Drug interactions
Artemether / lumefantrine + Sertraline
Severity: Moderate
Artemether / lumefantrine and Sertraline: moderate 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/lumefantrine can prolong the QT interval, and sertraline may add a smaller effect. The combined risk of torsades de pointes is raised, especially with electrolyte disturbance or other QT-prolonging drugs.
What this interaction means in plain words
Artemether / lumefantrine and Sertraline can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive QT prolongation.
What to do
Check an ECG at baseline in patients at risk and correct potassium and magnesium. Monitor for palpitations or syncope, and consider a pause in sertraline if QTc is markedly prolonged.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Sertraline
- Isocarboxazid + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Phenelzine + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Pimozide + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Selegiline transdermal + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Selegiline + Sertraline Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Artemether / lumefantrine with Sertraline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Artemether / lumefantrine and Sertraline can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Artemether/lumefantrine can prolong the QT interval, and sertraline may add a smaller effect. The combined risk of torsades de pointes is raised, especially with electrolyte disturbance or other QT-prolonging drugs.
How serious is the interaction between Artemether / lumefantrine and Sertraline?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Check an ECG at baseline in patients at risk and correct potassium and magnesium. Monitor for palpitations or syncope, and consider a pause in sertraline if QTc is markedly prolonged.
What other medicines interact with Sertraline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Sertraline with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Methylene blue, Phenelzine. The full list is on the Sertraline page.
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