TL;DR ARTICLE SUMMARY:
If you want to minimize the risk of any side effects, you should talk to your doctor before taking any sleep aid with Prozac. There are surely certain sleep aid ingredients that are shown to be relatively safe when combined with medication. These are melatonin, magnesium, passionflower, chamomile, glycine, and l-theanine. These ingredients work through different brain pathways than Prozac, which means they aren’t known to have any major adverse effects nor do they diminish each other’s effects. With that being said, we still advise talking to your doctor to determine what dosage is right for you, just to be sure.
What is Prozac?
Prozac is a popular prescription medication that is used primarily if you have the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions. It is also known by the name fluoxetine. Prozac can be very effective in helping you combat these conditions, however, it comes with one common side effect; sleep disturbances – insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns.
What are Sleep Aids?
Sleep aids are ingredients or products made to promote better sleep. They come in different versions, from OTC products (supplements) for which you don’t need a prescription, to synthetic medications.
Natural supplements often contain nutrients like valerian root, L-Theanine, chamomile, or melatonin. These ingredients have calming properties that can be beneficial for you and your mind to relax and ultimately make it easier for your body to fall asleep more easily and have a better sleep quality overall.
These are great if you prefer natural products. So, the benefits of taking sleep aids can be definitely impressive.
Now, let’s take a look at some sleep aids that you can take with Prozac without having to worry about side effects. These are very well-researched and should be safe for practically everyone.
*NOTE: Talk to your doctor before mixing any of the sleep aids below with Prozac. Everyone is different, and everyone has different reactions.
Sleep Aids That You Can Take With Prozac
1. Melatonin
Melatonin and Prozac work differently and focus on separate biological systems. Melatonin mainly helps with sleep regulation, while Prozac helps with mood by acting on neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation. Therefore, by mixing these two, their combination is not likely to cause any significant side effects.
Also, studies generally show that these two combined are safe. There is no proof that suggests melatonin diminishes the efficacy of Prozac.
Still, consult your local healthcare provider just to be completely safe.
In some cases, melatonin can cause drowsiness, and when it is mixed with Prozac, it can increase sedative effects, which can be dangerous, so keep that in mind. [3]
2. Valerian Root
There is currently limited research on the interaction between Prozac and Valerian Root. It’s best if you don’t use them without your doctor’s permission because they can cause sedation and drowsiness, but these are some side effects that many people want to experience for improved sleep.
Again, both of these can induce sedative effects, and taking them both could lead to excessive sedation.
3. Chamomile
Chamomile is a plant known for its calming properties and potential to promote relaxation and better sleep. There is a low risk of side effects when combined with Prozac, and here’s why; Prozac and Chamomile work through different mechanisms and focus on different systems in the body. Prozac can treat anxiety and depression, while chamomile can be a mild sedative with anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most crucial minerals. It is involved in muscle and nerve function, healthy heartbeat, and energy production. Taking magnesium and Prozac is not known to cause any serious side effects.
Now, here’s the interesting part: magnesium and Prozac work through different mechanisms and focus on different systems in the body. [2]
Magnesium usage is often used to address deficiencies or to support general well-being. Prozac, on the other hand, is a medication prescribed for depression and anxiety, which we already mentioned.
5. Passionflower
Passionflower is known for its calming properties and for its ability to promote relaxation by increasing the levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of stress responses and anxiety. It is generally safe when used alone, and should be safe when used with Prozac too, since these two work through different mechanisms.
6. Glycine
Glycine works differently when compared to Prozac. It helps to promote a sense of tranquility and helps your brain stay calm. Just like the previous ingredients, Glycine has different mechanisms of action, and shouldn’t cause any side effects when used with Prozac.
7. L-theanine
L-Theanine is one of the most popular ingredients in supplements that you can find. It is one of the main ingredients for relaxation and stress and anxiety reduction. L-Theanine mainly increases alpha brain activity, which relaxes the mind and puts it in an alert state.
Again, just like the previous ingredients, L-Theanine has different mechanisms than Prozac, which means that these two combined shouldn’t cause any side effects. [4]
Side Effects to Be Aware of
There are certain sleep aids that can interact with Prozac which can ultimately lead to unwanted adverse reactions or reduced efficacy. For example, keep in mind that taking Prozac with antihistamines like doxylamine or diphenhydramine can increase drowsiness and the risk of other adverse effects.
Some sleep aids can cause serotonin syndrome when mixed with Prozac, which can be a life-threatening condition.
We recommend talking to your doctor to make sure mixing a certain sleep aid with Prozac is a smart thing to do.
Conclusion
Certain sleep aid ingredients can indeed be safe when mixed with Prozac. However, there are many sleep aids that can be harmful when combined. So, what do we think you should do? The best idea would be to talk to your doctor to make sure you’re safe.
References
- Rossi A, Barraco A, Donda P. Fluoxetine: a review on evidence based medicine. Ann Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2004 Feb 12;3(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1475-2832-3-2. PMID: 14962351; PMCID: PMC356924.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC356924/ - https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/fluoxetine-with-mag-200-1115-0-1516-9743.html#:~:text=No%20interactions%20were%20found%20between%20fluoxetine%20and%20Mag%2D200.
- https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/melatonin-with-prozac-1548-0-1115-648.html
- https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/l-theanine-with-prozac-2639-0-1115-648.html#:~:text=Interactions%20between%20your%20drugs,between%20l%2Dtheanine%20and%20Prozac.
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