Drug & supplement interaction

Skullcap + Paroxetine

Paroxetine brand names: Paxil CR, Paxil, Brisdelle.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Skullcap 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

Skullcap 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 Skullcap 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.

Skullcap safety at a glance

Skullcap overall Use caution Often used short-term, but evidence is limited and product quality varies, so use with care.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is unknown, so avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Paroxetine and Skullcap? 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. Skullcap 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

Skullcap Does Interact With Other Medications

Skullcap 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 Skullcap

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Skullcap 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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Memory problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    Skullcap

    “A single skullcap extract dose of 100 mg does not seem to have adverse CNS effects. However, a higher dose of 200 mg might cause sedation and cognitive impairment. One patient taking skullcap 350 mg three times daily for 2 weeks reported vivid dreams. It is unclear if this event was associated with skullcap.”

    Skullcap · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cognitive impairment.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12216. Wolfson P, Hoffmann DL. An investigation into the efficacy of Scutellaria lateriflora in healthy volunteers. Altern Ther Health Med 2003;9:74-8.
    2. 91690. Brock C, Whitehouse J, Tewfik I, Towell T. American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its effects on mood in healthy volunteers. Phytother Res 2014;28(5):692-8.

    Paroxetine

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

  • Vivid dreams or nightmares Additional detail

    Skullcap

    Recorded for Skullcap in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Memory problems above.

    Paroxetine

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

  • Drowsiness Additional detail

    Skullcap

    Recorded for Skullcap in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Memory problems above.

    Paroxetine

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

Effects for Paroxetine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Skullcap 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.

Overlapping uses

What Paroxetine Is Prescribed For, and What Skullcap 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. Skullcap 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.

Skullcap has been studied for:

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

    Skullcap for stress

    Although there has been interest in using oral skullcap for stress, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of skullcap for this purpose.

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

    Skullcap for anxiety

    It is unclear if oral skullcap is beneficial for reducing symptoms of 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 Skullcap for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Skullcap 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 Skullcap 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 Skullcap 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 Skullcap as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 926 real supplement products containing Skullcap, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Skullcap. Even though Skullcap 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 Skullcap 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 Skullcap
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Paroxetine
Top half

#878 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 Skullcap reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Skullcap and Paroxetine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Skullcap

What is Skullcap?

Skullcap
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Nervous tension
  • Muscle spasms
  • General relaxation

American skullcap is an herb traditionally used to calm anxiety and promote relaxation, but solid human evidence is very limited. It is generally considered relatively safe for short-term use in healthy adults, though it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding and used cautiously because of possible liver concerns and product mislabeling.

Scutellaria lateriflora · Lamiaceae · Above-ground parts (leaves, stems, and flowers) · Tea, capsules, tinctures, liquid extracts, dried herb

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

Skullcap: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose for American skullcap. The right amount can vary depending on the product and the form (tea, capsule, or tincture).The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not take more than recommended.

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

Read the full Skullcap 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 & Skullcap

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Skullcap — 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 Skullcap page.

No interaction 2,581 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Skullcap 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 Skullcap list.

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

Skullcap References

The 3 references that drive our Skullcap 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. Wolfson P, Hoffmann DL. An investigation into the efficacy of Scutellaria lateriflora in healthy volunteers. Altern Ther Health Med 2003;9:74-8.
  2. Awad, R., Arnason, J. T., Trudeau, V., Bergeron, C., Budzinski, J. W., Foster, B. C., and Merali, Z. Phytochemical and biological analysis of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): a medicinal plant with anxiolytic properties. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(8):6 PubMed
  3. Brock C, Whitehouse J, Tewfik I, Towell T. American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its effects on mood in healthy volunteers. Phytother Res 2014;28(5):692-8.

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 Skullcap and Paroxetine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Skullcap with Paroxetine?
We do not list a known interaction between Skullcap 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 Skullcap and Paroxetine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 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 Skullcap 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 Skullcap in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Paroxetine is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Skullcap and Paroxetine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Paroxetine is filed under 12 classifications, and Skullcap 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 Skullcap interact with any other medications?
Yes. Skullcap 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 — Skullcap 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

Skullcap 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Paroxetine and Skullcap?

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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.