Herb & supplement monograph

Lemon Balm Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Lemon Balm interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Lemon Balm is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Lemon Balm is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Lemon Balm Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Lemon Balm drug interaction appears low for most people, though a couple of drug groups deserve extra care. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and all of them rest on theoretical, lab, or animal findings rather than proven problems in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combination that matters most involves CNS depressants, such as sedatives, sleep aids, and similar calming medications. Lemon balm has shown calming, drowsiness-producing effects in both animals and humans, so adding it to these drugs could make sleepiness or slowed thinking stronger. The other concern is thyroid hormone replacement, like levothyroxine. Lab and animal research suggests lemon balm may blunt thyroid hormone signals, which could matter for a medicine that needs steady, closely monitored levels, though this has not been confirmed in people.

What the rest of the list means

Lemon balm is listed against a large number of medications, but nearly all of these entries trace back to the same two theoretical concerns applied across many drugs. A long list does not mean each combination is harmful; most of these predicted effects have not been shown to cause meaningful problems in people.

Check your medications against Lemon Balm

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Lemon Balm interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Lemon Balm

264 medications have a known interaction with Lemon Balm, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Lemon Balm using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Lemon Balm interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Lemon Balm combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Lemon Balm affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Lemon Balm is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Lemon Balm interacts with

Cns DepressantsThyroid Hormone

Cns Depressants

Theoretically, concomitant use of lemon balm might have additive effects with CNS depressant drugs.
Lemon balm seems to have CNS depressant activity in animals and in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Thyroid Hormone

Theoretically, lemon balm might interfere with thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
In vitro, constituents of lemon balm extract bind to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), preventing TSH receptor-binding and leading to the inhibition of TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. In animals, lemon balm extract has been shown to decrease levels of circulating TSH and inhibit thyroid secretion.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Lemon Balm: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Lemon balm is a gentle, lemon-scented mint-family herb traditionally used to ease stress, support sleep, and calm digestion, and topically for cold sores. Early studies are promising but generally small, so the evidence is limited. It is usually well tolerated for most adults, but pregnant or breastfeeding people should check with a doctor or pharmacist first.

Scientific name: Melissa officinalis
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Leaves and essential oil
Common forms: Tea, capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures, topical creams, and essential oil

People commonly use it for

Anxiety and stress
Sleep problems
Digestive upset
Cold sores
Restlessness or nervousness

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated for short-term use in most healthy adults, but high doses and long-term safety are not well studied.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a leafy herb in the mint family. It is native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia, but it now grows in many places around the world and is easy to grow in home gardens.

The plant is known for its lemony scent and mild flavor. Its leaves are used fresh or dried to make teas and herbal remedies, and they can also be turned into capsules, liquid extracts, and topical creams. People have used lemon balm for hundreds of years as a folk remedy for nervousness, trouble sleeping, and stomach upset.

How it works

Lemon balm contains plant compounds such as rosmarinic acid, other polyphenols, and aromatic oils. These are thought to be responsible for many of its effects, though much of this comes from laboratory and animal research rather than large human trials.

For calming effects, researchers believe some compounds may influence brain chemicals and pathways involved in relaxation, such as those linked to a calming signal called GABA. For cold sores, lemon balm extracts have shown antiviral activity against the herpes virus in lab tests. It also has antioxidant properties.

These mechanisms help explain why lemon balm is studied for stress, sleep, and skin uses, but they do not prove it works for any specific condition in people.

Effectiveness

Does Lemon Balm work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 27 uses evaluated

3 Possibly effective 24 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Depression