 mg daily during the follicle stimulating stage of in vitro fertilization does not negatively impact pregnancy rates. However, it is not known if melatonin is safe for use throughout pregnancy. Until more is known about the safety of melatonin, avoid using during pregnancy.

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

Overlapping uses

What Escitalopram Is Prescribed For, and What Melatonin Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Escitalopram is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Melatonin is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Escitalopram is prescribed for: 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.

Melatonin has been studied for:

Depression studied, not established Melatonin has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Likely Ineffective Read what the research shows

Melatonin for depression

Most research shows that oral melatonin does not reduce symptoms of depression or prevent depression. In some patients, taking melatonin might make symptoms worse.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Escitalopram on your own; if you are taking Melatonin for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Melatonin 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 Melatonin 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 Melatonin 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

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. Even though Melatonin itself has no known interaction with Escitalopram, 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 Melatonin 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 Melatonin

Top 5%

#54 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 Melatonin reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Melatonin 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 Melatonin

What is 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.

Hormone naturally made by the pineal gland; supplements are usually made synthetically · Tablets, capsules, gummies, sublingual (under-the-tongue) tablets, liquids, extended-release tablets

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

Melatonin: dosing

There is no single standardized dose of melatonin, and products vary widely in strength. Many people find that lower doses work as well as higher ones, and taking more does not always help more. Timing often matters as much as the amount, so for sleep timing problems and jet lag it is usually taken in the evening or before bedtime.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and start with the lowest amount that helps.

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

Read the full Melatonin 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 & 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

1,116Moderate

345Minor

1,368No known interaction

1,116 Moderate 345 Minor 1,368 No interaction

Moderate

1,116 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,116 moderate interactions — see all 1,116 on the Melatonin page.

Minor

345 interactions

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

No interaction 1,368 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,368 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Melatonin list.

See the full Melatonin interactions page

See every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Melatonin References

The 118 references that drive our Melatonin 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.

Voordouw BC, Euser R, Verdonk RE, et al. Melatonin and melatonin-progestin combinations alter pituitary-ovarian function in women and can inhibit ovulation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992;74:108-17. DOI
Ellis CM, Lemmens G, Parkes JD. Melatonin and insomnia. J Sleep Res 1996;5:61-5. PubMed
Petrie K, Dawson AG, Thompson L, Brook R. A double-blind trial of melatonin as a treatment for jet lag in international cabin crew. Biol Psychiatr 1993;33:526-30. PubMed
Claustrat B, Brun J, David M, et al. Melatonin and jet lag: confirmatory result using a simplified protocol. Biol Psychiatr 1992;32:705-11.
Fauteck J, Schmidt H, Lerchl A, et al. Melatonin in epilepsy: first results of replacement therapy and first clinical results. Biol Signals Recept 1999;8:105-10. PubMed
Arangino S, Cagnacci A, Angiolucci M, et al. Effects of melatonin on vascular reactivity, catecholamine levels, and blood pressure in healthy men. Am J Cardiol 1999;83:1417-9. PubMed
Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1999:19.
Lancioni GE, O'Reilly MF, Basili G. Review of strategies for treating sleep problems in persons with severe or profound mental retardation or multiple handicaps. Am J Ment Retard 1999;104:170-86. PubMed
Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, et al. Negative effects of melatonin on depression. Am J Psychiatry 1976;133:1181-1186. PubMed
Hartter S, Grozinger M, Weigmann H, et al. Increased bioavailability of oral melatonin after fluvoxamine coadministration. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67:1-6.
Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
Lusardi P, et al. Cardiovascular effects of melatonin in hypertensive patients well controlled by nifedipine: a 24-hour study. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2000;49:423-7. PubMed
von Bahr C, Ursing C, Yasui N, et al. Fluvoxamine but not citalopram increases serum melatonin in healthy subjects – an indication that cytochrome P450 CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 hydroxylate melatonin. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2000;56:123-7.
Grozinger M, Hartter S, Wang X, et al. Fluvoxamine strongly inhibits melatonin metabolism in a patient with low-amplitude melatonin profile. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000 Aug;57:812-3. PubMed
Lissoni P, Barni S, Mandala M, et al. Decreased toxicity and increased efficacy of cancer chemotherapy using the pineal hormone melatonin in metastatic solic tumor patients with poor clinical status. Eur J Cancer 1999;35:1688-92.
Sheldon SH. Pro-convulsant effects of oral melatonin in neurologically disabled children. Lancet 1998;351:1254. PubMed
Hartter S, Grozinger M, Weigmann H, et al. Increased bioavailability of oral melatonin after fluvoxamine coadministration. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67:1-6.
Wright KP Jr, Myers BL, Plenzler SC, et al. Acute effects of bright light and caffeine on nighttime melatonin and temperature levels in women taking and not taking oral contraceptives. Brain Res 2000;873:310-7.
Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for preventing and treating jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001;(1):CD001520.
Briggs, Freeman, Yafee. Update Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.
Suhner A, Schlagenhauf P, Johnson R, et al. Comparative study to determine the optimal melatonin dosage form for the alleviation of jet lag. Chronobiol Int 1998;15:655-66. PubMed
Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002;2:CD001520. PubMed
Munoz-Hoyos A, Sanchez-Forte M, Molina-Carballo A, et al. Melatonin's role as an anticonvulsant and neuronal protector: experimental and clinical evidence. J Child Neurol 1998;13:501-9.. PubMed
Sandyk R, Tsagas N, Anninos PA. Melatonin as a proconvulsive hormone in humans. Int J Neurosci 1992;63:125-35.. PubMed
Golombek DA, Escolar E, Burin LJ, et al. Chronopharmacology of melatonin: inhibition by benzodiazepine antagonism. Chronobiol Int 1992;9:124-31.. PubMed
Smits MG, Nagtegaal EE, van der Heijden J, et al. Melatonin for chronic sleep onset insomnia in children: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Child Neurol 2001;16:86-92.. PubMed
Cagnacci A, Arangino S, Renzi A, et al. Influence of melatonin administration on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity of postmenopausal women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2001;54:339-46.. PubMed
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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 Melatonin — 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 Melatonin and Escitalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Melatonin with Escitalopram?

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

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 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.

Are Melatonin and Escitalopram used for the same thing?

They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Melatonin in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Escitalopram is being adjusted to a target.

How was the Melatonin and Escitalopram combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Escitalopram is filed under 7 classifications, and Melatonin has documented interactions with 18 drug classes — 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 Melatonin interact with any other medications?

Yes. Melatonin has 1,461 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 — Melatonin 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

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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.