Antibacterials - Drug Interactions

This section deals with interactions where effects of antibacterial are altered. In many cases antibacterial drugs interact by affecting other drugs, and these interactions are dealt with elsewhere in this publication. Some of macrolides and quinolones are potent enzyme inhibitors; macrolides exert their effects on cytochrome P450 isoenzyme CYP3A4, whereas many quinolones inhibit CYP1A2. Rifampicin (rifampin) is a potent non-specific enzyme inducer and therefore lowers levels of many drugs.

Many of interactions covered in this section concern absorption interactions, such as ability of tetracyclines and quinolones to chelate with divalent cations. More information on mechanism of these interactions can be found in Drug absorption interactions, .

Many monographs concern use of multiple antibacterials. One of great difficulties with these interactions is often poor correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies, so that it is difficult to get a thoroughly reliable indication of how antibacterial drugs will behave together in clinical practice. Two antibacterials may actually be less effective than one on its own, because, in theory, effects of a bactericidal drug, which requires actively dividing cells for it to be effective, may be reduced by a bacteriostatic drug. However,in practice this seems to be less important than might be supposed and there are relatively few well-authenticated clinical examples.

The antibacterials covered in this section are listed in table 1 below,(see below).

Amikacin,Astromicin, Dibekacin, Dihydrostreptomycin, Framycetin, Gentamicin, Isepamicin, Kanamycin, Micronomicin, Neomycin, Netilmicin, Paromomycin, Sisomicin, Streptomycin, Tobramycin

Aminosalicylic acid (PAS),Capreomycin, Clofazimine, Cycloserine, Dapsone, Ethambutol, Ethionamide, Isoniazid, Methaniazide, Protionamide, Pyrazinamide, Rifabutin, Rifampicin (Rifampin), Rifamycin, Rifapentine, Rifaximin

Biapenem,Ertapenem, Faropenem, Imipenem, Meropenem, Panipenem

Cefaclor,Cefadroxil, Cefalexin, Cefaloglycin, Cefaloridine, Cefalotin, Cefamandole, Cefapirin, Cefatrizine, Cefazolin, Cefbuperazone, Cefcapene, Cefdinir, Cefditoren, Cefepime, Cefetamet, Cefixime, Cefmenoxime, Cefmetazole, Cefminox, Cefodizime, Cefonicid, Cefoperazone, Ceforanide, Cefotaxime, Cefotetan, Cefotiam, Cefoxitin, Cefpiramide, Cefpirome, Cefpodoxime, Cefprozil, Cefradine, Cefsulodin, Ceftazidime, Cefteram, Ceftezole, Ceftibuten, Ceftizoxime, Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime, Flomoxef, Latamoxef

Macrolides Azithromycin,Clarithromycin, Dirithromycin, Erythromycin, Flurithromycin, Josamycin, Midecamycin, Rokitomycin,
Roxithromycin,Spiramycin, Telithromycin, Troleandomycin

Amoxicillin,Ampicillin, Azidocillin, Azlocillin, Bacampicillin, Benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G), Carbenicillin, Carindacillin, Ciclacillin, Clometocillin, Cloxacillin, Dicloxacillin, Flucloxacillin, Mecillinam, Meticillin, Mezlocillin, Nafcillin, Oxacillin, Phenethicillin, Phenoxymethylpenicillin (Penicillin V), Piperacillin, Pivampicillin, Pivmecillinam, Procaine benzylpenicillin (Procaine penicillin), Propicillin, Sulbenicillin, Temocillin, Ticarcillin

Bacitracin,Colistimethate sodium, Colistin, Polymyxin B, Teicoplanin, Vancomycin

Cinoxacin,Ciprofloxacin, Enoxacin, Fleroxacin, Flumequine, Gatifloxacin, Gemifloxacin, Grepafloxacin, Levofloxacin, Lomefloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Nadifloxacin, Nalidixic acid, Norfloxacin, Ofloxacin, Oxolinic Acid, Pazufloxacin, Pefloxacin, Pipemidic Acid, Rosoxacin, Rufloxacin, Sparfloxacin, Temafloxacin, Tosufloxacin, Trovafloxacin

Co-trimoxazole,Phthalylsulfathiazole, Sulfadiazine, Sulfadimidine (Sulfamethazine), Sulfafurazole (Sulfisoxazole), Sulfaguanidine, Sulfamerazine, Sulfamethizole, Sulfamethoxazole, Sulfametopyrazine, Sulfametrole

Chlortetracyline,Demeclocycline, Doxycycline, Lymecycline, Methacycline, Minocycline, Oxytetracycline, Rolitetracycline, Tetracycline, Tigecycline

Aztreonam,Carumonam, Chloramphenicol, Cilastatin, Clindamycin, Daptomycin, Fosfomycin, Fusidic acid, Lincomycin, Linezolid, Loracarbef, Methenamine, Metronidazole, Mupirocin, Nitrofurantoin, Novobiocin, Pristinamycin, Quinupristin/Dalfopristin, Spectinomycin, Trimethoprim, Vancomycin

Table 1 Antibacterials
Group Drugs
Aminoglycosides Amikacin, Astromicin, Dibekacin, Dihydrostreptomycin, Framycetin, Gentamicin, Isepamicin, Kanamycin, Micronomicin, Neomycin, Netilmicin, Paromomycin, Sisomicin, Streptomycin, Tobramycin
Antimycobacterials and related drugs Aminosalicylic acid (PAS), Capreomycin, Clofazimine, Cycloserine, Dapsone, Ethambutol, Ethionamide, Isoniazid, Methaniazide, Protionamide, Pyrazinamide, Rifabutin, Rifampicin (Rifampin), Rifamycin, Rifapentine, Rifaximin
Carbapenems Biapenem, Ertapenem, Faropenem, Imipenem, Meropenem, Panipenem
Cephalosporins Cefaclor, Cefadroxil, Cefalexin, Cefaloglycin, Cefaloridine, Cefalotin, Cefamandole, Cefapirin, Cefatrizine, Cefazolin, Cefbuperazone, Cefcapene, Cefdinir, Cefditoren, Cefepime, Cefetamet, Cefixime, Cefmenoxime, Cefmetazole, Cefminox, Cefodizime, Cefonicid, Cefoperazone, Ceforanide, Cefotaxime, Cefotetan, Cefotiam, Cefoxitin, Cefpiramide, Cefpirome, Cefpodoxime, Cefprozil, Cefradine, Cefsulodin, Ceftazidime, Cefteram, Ceftezole, Ceftibuten, Ceftizoxime, Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime, Flomoxef, Latamoxef