Tacrolimus Clarithromycin

Ibrahim RB, Abella EM, Chaudrasekar PH. Tacrolimus-clarithromycin interaction in a patient receiving bone marrow transplantation. Ann Pharmacother 2002 36(12) 1971-2. 

Saquinavir/ritonavir may affect systemic lidocaine, clarithromycin, rifabutin, benzodiazepines, CCBs, FlMGs, cyclosporine tacrolimus, rapamycin, methadone. 

Drugs that might affect amprenavir include abacavir, aldesleukin, antacids, anticonvulsants, azole antifungals, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, dexamethasone, buffered didanosine, disulfiram, ethanol, indinavir, methadone, metronidazole, nelfinavir, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, oral contraceptives, rifamycins, ritonavir, saquinavir, St. John s wort, tacrolimus, and zidovudine. 

Drugs that might be affected by amprenavir include antiarrhythmics, anticonvulsants, azole antifungals, benzodiazepines, calcium channel blockers, cisapride, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, ergot alkaloids, fentanyl, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, indinavir, methadone, nelfinavir, oral contraceptives, pimozide, rifabutin, ritonavir, saquinavir, sildenafil, tacrolimus, trazodone, tricyclic antidepressants, warfarin, and zidovudine. 

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. 

Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra) [Anrirelroviral/Protease Inhibitor] Uses HIV Infxn Action Protease inhibitor Dose Adults. Tx naive 2 tab PO daily or 1 tab PO bid Tx experiencedpt 1 tab PO bid (T dose if w/ amprenavir, efavirenz, fosamprenavir, nelfinavir, nevirapine) Peds. 7-15 kg 12/3 mg/kg PO bid 15-40 kg 10/2.5 mg/kg PO bid >40 kg Adult dose w/ food Caution [C, /-] Numerous interactions Contra w/drugs dependent on CYP3A/CYP2D6 (Table VI-8) Disp Tab, soln SE Avoid disulfiram (soln has EtOH), metronidazole GI upset, asthenia, T cholesterol/triglycerides, pancreatitis protease metabolic synd Interactions T Effects Wl clarithromycin, erythromycin T effects OF amiodarone, amprenavir, azole andfungals, bepridil, cisapride, cyclosporine, CCBs, ergot alkaloids, flecainide, flurazepam, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, indinavir, lidocaine, meperidine, midazolam, pimozide, propafenone, propoxyphene, quinidine, rifabutin, saquinavir, sildenafil, tacrolimus, terfenadine, triazolam, zolpidem 1 effects Wl barbiturates, carbamazepine, dexamethasone, didanosine, efavirenz, nevirapine, phenytoin, rifabutin, rifampin, St. John s wort 1 effects OF OCPs, warfarin EMS Use andarrhythmics and benzodiazepines... 

TACROLIMUS MACROLIDES T plasma concentrations of tacrolimus, with risk of toxic effect Clarithromycin, erythromycin and telithromycin inhibit the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of tacrolimus. Azithromycin, mildly if at all, inhibits CYP3A4 marked t in tacrolimus levels is attributed to inhibition of P-gp Be aware, and monitor tacrolimus plasma concentrations... 

Steady-state tacrolimus concentrations rose in a 32-year-old African-American man who took clarithromycin 500 mg bd for 4 days (75). 

In two women aged 37 and 69, acute and reversible tacrolimus nephrotoxicity developed after the addition of clarithromycin for an upper respiratory tract infection (76). 

Gomez G, Alvarez ML, Errasti P, Lavilla FJ, Garcia N, Ballester B, Garcia I, Purroy A. Acute tacrolimus uephro-toxicity in renal transplant patients treated with clarithromycin. Transplant Proc 1999 31(6) 2250-1. 

A diffuse, follicular, erythematous eruption has been reported in a 45-year-old patient with a previous history of allergies to multiple medications, including clarithromycin (84). It resolved after tacrolimus withdrawal. 

