Drug & supplement interaction

Motherwort + Paroxetine

Paroxetine brand names: Paxil CR, Paxil, Brisdelle.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Motherwort and Paroxetine 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

Motherwort and Paroxetine

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 Paroxetine and Motherwort 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.

Motherwort safety at a glance

Motherwort overall Use caution May be tolerated short-term by healthy adults, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally or by injection. Alkaloids present in motherwort have uterine stimulant effects. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best avoided.

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 Paroxetine and Motherwort? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Paroxetine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Paroxetine is filed under 12 classifications — including antidepressant drugs, cytochrome p450 2c19 (cyp2c19) inhibitors, cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) inhibitors. Motherwort has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being cns depressants (moderate) — and none of Paroxetine’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

Motherwort Does Interact With Other Medications

Motherwort has 248 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Paroxetine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 248 No known interaction 2,582 (incl. Paroxetine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Motherwort

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Motherwort and Paroxetine 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.

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Motherwort

    “Orally, use of motherwort in amounts greater than 3 grams can cause uterine bleeding (12).”

    Motherwort · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in bleeding.

    1 source cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

    Paroxetine

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

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Motherwort

    “Motherwort can also cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals (4). Intramuscularly and via intrauterine injection, transient fever and chills lasting less than 24 hours have been reported.”

    Motherwort · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fever.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 104855. Cao Shan DOSOGC, Zhang W, Zhao Z, et al. Post-marketing safety surveillance and reevaluation of Motherwort injection: A clinical study of 10 094 cases. J Tradit Chin Med. 2018 Aug;38(4):625-635. DOI

    Paroxetine

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

  • Chills Additional detail

    Motherwort

    Recorded for Motherwort in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

    Paroxetine

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

  • Stomach upset / Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Nausea Additional detail

    Motherwort

    “Orally, use of motherwort in amounts greater than 3 grams can cause diarrhea and stomach irritation (12). Intramuscularly and via intrauterine injection, abdominal pain and nausea have been reported.”

    Motherwort · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    2. 104855. Cao Shan DOSOGC, Zhang W, Zhao Z, et al. Post-marketing safety surveillance and reevaluation of Motherwort injection: A clinical study of 10 094 cases. J Tradit Chin Med. 2018 Aug;38(4):625-635. DOI

    Paroxetine

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Motherwort

    “Motherwort leaves can cause contact dermatitis, and the oil may cause photosensitivity reactions (4). Intramuscularly and via intrauterine injection, mild erythema, rash, and pruritus have been reported.”

    Motherwort · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 4. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
    2. 101892. Xia WT, Zhou H, Wang Y, et al. Motherwort injection in preventing post-abortion hemorrhage after induced abortion: A multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Explore (NY). 2019. pii: S1550-8307(19)30447-1. PubMed
    3. 104855. Cao Shan DOSOGC, Zhang W, Zhao Z, et al. Post-marketing safety surveillance and reevaluation of Motherwort injection: A clinical study of 10 094 cases. J Tradit Chin Med. 2018 Aug;38(4):625-635. DOI

    Paroxetine

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

Reported for Motherwort but not commonly for Paroxetine: sun sensitivity, itching, swelling and fever.

Effects for Paroxetine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Motherwort come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Motherwort in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally or by injection. Alkaloids present in motherwort have uterine stimulant effects.

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 Paroxetine Is Prescribed For, and What Motherwort Has Been Studied For

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

Paroxetine is prescribed for: Paroxetine tablets, film-coated tablets, and oral suspensions are approved in adults for major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The extended-release tablet forms (Paxil CR, paroxetine HCL CR, and paroxetine extended-release tablets) are approved in adults for MDD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Brisdelle (paroxetine 7.5 mg capsule) and generic paroxetine capsules are approved specifically for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) associated with menopause — not for any psychiatric condition. Paroxetine tablets are not approved for use in children.

Motherwort has been studied for:

  • Anxiety studied, not established Motherwort has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Motherwort for anxiety

    It is unclear if oral motherwort is beneficial in patients with anxiety.

