The short answer
Ask your prescriber before adding melatonin to imipramine. Prolonged-release melatonin product information reports more tranquility and difficulty performing tasks with the combination.
What this answer covers
Oral imipramine with Circadin prolonged-release melatonin; other formulations and doses have not been shown equivalent.
- Supplement or preparation
- Melatonin
- Medication ingredient
- imipramine
The interaction was functional
Circadin information reports increased tranquility and difficulty performing tasks compared with imipramine alone. This supports reviewing daytime alertness and activities.
Drug levels were not significantly changed
The same product information reports no clinically significant pharmacokinetic interaction. Added functional effects do not require claiming that imipramine or melatonin accumulated.
Keep the tested product in view
The evidence concerns prolonged-release melatonin. It does not establish the same effect for every immediate-release dose or provide a protective time gap.
Watch for impaired alertness
Imipramine can affect alertness and coordination. Avoid driving if affected and contact the prescriber if added sleepiness, confusion or unsteadiness appears after a new product. Severe confusion, fainting or inability to wake needs urgent assessment.
Evidence and practical considerations
Side effects & toxicity
Exact co-use label supports a conditional functional-impairment precaution despite no clinically significant PK interaction.
- Exact scope
- Oral imipramine with Circadin prolonged-release melatonin; other formulations and doses have not been shown equivalent. with Exact oral imipramine hydrochloride tablets. RxNorm IN 5691/PIN 150816 hydrochloride; pamoate capsule is not assumed the same tested formulation. Desipramine metabolite evidence is distinguished from directly prescribed imipramine.
- Medication form and route
- oral
- Timing or duration
- Source-specific single-dose, repeated-dose and observational exposures distinguished.
What remains uncertain
- Original trial is summarized by the product label; detailed protocol and risk magnitude are unavailable.
Factors that may matter: preparation and plant part; clinical indication; dose; other medicines; baseline alertness.
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: current product label
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: People prescribed oral imipramine.
Exact label warns about anticholinergic and sympathomimetic co-use, alcohol-related CNS effects and MAOI combinations. It does not explicitly name tryptophan, St John’s wort or serotonin syndrome.
How this applies: RxNorm IN 5691/PIN 150816 hydrochloride; pamoate capsule is not assumed the same tested formulation. Desipramine metabolite evidence is distinguished from directly prescribed imipramine.
No universal supplement interval, event rate or preparation equivalence established. Original label distinguishes warnings from measured pair-specific results.
Source 2: official product label
medicines.org.uk · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Participants in original interaction studies summarized by label.
No clinically significant pharmacokinetic interaction; greater tranquility and difficulty performing tasks compared with imipramine alone.
How this applies: Exact imipramine co-use, limited to the prolonged-release melatonin study summarized by the product label.
Label summary lacks full trial detail. Imipramine findings cannot establish desipramine, nortriptyline or trazodone interaction magnitude.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Current exact available claims adjudicated using original captures and explicit identity and comparator limits. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: f6336db89cc452c7
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.