Drug Interactions between Dexamethasone Intensol and telbivudine

MONITOR: Prolonged use of certain nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors may commonly cause myopathy, including rare cases of rhabdomyolysis. It is not known if the risk of myopathy is increased during concurrent administration of other agents associated with myopathy, including corticosteroids, fibric acid derivatives, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, penicillamine, and lipid-lowering doses of niacin.

MANAGEMENT: Clinicians should carefully consider the benefits versus risks prior to prescribing these agents together. Patients should be advised to promptly report any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, particularly if accompanied by malaise or fever. Therapy should be interrupted if myopathy is suspected, and discontinued if myopathy is diagnosed.