Drug & supplement interaction

Tyramine + Irbesartan

Irbesartan brand names: Avapro, Aprovel.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Tyramine has a major interaction with Irbesartan. Tyramine may increase the risk of hypertension and reduce the effects of antihypertensive drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodLikely
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Tyramine and Irbesartan

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Irbesartan

Irbesartan falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Tyramine interacts with.

Tyramine may increase the risk of hypertension and reduce the effects of antihypertensive drugs.
In humans, oral and intravenous tyramine increases systolic blood pressure.
Severity Major Likelihood Likely Evidence B

Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: irbesartan (Avapro) works by relaxing your blood vessels so your blood pressure stays down. Tyramine pushes in the opposite direction. When you eat a lot of it, your body releases norepinephrine, a chemical that tightens blood vessels and can nudge your blood pressure and heart rate up. So a big tyramine load can partly work against what irbesartan is doing.

For most people on irbesartan alone, normal food amounts of tyramine (a little aged cheese or cured meat) aren't likely to cause a serious problem. The real concern is large amounts or concentrated supplements. If you've been told to watch tyramine, or you notice headaches, a pounding heart, or readings creeping up, check in with your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gilliam LK, Palmer JP, Taborsky GJ Jr. Tyramine-mediated activation of sympathetic nerves inhibits insulin secretion in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(10):4035-8. PubMed
  2. VanDenBerg CM, Blob LF, Kemper EM, Azzaro AJ. Tyramine pharmacokinetics and reduced bioavailability with food. J Clin Pharmacol. 2003;43(6):604-9. DOI
  3. Meck JV, Martin DS, D'Aunno DS, Waters WW. Pressor response to intravenous tyramine is a marker of cardiac, but not vascular, adrenergic function. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2003;41(1):126-31. PubMed
  4. Colombo F, Porro T, del Rosso G, Bertalero P, Orlandi L, Libretti A. Cardiovascular responses to physical exercise and tyramine infusion in hypertensive and normotensive subjects. J Hum Hypertens. 1989;3(4):245-9.
  5. Pace DG, Reele SB, Rozik LM, Rogers-Phillips CA, Dabice JA, Givens SV. Evaluation of methods of administering tyramine to raise systolic blood pressure. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1988;44(2):137-44. 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

Tyramine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Tyramine has 180 major, 1 moderate, 171 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Irbesartan one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 180 Moderate 1 Minor 171 No known interaction 2,478 (incl. Irbesartan)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Tyramine

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Tyramine or Irbesartan

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

This page covers Tyramine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Irbesartan page lists 182 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 145 moderate · 33 minor.

Open the Irbesartan interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 20 real supplement products containing Tyramine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Tyramine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Irbesartan too, on top of Tyramine — 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 Tyramine and Irbesartan 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 Tyramine
Steady interest

#1,172 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Irbesartan
Steady interest

#1,427 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 Tyramine

What is Tyramine?

  • Studied for effects on blood pressure
  • Discussed in relation to migraine and headache triggers
  • Of interest in food and diet science
  • Subject of research on the nervous system

Tyramine is a natural compound formed when certain proteins break down, and it is found in aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented foods, and some other items. It is not a typical health supplement and is best known for the problems it can cause—such as dangerous spikes in blood pressure—in people taking certain medications or in those who are sensitive to it. If you have been told to follow a low-tyramine diet, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes.

Read the full Tyramine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Irbesartan

What Is Irbesartan Used For?

Brand names: Avapro, Aprovel

Irbesartan tablets — sold as the brand Avapro and as generic irbesartan — are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Bringing blood pressure down lowers the risk of serious events like stroke and heart attack. It can be used alone or alongside other blood pressure medicines.

Irbesartan tablets (including Avapro) are also used to treat diabetic nephropathy — kidney disease caused by diabetes — in people who have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and signs of kidney damage. In this group, it helps slow how quickly the kidney disease gets worse.

See full Irbesartan drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tyramine

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

180Major
1Moderate
171Minor
2,477No known interaction
180 Major 1 Moderate 171 Minor 2,477 No interaction
Major

180 interactions

Showing 60 of 180 major interactions — see all 180 on the Tyramine page.

Moderate

1 interaction

Minor

171 interactions

Showing 60 of 171 minor interactions — see all 171 on the Tyramine page.

No interaction 2,477 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,477 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Tyramine list.

See the full Tyramine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Irbesartan, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Tyramine monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Irbesartan supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Irbesartan, ranked by severity Irbesartan drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Tyramine and Irbesartan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Tyramine with Irbesartan?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Tyramine and Irbesartan interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Irbesartan and Tyramine?

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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.