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levomilnacipran vs selegiline

Side-by-side comparison of levomilnacipran and selegiline. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

Examples: selegiline, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid, phenelzine, linezolid, methylene blue Other Serotonergic Drugs Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of FETZIMA with other serotonergic drugs increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.

Recommendation: Talk to your doctor before using these together, as this combination is generally avoided.

Drug Class
levomilnacipran Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
selegiline Selective MAO-B Inhibitor
Type
levomilnacipran Prescription
selegiline Prescription
Summary
levomilnacipran

Fetzima is a medicine used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. It helps to improve your mood by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.

selegiline

Selegiline is a medicine that can help manage Parkinson's disease. It is used along with levodopa/carbidopa when that medicine is not working as well as it used to.

What It Treats
levomilnacipran

Fetzima is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. MDD can cause you to feel sad, lose interest in activities, and have trouble with daily life. Fetzima can help improve your mood and reduce these symptoms.

selegiline

Selegiline is used to help people with Parkinson's disease. It's for those who are already taking levodopa/carbidopa. Selegiline can help when their response to levodopa/carbidopa starts to weaken. It can reduce 'off' time and improve movement.

How It Works
levomilnacipran

Fetzima is a type of drug called a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. These chemicals can help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

selegiline

Selegiline is a selective MAO-B inhibitor. It works by blocking an enzyme in the brain that breaks down dopamine. This helps to increase the amount of dopamine available, which can improve motor control in Parkinson's disease.

Common Side Effects
levomilnacipran
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  • Increased sweating
  • Increased heart rate
  • Erectile dysfunction
selegiline
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Light-headedness
  • Fainting
  • Abdominal pain
FAERS Reports
levomilnacipran
  • Pain 210
  • Throwing up 208
  • Trouble remembering things 189
  • Numbness or tingling 179
  • Reduced sense of touch 178
selegiline
  • Trouble sleeping 184
  • Redness where medicine is applied 183
  • Feeling dizzy 168
  • Seeing or hearing things that are not there 166
  • Falling down 137
Serious Warnings
levomilnacipran

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults. Your doctor should closely watch you for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Fetzima is not approved for use in children.

selegiline

Taking selegiline with meperidine (Demerol) is dangerous and can cause serious reactions. Also, use caution when taking selegiline with tricyclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) due to the risk of severe toxicity. One patient had a hypertensive crisis when taking selegiline with a sympathomimetic medicine (ephedrine).

Pregnancy
levomilnacipran

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Using Fetzima in the last months of pregnancy may cause problems in the newborn. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antidepressants during pregnancy.

selegiline

It is not known if selegiline can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if selegiline passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This levomilnacipran vs selegiline Comparison

levomilnacipran is classified in the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) drug class, while selegiline sits within the Selective 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 prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, levomilnacipran has 964 submissions while selegiline has 838. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to taking these medications together can cause serotonin levels to become dangerously high, leading to a condition called serotonin syndrome.. 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 levomilnacipran and selegiline - 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.