dextromethorphan vs safinamide
Side-by-side comparison of dextromethorphan and safinamide. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
major Known Drug Interaction
7.4 Dextromethorphan The combination of MAOIs and dextromethorphan has been reported to cause episodes of psychosis or bizarre behavior. Therefore, in view of XADAGO's MAO inhibitory activity, dextromethorphan is contraindicated for use with XADAGO.
Recommendation: Do not take these two medications together.
Delsym, Robitussin
Xadago
Dextromethorphan is a medicine that helps to relieve coughs. It can also help with cold and flu symptoms.
Safinamide (Xadago) is a drug used with levodopa/carbidopa to treat Parkinson's disease. It helps reduce "off" episodes, where symptoms like stiffness and slowness return.
This medicine temporarily relieves symptoms from a cold. It can help with minor aches and pains, headache, and nasal and sinus congestion. It also helps with sore throat, cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation, and reduces fever.
Safinamide is used to treat Parkinson's disease. It is for people who take levodopa/carbidopa but still have "off" times. During these times, Parkinson's symptoms like stiffness and slow movement come back.
Dextromethorphan works by decreasing the activity in the part of your brain that causes you to cough. This helps to reduce your urge to cough. It does not treat the underlying cause of the cough.
Safinamide is a MAO-B inhibitor. It works by blocking an enzyme in the brain that breaks down dopamine. This helps increase the amount of dopamine available, which can improve motor control.
- • Dizziness
- • Nausea
- • Headache
- • Fatigue
- • Uncontrolled movements (dyskinesia)
- • Falls
- • Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Misusing the medicine 713
- Poisoning 678
- Taking too much medicine 594
- Feeling lightheaded 435
- Accidentally taking too much medicine 403
- Fall 154
- Seeing or hearing things that are not there 142
- Uncontrolled movements 137
- Trouble walking 93
- Death 90
Do not use in children under 12 years of age.
Safinamide can cause or worsen high blood pressure. It can also cause serotonin syndrome, a dangerous condition, if taken with certain other medicines. Some people taking safinamide have fallen asleep suddenly during normal activities. Safinamide may also cause or worsen uncontrolled movements, hallucinations, and compulsive behaviors. Stopping safinamide suddenly can cause serious withdrawal symptoms.
Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if this medicine passes into breast milk.
Safinamide may harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if safinamide passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
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How to Read This dextromethorphan vs safinamide Comparison
dextromethorphan is classified in the Antitussive drug class, while safinamide sits within the MAO-B Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, dextromethorphan has 2,823 submissions while safinamide has 616. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to safinamide is an mao inhibitor, and taking it with dextromethorphan can cause serious mental side effects like psychosis or strange behavior.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between dextromethorphan and safinamide - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.