Is It Dangerous To Mix Lemon Balm Tea & Antidepression Medication?

Although lemon balm's primary medicinal uses center on its antiviral and anti-anxiety properties, people with depression may use lemon-balm tea for its mood-enhancing properties. Lemon balm -- or Melissa officinalis, as it's officially known -- poses few known side effects or drug interactions. Always ask your doctor, however, before adding any herbal treatments to prescription medicine.

Primary Uses

Named for both its citrus aroma and its ability to soothe shattered nerves, lemon balm is a medium-height, leafy herb. It is hardier than lemon verbena and lemon grass, and herbalists prize it for its culinary and therapeutic properties. Lemon balm tea's reputation for easing stress and treating insomnia has persisted from medieval times to present day, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Aside from treating anxiety when it's taken orally, lemon balm tea can shrink cold sores when it's cooled and applied with a cotton ball.

Using with Antidepressants

New York University's Langone Medical Center notes that lemon balm is on the generally-recognized-as-safe list compiled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. No documented evidence shows any negative interaction between lemon balm tea and antidepressants. But there are many kinds of antidepressants. Their side effects and potential for drug and herb interaction place them in classes ranging from safe to last resort, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Always ask your doctor about risks associated with your prescribed antidepressant.

Other Interactions

Lemon balm has mildly sedative properties that may dangerously magnify the effects of sedative drugs. Use caution when adding lemon balm tea to your daily routine. Some people may find the herbal tea makes them too drowsy for driving or other situations in which alertness is critical. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that the tea may also potentially interfere with thyroid medication, although the cautions are theoretical rather than based on documented occurrence.

Recommended Amounts

Steep one tea bag in 6 to 8 oz. of just-boiled water. If you use loose dried lemon balm leaves, the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests adding up to 1 tsp of the herb per cup. Harvest fresh leaves from the garden, and steep them according to taste, or add fresh leaves as a garnish to dried store-bought teas, recommends herbalist Lesley Bremness. Drink lemon balm tea up to four times a day, warm or chilled.