Drug Interactions between moxifloxacin / triamcinolone and oxcarbazepine

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: Coadministration with oxcarbazepine may decrease the plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of the CYP450 3A4 isoenzyme. The mechanism is accelerated clearance due to induction of CYP450 3A4 activity by oxcarbazepine. In one study, administration of a single 600 mg dose of oxcarbazepine to eight healthy male volunteers had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of the CYP450 3A4 substrate felodipine (10 mg once daily), while repeated doses (450 mg twice a day) reduced the felodipine peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUC) by 34% and 28%, respectively. Likewise, in a case study of a kidney transplant patient receiving cyclosporine 270 mg/day, investigators reported that cyclosporine trough concentrations declined to subtherapeutic levels approximately two weeks after the addition of oxcarbazepine. Trough concentrations returned to therapeutic range following an increase of the cyclosporine dosage to 290 mg/day and a reduction of the oxcarbazepine dosage from 750 mg/day to 600 mg/day. These results indicate that enzymatic induction occurs after multiple doses of oxcarbazepine.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is advised if oxcarbazepine must be used concurrently with medications that undergo metabolism by CYP450 3A4, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic range. Dosage adjustments as well as clinical and laboratory monitoring may be appropriate for some drugs whenever oxcarbazepine is added to or withdrawn from therapy. When initiating treatment or changing the dosage, it may take 2 to 3 weeks to reach the corresponding level of induction. Similarly, the induction is expected to gradually decrease over 2 to 3 weeks following discontinuation of oxcarbazepine.