Drug Interactions between aspirin / carisoprodol / codeine and naproxen

GENERALLY AVOID: Concomitant use of opioids with benzodiazepines or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants (e.g., nonbenzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, other opioids, alcohol) may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. The risk of hypotension may also be increased with some CNS depressants (e.g., alcohol, benzodiazepines, phenothiazines).

MANAGEMENT: The use of opioids in conjunction with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants should generally be avoided unless alternative treatment options are inadequate. If coadministration is necessary, the dosage and duration of each drug should be limited to the minimum required to achieve desired clinical effect, with cautious titration and dosage adjustments when needed. Patients should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation, and advised to avoid driving or operating hazardous machinery until they know how these medications affect them. Cough medications containing opioids (e.g., codeine, hydrocodone) should not be prescribed to patients using benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants including alcohol. For patients who have been receiving extended therapy with both an opioid and a benzodiazepine and require discontinuation of either medication, a gradual tapering of dose is advised, since abrupt withdrawal may lead to withdrawal symptoms. Severe cases of benzodiazepine withdrawal, primarily in patients who have received excessive doses over a prolonged period, may result in numbness and tingling of extremities, hypersensitivity to light and noise, hallucinations, and epileptic seizures.

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GENERALLY AVOID: The antiplatelet and cardioprotective effect of low-dose aspirin may be antagonized by coadministration of some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Ibuprofen has been specifically implicated, and there is evidence that others including indomethacin, naproxen, and tiaprofenic acid may also interact. The mechanism is competitive inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase by certain NSAIDs, which, unlike aspirin, bind reversibly at the active site of the enzyme and cause a temporary rather than persistent depression of thromboxane formation and thromboxane-dependent platelet function. Unpublished single-dose trials with ibuprofen 400 mg indicate that interference with aspirin's antiplatelet activity, as measured by thromboxane B2 (TXB2) levels and platelet activation studies, occurs when ibuprofen is taken within 8 hours before or 30 minutes after dosing of immediate-release aspirin. One study showed that the antiplatelet effect of enteric-coated low-dose aspirin is attenuated when ibuprofen 400 mg is dosed 2, 7, and 12 hours after aspirin. In contrast, a placebo-controlled study found no clinically significant reduction of TXB2 inhibition when ibuprofen (400 mg three times a day) was coadministered with chewable, immediate-release aspirin (81 mg once a day) for 10 days in healthy volunteers. There are no clinical endpoint studies conducted specifically to evaluate the interaction. A retrospective study of 7107 heart patients discharged from hospitals between 1989 and 1997 with aspirin prescriptions found that those also taking ibuprofen were twice as likely to die during the study period as those taking aspirin alone or with other NSAIDs or acetaminophen. That translates to 12 extra deaths (3 heart-related deaths) a year for every 1000 patients treated. A subgroup analysis from a 5-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 325 mg aspirin use on alternate days among 22,071 apparently healthy U.S. male physicians with prospective observational data on use of NSAIDs found that regular (>= 60 days/year) but not intermittent (1 to 59 days/year) use of NSAIDs inhibited the clinical benefits of aspirin on first myocardial infarction (MI). Specifically, regular users of NSAIDs in the aspirin group had a greater than 2-fold increased risk of MI, while regular users of NSAIDs in the placebo group had a nonsignificantly reduced risk of MI. There was no association between intermittent use of NSAIDs and subsequent development of MI among aspirin or placebo recipients.

MONITOR: The combined use of aspirin with NSAIDs in general may increase the potential for serious gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, including inflammation, bleeding, ulceration, and perforation. Pharmacokinetically, aspirin at anti-inflammatory dosages or higher has been shown to decrease the plasma concentrations of many NSAIDs, including indomethacin and naproxen.

MANAGEMENT: Until more information is available, patients receiving low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection should avoid the regular use of NSAIDs including ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen, and tiaprofenic acid. Occasional, single use may be acceptable, as the risk from any attenuation of the antiplatelet effect of low-dose aspirin is likely to be minimal given the long-lasting effect of aspirin on platelets. If routine NSAID therapy is necessary, diclofenac may be a viable alternative. In the retrospective study implicating ibuprofen, 75 mg twice daily of delayed-release diclofenac did not interfere with the antiplatelet activity of aspirin. Other noninterfering alternatives for pain include acetaminophen, celecoxib, or narcotic analgesics. In any case, caution is advised whenever aspirin is combined with a NSAID due to the potential for additive GI toxicity. Patients should be advised to take the medications with food and to immediately report signs and symptoms of GI ulceration and bleeding such as abdominal pain, bloating, sudden dizziness or lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, anorexia, and melena.

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