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Can you take Lactobacillus acidophilus with Pemetrexed?

1 drug interaction and 6 additional warnings found for the following 2 drugs:

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Drug interactions

Moderate drug interactions

Moderate:

lactobacillus acidophilus PEMEtrexed

Applies to: lactobacillus acidophilus and pemetrexed

If you are currently being treated or have recently been treated with PEMEtrexed, you should let your doctor know before using lactobacillus acidophilus.

Depending on the dose and length of time you have been on PEMEtrexed, you may be at risk for developing rare infections from exposure to products containing live bacteria or yeast.

Depending on your overall health and medical condition, it may be advisable to avoid using lactobacillus acidophilus until your immune system has recovered from the effects of PEMEtrexed.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Food/lifestyle interactions

No alcohol/food interactions were found. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Disease interactions

6 potential interactions Applies to: 6 conditions, including Liver Disease, Immunodeficiency, Renal Dysfunction, History, Radiation Therapy, and Bone Marrow Depression/Low Blood Counts.

Bone Marrow Depression/Low Blood Counts

Major:

pemetrexed

PEMEtrexed has a major potential interaction with Bone Marrow Depression/Low Blood Counts.

Pemetrexed can cause severe myelosuppression resulting in the need for transfusion and which may lead to neutropenic infection. The risk of myelosuppression is increased in patients who do not receive vitamin supplementation (including oral folic acid and IM vitamin B12). Patients with myelosuppression should be monitored carefully. A CBC should be obtained at the beginning of each cycle and as needed. Treatment should not be initiated unless the absolute neutrophil count is at least 1500 cells/mm3 and platelet count is at least 100,000 cells/mm3.

History, Radiation Therapy

Moderate:

pemetrexed

PEMEtrexed has a moderate potential interaction with History, Radiation Therapy.

Radiation recall can occur with pemetrexed in patients who have received radiation weeks to years previously. Patients should be monitored for inflammation/blistering in areas of previous radiation treatment; they should be advised to immediately contact their health care provider if inflammation/blisters develop in a previously irradiated area. Pemetrexed should be permanently discontinued for signs of radiation recall.

Immunodeficiency

Moderate:

lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus has a moderate potential interaction with Immunodeficiency.

Probiotics, especially those containing lactobacillus, should be used with caution in immunosuppressed patients.

Liver Disease

Moderate:

pemetrexed

PEMEtrexed has a moderate potential interaction with Liver Disease.

No formal studies have been conducted to examine pemetrexed in patients with liver dysfunction. Caution is advised.

Pulmonary Impairment

Major:

pemetrexed

PEMEtrexed has a major potential interaction with Pulmonary Impairment.

Serious interstitial pneumonitis (including fatal case) can occur with pemetrexed. Care should be exercised when using pemetrexed in patients with preexisting pulmonary impairment. Pemetrexed should be withheld for acute onset of new/progressive unexplained pulmonary symptoms; if pneumonitis is confirmed, pemetrexed should be permanently discontinued.

Renal Dysfunction

Major:

pemetrexed

PEMEtrexed has a major potential interaction with Renal Dysfunction.

Pemetrexed can cause severe (and sometimes fatal) renal toxicity. Pemetrexed is primarily eliminated by the kidneys; decreased renal function results in decreased clearance and increased pemetrexed exposure compared with normal renal function. No dose is recommended for patients with CrCl less than 45 mL/min. CrCl should be determined before each dose and renal function should be monitored periodically during therapy. Pemetrexed should be withheld in patients with renal toxicity until CrCl is 45 mL/min or greater.

More resources

lactobacillus acidophilus

A total of 370 drugs are known to interact with lactobacillus acidophilus.

pemetrexed

A total of 401 drugs are known to interact with pemetrexed.

Drug Interaction Classification

These classifications are only a guideline. The relevance of a particular drug interaction to a specific individual is difficult to determine. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any medication.
Major Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit.
Moderate Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances.
Minor Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.
Unknown No interaction information available.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.