Drug interactions
Bretylium + Carvedilol
Severity: Moderate
Bretylium and Carvedilol: 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
Bretylium causes hypotension by blocking adrenergic neuron release of norepinephrine. Carvedilol adds further blood pressure lowering and may increase bradycardia, so combined hypotension can be significant.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bretylium and Carvedilol 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 hypotensive effects from adrenergic neuron blockade and alpha/beta-receptor blockade.
What to do
Monitor blood pressure and heart rate continuously during bretylium therapy and adjust or hold carvedilol if hypotension develops.
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 Carvedilol
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bretylium with Carvedilol?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Bretylium and Carvedilol 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. Bretylium causes hypotension by blocking adrenergic neuron release of norepinephrine. Carvedilol adds further blood pressure lowering and may increase bradycardia, so combined hypotension can be significant.
How serious is the interaction between Bretylium and Carvedilol?
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 blood pressure and heart rate continuously during bretylium therapy and adjust or hold carvedilol if hypotension develops.
What other medicines interact with Carvedilol?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Carvedilol with, for example, Amifostine, Amiodarone, Arformoterol. The full list is on the Carvedilol page.
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