Drug Interactions between colchicine and Endodan

GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration with grapefruit juice may increase the serum concentrations of colchicine. Clinical toxicity including myopathy, neuropathy, multiorgan failure, and pancytopenia may occur. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism and P-glycoprotein efflux in the gut wall by certain compounds present in grapefruits. A published case report describes an eight-year-old patient with familial Mediterranean fever who developed acute clinical colchicine intoxication after ingesting approximately one liter of grapefruit juice per day for two months prior to hospital admission while being treated with colchicine 2 mg/day. Her condition progressed to circulatory shock and multiorgan failure, but she recovered with supportive therapy after 24 days in the hospital. In a study of 21 healthy volunteers, administration of 240 mL grapefruit juice twice a day for 4 days was found to have no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of a single 0.6 mg dose of colchicine. However, significant interactions have been reported with other CYP450 3A4 inhibitors such as clarithromycin, diltiazem, erythromycin, ketoconazole, ritonavir, and verapamil.

MANAGEMENT: Patients treated with colchicine should be advised to avoid the consumption of grapefruit and grapefruit juice, and to contact their physician if they experience symptoms of colchicine toxicity such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, myalgia, asthenia, hyporeflexia, paresthesia, and numbness.

GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate the central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects of opioid analgesics including oxycodone. Concomitant use may result in additive CNS depression and impairment of judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills. In more severe cases, hypotension, respiratory depression, profound sedation, coma, or even death may occur.

GENERALLY AVOID: Grapefruit juice may increase the plasma concentrations of oxycodone. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated metabolism of oxycodone by certain compounds present in grapefruit, resulting in decreased formation of metabolites noroxycodone and noroxymorphone and increased formation of oxymorphone due to a presumed shifting of oxycodone metabolism towards the CYP450 2D6-mediated route. In 12 healthy, nonsmoking volunteers, administration of a single 10 mg oral dose of oxycodone hydrochloride on day 4 of a grapefruit juice treatment phase (200 mL three times a day for 5 days) increased mean oxycodone peak plasma concentration (Cmax), systemic exposure (AUC) and half-life by 48%, 67% and 17% (from 3.5 to 4.1 hours), respectively, compared to administration during an equivalent water treatment phase. Grapefruit juice also decreased the metabolite-to-parent AUC ratio of noroxycodone by 44% and that of noroxymorphone by 45%. In addition, oxymorphone Cmax and AUC increased by 32% and 56%, but the metabolite-to-parent AUC ratio remained unchanged. Pharmacodynamic changes were modest and only self-reported performance was significantly impaired after grapefruit juice. Analgesic effects were not affected.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should not consume alcoholic beverages or use drug products that contain alcohol during treatment with oxycodone. Any history of alcohol or illicit drug use should be considered when prescribing oxycodone, and therapy initiated at a lower dosage if necessary. Patients should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of sedation, respiratory depression, and hypotension. Due to a high degree of interpatient variability with respect to grapefruit juice interactions, patients treated with oxycodone may also want to avoid or limit the consumption of grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

GENERALLY AVOID: The concurrent use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and ethanol may lead to gastrointestinal (GI) blood loss. The mechanism may be due to a combined local effect as well as inhibition of prostaglandins leading to decreased integrity of the GI lining.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should be counseled on this potential interaction and advised to refrain from alcohol consumption while taking aspirin or NSAIDs.

One study has reported that coadministration of caffeine and aspirin lead to a 25% increase in the rate of appearance and 17% increase in maximum concentration of salicylate in the plasma. A significantly higher area under the plasma concentration time curve of salicylate was also reported when both drugs were administered together. The exact mechanism of this interaction has not been specified. Physicians and patients should be aware that coadministration of aspirin and caffeine may lead to higher salicylate levels faster.