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 Paroxetine on your own; if you are taking Motherwort for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Motherwort or Paroxetine

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

This page covers Motherwort only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Paroxetine page lists 134 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Iboga (major), Lithium (major), 1,3-dmaa (moderate) and 5-htp (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 105 moderate · 26 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Paroxetine page

“I treat paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Brisdelle) as a medication where supplement choices genuinely matter, not one to wave through. This antidepressant raises serotonin, so about twenty of the ingredients listed here, lithium among them, can push serotonin too high and risk serotonin syndrome, a dangerous reaction.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Paroxetine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 400 real supplement products containing Motherwort, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Motherwort. Even though Motherwort itself has no known interaction with Paroxetine, 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 Motherwort and Paroxetine 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 Motherwort
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Paroxetine
Top half

#1,053 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 Motherwort reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Motherwort and Paroxetine 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 .
Supplement

About Motherwort

What is Motherwort?

Motherwort
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Heart palpitations
  • Menstrual discomfort
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Insomnia

Motherwort is a traditional herb in the mint family long used for anxiety, heart palpitations, and women's reproductive complaints, but solid human evidence is very limited. It should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and anyone with a heart condition or taking heart or blood-thinning medicines should talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Leonurus cardiaca · Lamiaceae · Aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowering tops) · Tea, tincture, liquid extract, capsules, dried herb

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

Motherwort: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for motherwort. Traditional preparations include teas made from the dried herb and liquid tinctures or extracts, and products vary widely in strength.Because doses are not standardized and product quality differs, the safest approach is to follow the directions on the specific product label and not exceed the suggested amount.

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

Read the full Motherwort monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Paroxetine

What Is Paroxetine Used For?

Brand names: Paxil CR, Paxil, Brisdelle

Paroxetine tablets, film-coated tablets, and oral suspensions are approved in adults for major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The extended-release tablet forms (Paxil CR, paroxetine HCL CR, and paroxetine extended-release tablets) are approved in adults for MDD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Brisdelle (paroxetine 7.5 mg capsule) and generic paroxetine capsules are approved specifically for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) associated with menopause — not for any psychiatric condition. Paroxetine tablets are not approved for use in children.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Paroxetine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (91,207 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Drug withdrawal syndrome 6,210 reports
Nausea 6,139 reports
Dizziness 5,469 reports
Fatigue 5,430 reports
Anxiety 5,396 reports
See full Paroxetine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Motherwort

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

0Major
248Moderate
0Minor
2,581No known interaction
248 Moderate 2,581 No interaction
Moderate

248 interactions

Showing 60 of 248 moderate interactions — see all 248 on the Motherwort page.

No interaction 2,581 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,581 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Motherwort list.

See the full Motherwort interactions page
See every supplement checked against Paroxetine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Motherwort References

The 6 references that drive our Motherwort 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. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  4. Wojtyniak K, Szymanski M, Matlawska I. Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort): a review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. Phytother Res 2013;27(8):1115-20.
  5. Xia WT, Zhou H, Wang Y, et al. Motherwort injection in preventing post-abortion hemorrhage after induced abortion: A multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Explore (NY). 2019. pii: S1550-8307(19)30447-1. PubMed
  6. Cao Shan DOSOGC, Zhang W, Zhao Z, et al. Post-marketing safety surveillance and reevaluation of Motherwort injection: A clinical study of 10 094 cases. J Tradit Chin Med. 2018 Aug;38(4):625-635. DOI

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 Motherwort and Paroxetine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Motherwort with Paroxetine?
We do not list a known interaction between Motherwort and Paroxetine. 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 Motherwort and Paroxetine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 8 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 Motherwort and Paroxetine 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 Motherwort in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Paroxetine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Motherwort and Paroxetine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Paroxetine is filed under 12 classifications, and Motherwort has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Paroxetine'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 Motherwort interact with any other medications?
Yes. Motherwort has 248 documented drug interactions in our database — Paroxetine 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 Paroxetine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Paroxetine has documented interactions with 134 supplements in our database — Motherwort is not one of them. The Paroxetine 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

Motherwort monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Paroxetine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Paroxetine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Paroxetine, 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 6 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Paroxetine and Motherwort?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.