The short answer
Do not take a L-tyrosine supplement with phenelzine. Discuss any planned treatment change with the prescribing specialist. The Nardil prescribing information specifically lists L-tyrosine among agents that should not be taken with it. Taking the supplement at a different hour is not an established workaround.
What this answer covers
Oral L-tyrosine supplements with phenelzine tablets. This is not a recommendation to eliminate ordinary protein foods; the medication's separate food guidance still applies.
- Supplement or preparation
- L-Tyrosine
- Medication ingredient
- phenelzine
The medication names this ingredient
The warning is more specific than a general concern about supplements: Nardil lists L-tyrosine among substances patients should not take with it. This provides the basis for avoiding unsupervised co-use, even though a precise risk percentage is unavailable.
Keep supplements separate from food advice
A concentrated L-tyrosine capsule is not the same exposure as protein in a meal. Continue the food precautions provided for phenelzine, but do not invent additional broad food restrictions from this supplement warning.
What was checked in the evidence
A 2014 review arguing against the phenelzine-tyrosine warning was retracted in 2021 because key supporting research had also been retracted. It should not be used to override the current label.
Ask about a treatment plan, not a timing gap
Do not stop phenelzine or start the supplement to test tolerance. Any change needs a prescriber-directed plan. Seek urgent assessment for a sudden severe headache, chest pain, confusion or a severe blood-pressure reaction.
Evidence and practical considerations
Side effects & toxicity
The current phenelzine label explicitly names L-tyrosine in its contraindication discussion. A discovery-linked review challenging the warning was retracted and is excluded.
- Exact scope
- Oral L-tyrosine supplements with phenelzine tablets. This is not a recommendation to eliminate ordinary protein foods; the medication's separate food guidance still applies. with Oral phenelzine tablets; current sulfate-tablet labeling uses the named active ingredient.
- Medication form and route
- oral
What remains uncertain
- Label-based avoidance is clear, but this targeted review did not establish a reliable exact-pair incidence or dose-response estimate. The retracted review is not valid evidence for safety.
Factors that may matter: Exact supplement preparation and complete concomitant-medication list require assessment..
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: Current U.S. prescribing information
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Patients prescribed oral phenelzine sulfate tablets.
The label prohibits sympathomimetics, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, phenylalanine and serotonergic agents. It warns about excessive caffeine and high-tyramine exposures.
How this applies: Primary authority for phenelzine oral-tablet precautions; each article identifies whether the supplement is named or the application is a constituent/class inference.
Regulatory instructions do not quantify an exact-pair event rate or validate every botanical formulation.
Source 2: Publisher retraction notice
tandfonline.com · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: No clinical participants; publication-integrity notice.
The publisher retracted the review because its central arguments relied on original research articles that had also been retracted.
How this applies: This is a reason to exclude that review, not clinical evidence that the combination causes harm or is safe.
This is a reason to exclude that review, not clinical evidence that the combination causes harm or is safe.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Initial targeted research draft. Inspected source material, adjudicated the current checker statements, and recorded preparation limits. Clinical review has not occurred. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: 49f006cec8c83066
This guide brings together the evidence records used by our interaction checker. Each finding retains its own preparation limits, research date, and source summaries.
Full citations require verification. Reading this answer and the source summaries does not.
Taking other supplements or medications?
Use the checker to explore your other combinations. Ask a pharmacist to review the exact products, amounts and medical conditions in your complete list.
Open the interaction checkerInformation, not medical advice. Do not change prescribed treatment based on this guide.