The authors speculated on possible cross-sensitivity between tacrolimus and clarithromycin, which are both macrolides, but confirmatory skin-testing was not performed. In addition, the patient had taken many other drugs that might have been responsible. 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with amiloride, aminoglycosides, amphotericin B, ampicillin, anisindione, anticoagulants, armodafinil, atorvastatin, azathioprine, azithromycin, bacampicillin, basiliximab, bezafibrate, bosentan, bupropion, carbenicillin, caspofungin, cholestyramine, clarithromycin, cloxacillin, co-trimoxazole, corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, daclizumab, danazol, dicloxacillin, dicumarol, digoxin, diltiazem, disulfiram, echinacea, erythromycin, ethotoin, etoposide, ezetimibe, flunisolide, fluoxymesterone, fluvastatin, foscarnet, fosphenytoin, gemfibrozil, hemophilus B vaccine, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, imatinib, imipenem/cilastatin, influenza vaccines, ketoconazole, lanreotide, lopinavir, lovastatin, mephenytoin, methicillin, methoxsalen, methylphenidate, methylprednisolone, methyltestosterone, mezlocillin, mizolastine, mycophenolate, nafcillin, nisoldipine, NSAIDs, orlistat, oxacillin, penicillins, phellodendron, phenytoin, pravastatin, prednisolone, prednisone, pristinamycin, ranolazine, red rice yeast, rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine, ritonavir, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, sirolimus, spironolactone, St John s wort, sulfacetamide, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfisoxazole, sulfonamides, tacrolimus, telithromycin, tenoxicam, testosterone, ticarcillin, tolvaptan, trabectedin, triamterene, troleandomycin, ursodeoxycholic acid, vaccines, vecuronium, warfarin, zofenopril... 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with abacavir, atorvastatin, bepridil, bupropion, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, dexamethasone, digoxin, felodipine, fluticasone propionate, fosamprenavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lovastatin, methadone, midazolam, nicardipine, nifedipine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifabutin, simvastatin, sirolimus, St John s wort, systemic lidocaine, tacrolimus, tenofovir, trazodone, vinblastine, vincristine, voriconazole, warfarin, zidovudine... 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with atazanavir, azithromycin, bosentan, cholestyramine, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, darunavir, delavirdine, erythromycin, exenatide, fenofibrate, fosamprenavir, gemfibrozil, grapefruit juice, imatinib, itraconazole, red rice yeast, tacrolimus, telithromycin, tipranavir, tolvaptan, verapamil... 

Acetaminophen, aldrin, alfentanil, amiodarone, aminopyrine, amitriptyline, amprenavir, androstenedione,antipyrine, astemizole, benzphetamine, budesonide, carbamazepine, celecoxib, chlorpromazine, chlorzoxazone, cisapride, clarithromycin, clozapine, cocaine, codeine, cortisol, cyclophosphamide,cyclosporin, dapsone, delavirdine, dextromethorphan, digitoxin, diltiazem, diazepam, erythromycin, 17j3-estradiol, ethinylestradiol, etoposide, felbamate, fentanyl, flutamide, hydroxyarginine, ifosphamide, imipramine, indinavir, ketoconazole, lansoprazole, loratidine, losartan, lovastatin, (iS)"mephen3d in, methadone, mianserin, miconazole, mifepristone, nelfinavir, nevirapine, nicardipine, nifedipine, odansetron, omeprazole, orphenadrine, proguanil, propafenone, quinidine, quinine, rapamycin, retinoic acid, ritonavir, saquinavir, selegiline, serindole, sufentanil, sulfinpyrazone, tacrolimus, tamoxifen, tamsulosin, taxol, teniposide, terfenadine, tetrahydrocannabinol, theophylline, toremifene, triazolam, trimethadone, trimethoprim, troleandomycin, verapamil, warfarin, zatosetron, Zolpidem, zonisamide... 

Since the first edition was published, semisynthetic macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin and roxithromycin and immunosuppressants such as FK-506 (tacrolimus) and rapamycin have been introduced in clinical practice(s) and have shown positive results. 

A4 Amiodarone, azole antifungals, cimetidine, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, erythromycin, fluoroquinolones, grapefruit juice, HIV protease inhibitors, metronidazole, quinine. SSRIs, tacrolimus Antiarrhythmics, antidepressants, azole antifungals, benzodiazepines, 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... 

Patients have had marked increases in serum tacrolimus levels accompanied by evidence of renal toxicity when they were given erythromycin. The same interaction has teen seen in patients given clarithromycin, and is predicted with josamycin and trolean-... 

Direct information seems to be limited to these case reports. However, it would be prudent to closely monitor the effects of adding clarithromycin or erythromycin in any patient, being alert for the need to reduce the tacrolimus dosage to avoid nephrotoxicity. The manufaeturers prediet that josamycin and troleandomycin will internet similarly and so the same precautions would also be appropriate. The manufaeturers of telithromy-cin also recommend close monitoring of tacrolimus levels and reducing the tacrolimus dose as required. Most other maerolides would also be expected to interact although they do not all behave identically. 

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