Drug interactions
Bleomycin + Phenytoin
Severity: Moderate
Bleomycin and Phenytoin: 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
Phenytoin concentrations may fall during bleomycin-containing chemotherapy, with reduced seizure control reported in some patients. The effect is variable and based on limited reports.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bleomycin and Phenytoin 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.
Bleomycin belongs to Oncology; Phenytoin belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Mechanism not established; reduced phenytoin absorption or increased clearance has been proposed with combination chemotherapy.
What to do
Monitor serum phenytoin levels and seizure control during chemotherapy and adjust the dose according to levels.
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 Phenytoin
- Artemether / lumefantrine + Phenytoin Contraindicated
- Bictegravir + Phenytoin Contraindicated
- Cabotegravir + Phenytoin Contraindicated
- Doravirine + Phenytoin Contraindicated
- Elbasvir / grazoprevir + Phenytoin Contraindicated
- Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df + Phenytoin Contraindicated
Other interactions of Bleomycin
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Bleomycin Contraindicated
- Bleomycin + Brentuximab Contraindicated
- Bleomycin + Brentuximab vedotin Contraindicated
- Bleomycin + Dengue vaccine Major
- Bleomycin + Trastuzumab deruxtecan Major
- Bleomycin + Cholera vaccine Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bleomycin with Phenytoin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Bleomycin and Phenytoin 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. Phenytoin concentrations may fall during bleomycin-containing chemotherapy, with reduced seizure control reported in some patients. The effect is variable and based on limited reports.
How serious is the interaction between Bleomycin and Phenytoin?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor serum phenytoin levels and seizure control during chemotherapy and adjust the dose according to levels.
What other medicines interact with Phenytoin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Phenytoin with, for example, Artemether / lumefantrine, Bictegravir, Cabotegravir. The full list is on the Phenytoin page.
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