What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Buspirone and fluoxetine
Fluoxetine's FDA label of January 8, 2026 names buspirone in its drug interactions section; buspirone's label does not name fluoxetine itself but warns about its class (serotonin reuptake inhibitors). The fluoxetine label: “The concomitant use of serotonergic drugs with PROZAC increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.”
Check it at the source: the buspirone FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 22, 2023, Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA), Inc.); the fluoxetine FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 8, 2026, Dista Products Company).
What does the buspirone label say about fluoxetine?
Buspirone's label does not name fluoxetine itself; it warns about its class (serotonin reuptake inhibitors):
Buspirone label, warningsSerotonin Syndrome The development of a potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome has been reported with SNRIs, SSRIs, and other serotonergic drugs, including buspirone, alone but particularly with concomitant use of other serotonergic drugs (including triptans), with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (in particular, MAOIs, including reversible MAOIs such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue), or with antipsychotics or other dopamine antagonists.
Source: FDA drug label (Buspirone Hydrochloride), Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA), Inc., effective December 22, 2023 (SPL set a6bdf140-075e-445e-a62d-633a4b97f3a8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the fluoxetine label say about buspirone?
Fluoxetine label, drug interactionsThe concomitant use of serotonergic drugs (including other SSRIs, SNRIs, triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, lithium, buspirone, amphetamines, tryptophan, and St. John's Wort) with PROZAC increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.
Fluoxetine label, warnings and precautionsThe risk is increased with concomitant use of other serotonergic drugs (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, tryptophan, meperidine, methadone, buspirone, amphetamines, and St. John's Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin, i.e., MAOIs [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Drug Interactions ( 7.1 )].
Source: FDA drug label (Prozac), NDA018936 (Eli Lilly And Co), as published by Dista Products Company, effective January 8, 2026 (SPL set c88f33ed-6dfb-4c5e-bc01-d8e36dd97299), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Buspirone | Fluoxetine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Anxiety | Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar disorder |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.043 per tablet 15 mg tablet | $0.0519 per capsule 40 mg capsule |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once