Drug Interactions between Duragesic and Dynacin

GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate the central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects of opioid analgesics including fentanyl. 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: Consumption of grapefruit juice during treatment with oral transmucosal formulations of fentanyl may result in increased plasma concentrations of fentanyl, which is primarily metabolized by CYP450 3A4 isoenzyme in the liver and intestine. Certain compounds present in grapefruit are known to inhibit CYP450 3A4 and may increase the bioavailability of swallowed fentanyl (reportedly up to 75% of a dose) and/or decrease its systemic clearance. The clinical significance is unknown. In 12 healthy volunteers, consumption of 250 mL regular-strength grapefruit juice the night before and 100 mL double-strength grapefruit juice one hour before administration of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (600 or 800 mcg lozenge) did not significantly affect fentanyl pharmacokinetics, overall extent of fentanyl-induced miosis (miosis AUC), or subjective self-assessment of various clinical effects compared to control. However, pharmacokinetic alterations associated with interactions involving grapefruit juice are often subject to a high degree of interpatient variability. The possibility of significant interaction in some patients should be considered.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should not consume alcoholic beverages or use drug products that contain alcohol during treatment with fentanyl. Any history of alcohol or illicit drug use should be considered when prescribing fentanyl, 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 fentanyl should preferably avoid the consumption of grapefruit and grapefruit juice. In addition, patients receiving transdermal formulations of fentanyl should be cautioned that drug interactions and drug effects may be observed for a prolonged period beyond removal of the patch, as significant amounts of fentanyl are absorbed from the skin for 17 hours or more after the patch is removed.

GENERALLY AVOID: The bioavailability of oral tetracyclines and iron salts may be significantly decreased during concurrent administration. Therapeutic failure may result. The proposed mechanism is chelation of tetracyclines by the iron cation, forming an insoluble complex that is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. In ten healthy volunteers, simultaneous oral administration of ferrous sulfate 200 mg and single doses of various tetracyclines (200 mg to 500 mg) resulted in reductions in the serum levels of methacycline and doxycycline by 80% to 90%, oxytetracycline by 50% to 60%, and tetracycline by 40% to 50%. In another study, 300 mg of ferrous sulfate reduced the absorption of tetracycline by 81% and that of minocycline by 77%. Conversely, the absorption of iron has been shown to be decreased by up to 78% in healthy subjects and up to 65% in patients with iron depletion when ferrous sulfate 250 mg was administered with tetracycline 500 mg. Available data suggest that administration of iron 3 hours before or 2 hours after a tetracycline largely prevents the interaction with most tetracyclines except doxycycline. Due to extensive enterohepatic cycling, iron binding may occur with doxycycline even when it is given parenterally. It has also been shown that when iron is administered up to 11 hours after doxycycline, serum concentrations of doxycycline may still be reduced by 20% to 45%.

MANAGEMENT: Coadministration of a tetracycline with any iron-containing product should be avoided if possible. Otherwise, patients should be advised to stagger the times of administration by at least three to four hours, although separating the doses may not prevent the interaction with doxycycline.