Drug Interaction Report

CONTRAINDICATED: Recent exposure to opioids can increase the sensitivity to mu opioid receptor antagonists.

MANAGEMENT: The use of alvimopan is contraindicated in patients who have received therapeutic doses of opioids for more than 7 consecutive days immediately prior to alvimopan administration. Caution is advised in patients who have received more than 3 doses of an opioid within the week prior to surgery, as these patients were not studied in the postoperative ileus clinical trials. Patients with recent exposure to opioids should be monitored for increased adverse effects such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.

GENERALLY AVOID: Ethanol may potentiate the central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects of opioid analgesics. 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.

MANAGEMENT: Concomitant use of opioid analgesics with ethanol should be avoided.

Coadministration with a high-fat meal may decrease the rate and extent of alvimopan absorption. According to the product labeling, alvimopan peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUC) were decreased by approximately 38% and 21%, respectively, and the time to reach peak plasma concentration (Tmax) was prolonged by approximately 1 hour when taken with a high-fat meal. The clinical significance is unknown. In postoperative ileus clinical trials, the preoperative dose of alvimopan was administered in a fasting state, and subsequent doses were given without regard to meals.