Phenylalanine

Are there any interactions with medications?

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Levodopa
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

Levodopa is used for Parkinson's disease. Taking phenylalanine along with levodopa can make Parkinson's disease worse. Do not take phenylalanine if you are taking levodopa.

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Medications for depression (MAOIs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Phenylalanine can increase a chemical in the body called tyramine. Large amounts of tyramine can cause high blood pressure. But the body naturally breaks down tyramine to get rid of it. This usually prevents the tyramine from causing high blood pressure. Some medications used for depression stop the body from breaking down tyramine. This can cause there to be too much tyramine and lead to dangerously high blood pressure.

Some of these medications used for depression include phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and others.

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Medications for mental conditions (Antipsychotic drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Some medications for mental conditions might cause jerky muscle movements. Taking phenylalanine along with some medications for mental conditions might increase the risk of jerky muscle movements.

Some medications for mental conditions include chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril), fluphenazine (Prolixin), haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine (Mellaril), thiothixene (Navane), and others.

Dosing considerations for Phenylalanine.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

• For a skin disease that produces white unpigmented patches (vitiligo): in adults, 50-100 mg/kg of L-phenylalanine is typically used per day along with exposure to sunlight.