paroxetine vs selegiline
Side-by-side comparison of paroxetine 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 Pimozide and Thioridazine Clinical Impact Increased plasma concentrations of pimozide and thioridazine, drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, may increase the risk of QTc prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias.
Recommendation: Do not take these drugs together. Your doctor will usually have you wait a few weeks when switching from one to the other.
Paxil
Emsam
Paroxetine (Paxil) is a medicine that can help treat depression and anxiety disorders. It belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
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.
Paroxetine is used to treat several conditions in adults. These include major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It helps to improve mood and reduce anxiety and panic feelings.
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.
Paroxetine works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a natural substance that helps regulate mood. By increasing serotonin levels, paroxetine can help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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.
- • Abnormal ejaculation
- • Weakness or fatigue
- • Constipation
- • Decreased appetite
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- • Dizziness
- • Light-headedness
- • Fainting
- • Abdominal pain
- Reaction with another medicine 1,825
- Tiredness 1,821
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,738
- Harmful effect from different substances 1,579
- Worry or nervousness 1,476
- Trouble sleeping 184
- Redness where medicine is applied 183
- Feeling dizzy 168
- Seeing or hearing things that are not there 166
- Falling down 137
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Paroxetine is not approved for use in children.
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).
Paroxetine may cause harm to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Taking paroxetine later in pregnancy may cause problems for the newborn.
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
Compare paroxetine with
How to Read This paroxetine vs selegiline Comparison
paroxetine is classified in the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) 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, paroxetine has 8,439 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 two medicines together can cause a dangerous buildup of a brain chemical called serotonin.. 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 paroxetine 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.