Nefazodone Cyclosporine

The LDL-C should be kept well below 90 mg/dL, actually closer to 50 mg/dl, utilizing a low cholesterol, low animal fat diet, exercise, and a powerful statin (97). Statins have pleiotropic effects plaque stabilization, vasodilatation, anti-inflammatory, antithromotic, antiproliferative, and antioxidant (98). Most statins are metabolized via the CYP 3A4 pathway. Hence, drugs which also use the CYP 3A4 metabolic pathway, like ketoconazole, nefazodone, cyclosporine, nifedipine, felodipine. 

Specific concomitant medications or consumptions (check specific statin package insert for warnings) fibrates (especially gemfibrozil, but other fibrates too), nicotinic acid (rarely), cyclosporine, azole antifungals such as itraconazole and ketoconazole, macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin and clarithromycin, protease inhibitors used to treat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, nefazodone (antidepressant), verapamil, amiodarone, large quantities of grapefruit juice (usually more than 1 quart per day), and alcohol abuse (independently predisposes to myopathy)... 

Drugs that may affect HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors include alcohol, amiodarone, antacids, azole antifungals, bile acid sequestrants, cimetidine, cyclosporine, diltiazem, erythromycin, gemfibrozil, isradipine, nefazodone, niacin, nicotinic acid, omeprazole, phenytoin, propranolol, protease inhibitors, ranitidine, rifampin, St. John s wort, and verapamil. 

Drugs that affect nefazodone include general anesthetics, sibutramine, sumatriptan, buspirone, carbamazepine, and propranolol. Drugs that may be affected by nefazodone include alcohol, benzodiazepines, buspirone, carbamazepine, cisapride, digoxin, haloperidol, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, MAOIs, propranolol, St. John s wort, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus. 

Drugs that may affect tacrolimus include nephrotoxic agents (aminoglycosides, amphotericin B, cisplatin, cyclosporine), antifungals, bromocriptine, calcium channel blockers, cimetidine, clarithromycin, danazol, diltiazem, erythromycin, methylprednisolone, metoclopramide, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifamycins, cisapride, chloramphenicol, metronidazole, nefazodone, omeprazole, protease inhibitors, macrolide antibiotics, fosphenytoin, and St. John s wort. 

Drugs that may affect cyclosporine include allopurinol, amiodarone, androgens (eg, danazol, methyltestosterone), anticonvulsants (eg, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin), azole antifungals (eg, fluconazole, ketoconazole), beta-blockers, bosentan, bromocriptine, calcium channel blockers, colchicine, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, fluoroquinolones (eg, ciprofloxacin), foscarnet, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, imipenem-cilastatin, macrolide antibiotics, methotrexate, metoclopramide, nafcillin, nefazodone, orlistat, potassium-sparing diuretics, probucol, rifamycins (rifampin, rifabutin), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs eg, fluoxetine, sertraline),... 

The risk of myopathy appears to be increased by high levels of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity in plasma. Lovastatin is metabolized by the CYP isoform 3A4. Certain drugs, that share this metabolic pathway can raise the plasma levels of lovastatin and may increase the risk of myopathy. These include cyclosporine, itraconazole, ketoconazole and other antifungal azoles, the macrolide antibiotics erythromycin and clarithromycin, HIV protease inhibitors, the antidepressant nefazodone, or large quantities of grapefruit juice (greater than 1 quart daily)... 

The catabolism of lovastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin proceeds chiefly through CYP3A4, whereas that of fluvastatin and rosuvastatin is mediated by CYP2C9. Pravastatin is catabolized through other pathways, including sulfation. The 3A4-dependent reductase inhibitors tend to accumulate in plasma in the presence of drugs that inhibit or compete for the 3A4 cytochrome. These include the macrolide antibiotics, cyclosporine, ketoconazole and its congeners, HIVprotease inhibitors, tacrolimus, nefazodone, fibrates, and others (see Chapter 4). Concomitant use of reductase inhibitors with amiodarone or verapamil also causes an increased risk of myopathy. 

Drugs that may inhibit cytochrome P450 metabolism of other drugs include amiodarone, androgens, atazanavir, chloramphenicol, cimetidine, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, delavirdine, diltiazem, diphenhydramine, disulfiram, enoxacin, erythromycin, fluconazole, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, furanocoumarins (substances in grapefruit juice), indinavir, isoniazid, itraconazole, ketoconazole, metronidazole, mexile-tine, miconazole, nefazodone, omeprazole, paroxetine, propoxyphene, quinidine, ritonavir, sulfamethizole, verapamil, voriconazole, zafirlukast, and zileuton. 

Cyt 3A3/4 metabolizes clozapine, sertindole, quetiapine common substrates -tricyclic antidepressants, nefazodone, sertraline, carbamazepine, ethosuximide, terfenadine, benzodiazepines, diltiazem, nifedipine, verapamil, erythromycin, cyclosporine, lidocaine, quinidine, cisapride, paracetamol. Common inhibitors -nefazodone, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, ketoconazole. 

CYP3A4 Inhibition Amiodarone, clarithromycin, erythromycin, cimetidine, cyclosporine, fluoxetine fluvoxamine, itraconazole, ketoconazole, nefazodone, verapamil, diltiazem HIV antivirals delaviridine, indanavire, nelfmavire, ritonavire, sequinavire Atorvastatin Lovastatin Simvastatin ... 

Wright DH, Lake KD, Bruhn PS, Emery RW Jr. Nefazodone and cyclosporine drug-drug interaction. J Heart Lung Transplant 1999 18(9) 913-5. 

St. John s wort Mild to moderate depression Gastrointestinal upset, photo-sensitivity. Mild serotonin syndrome with the following medications paroxetine, trazodone, sertraline, and nefazodone. May decrease digoxin levels. May decrease cyclosporine serum concentrations. Combined oral contraceptives—breakthrough bleeding. 

Helms-Smith KM, Curtis SL, Hatton RC. Apparent interaction between nefazodone and cyclosporine. Ann Intern Med 1996 125(5) 424. 

Garton T. Nefazodone and CYP450 3A4 interactions with cyclosporine and tacrolimusl. Transplantation 2002 74(5) 745. 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with barbiturates, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, CYP3A inhibitors, digoxin, grapefruit juice, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lovastatin, nefazodone, nelfinavir, p-gp inhibitors, phenytoin, rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentin, ritonavir, saquinavir, St John s wort, telithromycin... 

A4 Barbiturates, carbamazepine, corticosteroids, efavirenz, phenytoin, rifampin, troglitazone Antiarrhythmics, antidepressants, azole antifungals, benzc iazepines, calcium channel blockers, cyclosporine, delavirdine, doxorubicin, efavirenz, erythromycin, estrogens, HIV protease inhibitors, nefazodone, paclitaxel, proton pump inhibitors, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, rifabutin, rifampin, sildenafil, SSRIs, tamoxifen, trazodone, vinca anticancer agents... 

CYP2C9 Cyclosporine, Ifosfamide, Etoposide Nefazodone, Losartan, Warfarin, Tamoxifen, Phenytoin... 

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