Drug Interactions between dexamethasone / ketorolac / moxifloxacin and medroxyprogesterone

MONITOR CLOSELY: Concomitant administration of corticosteroids may potentiate the risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture associated with fluoroquinolone treatment. The mechanism is unknown. Tendinitis and tendon rupture have most frequently involved the Achilles tendon, although cases involving the rotator cuff (the shoulder), the hand, the biceps, and the thumb have also been reported. Some have required surgical repair or resulted in prolonged disability. Tendon rupture can occur during or up to several months after completion of fluoroquinolone therapy.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is recommended if fluoroquinolones are prescribed in combination with corticosteroids, particularly in patients with other concomitant risk factors (e.g., age over 60 years; recipient of kidney, heart, and/or lung transplant). Patients should be advised to stop taking the fluoroquinolone, avoid exercise and use of the affected area, and promptly contact their physician if they experience pain, swelling, or inflammation of a tendon. In general, fluoroquinolones should only be used to treat conditions that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria and only if the benefits outweigh the risks.

MONITOR: The combined use of corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the potential for serious gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, including inflammation, bleeding, ulceration, and perforation. In a large, case-control study of elderly patients, those who used corticosteroids and NSAIDs concurrently had an estimated relative risk (RR) for peptic ulcer disease and GI hemorrhage of 14.6 compared to those who used neither. Corticosteroid use was associated with a doubling of the risk (estimated RR = 2.0), but the risk was confined to those who also used NSAIDs. It is possible that both categories of agents are ulcerogenic and have additive effects on the GI mucosa during coadministration. Some investigators have also suggested that the primary effect of corticosteroids in this interaction is to delay healing of erosions caused by NSAIDs rather than cause de novo ulcerations.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is advised if corticosteroids and NSAIDs are used together, especially in patients with a prior history of peptic ulcer disease or GI bleeding and in elderly and debilitated patients. During concomitant therapy, patients should be advised to take the medications with food and to immediately report signs and symptoms of GI ulceration and bleeding such as severe abdominal pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, and the appearance of black, tarry stools. The selective use of prophylactic anti-ulcer therapy (e.g., antacids, H2-antagonists) may be considered.

MONITOR: Coadministration with inducers of CYP450 3A4 may decrease the plasma concentrations and pharmacologic effects of medroxyprogesterone, which is primarily metabolized by the isoenzyme. Aminoglutethimide, a CYP450 3A4 inducer, has been shown to significantly decrease the serum levels of medroxyprogesterone by 50% or more when administered at 250 mg two to four times daily to women with breast cancer receiving high-dose medroxyprogesterone orally. The decrease was accompanied by an increase in serum cortisol level, which suggests diminished adrenal suppressive effect of medroxyprogesterone. The interaction has not been studied with depot formulations of medroxyprogesterone. Because the clearance of medroxyprogesterone is approximately equal to the rate of hepatic blood flow, drugs that induce CYP450 3A4 are not expected to significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of medroxyprogesterone administered parenterally. In one study, no interaction was reported when medroxyprogesterone was administered intravenously with aminoglutethimide.

MANAGEMENT: Pharmacologic response to medroxyprogesterone should be monitored more closely whenever a CYP450 3A4 inducer is added to or withdrawn from therapy, and the dosage adjusted as necessary. When administered as the depot formulation for contraception, no dosage adjustment for medroxyprogesterone is currently recommended during coadministration with CYP450 3A4 inducers. However, consideration may be given to decreasing the dosing interval (e.g., from one injection every 12 weeks to every 10 weeks) if an interaction is suspected.

MONITOR: Coadministration with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may potentiate the risk of central nervous system toxicity sometimes associated with fluoroquinolone use. The interaction has been reported most often with enoxacin. It may occur with other fluoroquinolones as well, but is poorly documented. The exact mechanism of interaction is unknown. Some investigators suggest that the piperazine ring of fluoroquinolones may inhibit the binding of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to brain receptors and that NSAIDs may synergistically add to this effect. Patients with a history of seizures may be at greater risk.

MANAGEMENT: Clinical monitoring for signs of CNS stimulation such as tremors, involuntary muscle movements, hallucinations, or seizures is recommended if fluoroquinolone antibiotics are prescribed in combination with NSAIDs.