Selected Xanthine Derivatives/Selected Macrolide Antibiotics Interactions

This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Medical warning:

Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.

How the interaction occurs:

When these two medicines are taken together, your body may process the antibiotic more quickly. Also, your ability to process medicines called xanthine derivatives may slow down. Xanthine derivatives include caffeine and theophylline.

What might happen:

Your blood levels of antibiotic may decrease and reduce the ability of the medicine to treat your infection. Your blood levels of the xanthine derivative may increase and cause toxic effects.

What you should do about this interaction:

If you experience loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, agitation, headache, fast and/or irregular heartbeat, seizure, or worsening of your condition, contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist). This interaction may be worse if you have heart failure, liver disease, fluid on the lung, or are on large doses of theophylline.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

View Reference
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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.