Yohimbe, cautions
Yohimbine can interact with numerous drugs and cause serious adverse effects. Do not use if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, arrhythmias, Parkinson’s disease, seizure disorders, kidney, thyroid, or liver disease, sexual organ inflammatory disorders, ulcers, or psychiatric disorders. Do not take with antidepressant medications or with foods containing high amounts of tyramine (such as cheese, red wine, liver), or with decongestants, diet aids, or phenylpropanolamine-containing products. Pharmaceutical quantities of yohimbine found in dietary supplements in the USA.
This herb may cause hypertensive crisis when taken with MAO inhibitors
An analysis of 49 yohimbine supplement brands sold in the USA showed that only 4.1% (2/49) provided accurate information about the quantity of yohimbine, and information about yohimbine’s known adverse effects
Case study: two fatal case reports of acute yohimbine intoxication.
Heart Toxicity Related to Herbs and Dietary Supplements: Online Table of Case Reports. Part 4 of 5.
Yohimbine-induced withdrawal and anxiety symptoms in opioid-dependent patients.
Acute neurotoxicity after yohimbine ingestion by a body builder
Yohimbine-induced cutaneous drug eruption, progressive renal failure, and lupus-like syndrome.
. Refractory priapism associated with ingestion of yohimbe extract
Yohimbeshould not be combined with tricyclic antidepressants, phenothiazines, antihypertensive agents or central nervous system stimulants.
Yohimbe may result in increased toxicity if used with alpha-adrenergic blockers; avoid concurrent use.
Yohimbe may cause increased central nervous stimulation if used with SSRIs, CNS stimulants and caffeine; do not use together.
Yohimbe may result in increased hypertension if used with tricyclic antidepressants; dose may need to be lowered (Fugh-Berman, 2000)
Yohimbe may result in increased toxicity if used with phenothiazines; avoid concurrent use.
Do not take if you:
You take antianxiety agents: May reduce their effectiveness.
You take antidepressants: May increase side effects.
You take blood pressure medications: May lessen their effects.
You take drugs that are substrates of CYP2D6: May affect how these drugs are metabolized.
You take bupropion: Coingestion can result in toxic effects.
You take opioids: May cause withdrawal and anxiety symptoms.
You are pregnant or nursing: May cause serious side effects.
You have cardiovascular disease, liver disease, or kidney disease: May cause serious side effects.
You have high blood pressure: Yohimbine can raise blood pressure so taking it may compound the problem.
You have psychiatric conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, mania, schizophrenia: Yohimbine may make your condition worse.
You have an enlarged prostate or sex organ inflammation: Yohimbine may make your condition worse
Side Effects
High blood pressure, anxiety, nervousness, nausea, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, cardiotoxicity, sleeplessness, urinary problems, diarrhea, psychiatric symptoms