Can you take Ashwagandha with Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)?
This is general information, not medical advice. Supplements can interact with medicines and health conditions. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting or changing supplements.
What the evidence says
Ashwagandha is thought to affect serotonin signalling, and a published case report described a woman on long-term escitalopram (an SSRI) who developed serotonin syndrome, a potentially serious reaction with symptoms like muscle jerking, fever, and a fast heart rate, after taking a high dose of ashwagandha (a 600 mg capsule plus ashwagandha tea) shortly before she was hospitalised. This is a single case report rather than a controlled study, so it doesn't establish how often this happens or at what dose, but it's enough to warrant caution: if you take an SSRI like sertraline, talk to your prescriber before adding ashwagandha, watch for symptoms like agitation, sweating, tremor, or a racing heart if you do combine them, and stop and seek care if they appear.
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We check against a limited set of medications. Absence of a warning here is not evidence of safety. Always confirm with your pharmacist.