Drug Interactions between dexamethasone / ketorolac / moxifloxacin and sotalol

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.

CONTRAINDICATED: Quinolones such as ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, gemifloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and sparfloxacin may cause dose-related prolongation of the QT interval in some patients. Coadministration with other agents that can prolong the QT interval may result in elevated risk of ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and torsade de pointes, because of additive arrhythmogenic potential related to their effects on cardiac conduction. Torsade de pointes have been reported in a few patients receiving sparfloxacin alone and with antiarrhythmic agents like amiodarone and disopyramide. There have also been isolated case reports of clinically significant interactions with sotalol, a class III antiarrhythmic agent, for both gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin. Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin alone have been associated with extremely rare cases of torsade de pointes and ventricular tachycardia.

MANAGEMENT: Product labeling for certain quinolones recommends avoiding concomitant therapy with class IA (e.g., disopyramide, quinidine, procainamide) and class III (e.g., amiodarone, dofetilide, ibutilide, sotalol) antiarrhythmic agents, as well as bepridil.

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: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may attenuate the antihypertensive effect of beta-blockers. The proposed mechanism is NSAID-induced inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis, which results in unopposed pressor activity producing hypertension. In addition, NSAIDs can cause fluid retention, which also affects blood pressure. Indomethacin and piroxicam have been reported to have greater attenuating effects than other NSAIDs, and indomethacin effects may be significant in patients with eclampsia.

MANAGEMENT: Patients receiving a beta-blocker who require prolonged (greater than 1 week) concomitant therapy with an NSAID should have blood pressure monitored more closely following initiation, discontinuation, or change of dosage of the NSAID. The interaction is not expected to occur with low doses (e.g., low-dose aspirin) or intermittent short-term administration of NSAIDs.

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.