Drug interactions
Artemether + Cisapride
Severity: Contraindicated
Artemether and Cisapride: contraindicated interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Artemether, given with lumefantrine, can prolong the QT interval, and cisapride has a well-known risk of QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. Combined use may produce dangerous arrhythmias.
What this interaction means in plain words
Artemether and Cisapride are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Additive QT prolongation; artemether may also modestly inhibit CYP3A4, which metabolizes cisapride.
What to do
Avoid concurrent use; withhold cisapride during antimalarial treatment and use another agent for the indication.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Cisapride
- Apomorphine + Cisapride Contraindicated
- Azithromycin + Cisapride Contraindicated
- Ceritinib + Cisapride Contraindicated
- Chloroquine + Cisapride Contraindicated
- Cisapride + Citalopram Contraindicated
- Cisapride + Clarithromycin Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Artemether with Cisapride?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Artemether and Cisapride are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Artemether, given with lumefantrine, can prolong the QT interval, and cisapride has a well-known risk of QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. Combined use may produce dangerous arrhythmias.
How serious is the interaction between Artemether and Cisapride?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid concurrent use; withhold cisapride during antimalarial treatment and use another agent for the indication.
What other medicines interact with Cisapride?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Cisapride with, for example, Apomorphine, Azithromycin, Ceritinib. The full list is on the Cisapride page.
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