The short answer
Extra sedation from passionflower plus protriptyline is not established. Protriptyline’s label specifically says sedative and tranquilizing properties are lacking.
What this answer covers
Oral Passiflora incarnata herb, not fruit or other species.
- Supplement or preparation
- Passiflora incarnata
- Medication ingredient
- protriptyline
Protriptyline is not uniformly sedating
The exact label describes activating properties and says sedative and tranquilizing properties are lacking. Sedation findings for another antidepressant cannot simply be assigned here.
Passionflower has its own precautions
The herb monograph cautions about driving. It lists no reported interactions, which is not proof that this combination has been tested.
Human studies include negative sedation findings
Small perioperative trials found anxiety improvement without significant extra sedation or psychomotor impairment from their tested passionflower products. They did not include protriptyline.
Use symptoms and product identity for review
Confirm the herb, extract and additional ingredients. If you become sleepy or unsteady, avoid driving and contact the prescriber; no universal protective interval is established.
Evidence and practical considerations
Side effects & toxicity
Exact additive-sedation claim is insufficient; herb-specific alertness review remains appropriate.
- Exact scope
- Oral Passiflora incarnata herb, not fruit or other species. with Exact oral protriptyline hydrochloride film-coated tablets. RxNorm IN8886 / PIN203199 hydrochloride tablets. Label describes activating properties and lack of sedative/tranquilizing properties; do not assume other tricyclic sedation applies.
- Medication form and route
- oral
- Timing or duration
- Source-specific single-dose, repeated-dose and observational exposures distinguished.
What remains uncertain
- No exact co-use study; short standalone trials do not establish every product’s effect.
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 protriptyline.
Label describes activating properties and lack of sedative/tranquilizing properties. Cardiovascular, anticholinergic and MAOI precautions; no explicit serotonin syndrome or St John’s wort warning.
How this applies: RxNorm IN8886 / PIN203199 hydrochloride tablets. Label describes activating properties and lack of sedative/tranquilizing properties; do not assume other tricyclic sedation applies.
No universal supplement interval, event rate or preparation equivalence established.
Source 2: official guidance
ema.europa.eu · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: People considering the specified supplement.
Traditional sleep-aid use; may impair driving. Section 4.5 lists no reported interactions.
How this applies: Supplement-only or indirect standalone evidence; no sedative drug-class equivalence.
Specific Passiflora incarnata preparation, without protriptyline; standalone findings cannot prove combination safety.
Source 3: randomized placebo-controlled trial
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 60 adults undergoing ambulatory surgery.
Anxiety decreased, but sedation and psychomotor recovery were similar between groups.
How this applies: Supplement-only or indirect standalone evidence; no sedative drug-class equivalence.
Specific Passiflora incarnata preparation, without protriptyline; standalone findings cannot prove combination safety.
Source 4: randomized placebo-controlled trial
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 60 adults aged 25-55 undergoing spinal anesthesia.
No significant group differences in sedation, psychomotor function, hemodynamics or side effects.
How this applies: Supplement-only or indirect standalone evidence; no sedative drug-class equivalence.
Specific Passiflora incarnata preparation, without protriptyline; standalone findings cannot prove combination safety.
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: 790a1b1960d55344
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.