Drug interactions
Brexanolone + Phenytoin
Severity: Moderate
Brexanolone 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
Brexanolone causes dose-related sedation and loss of consciousness, and phenytoin can also cause drowsiness and CNS depression. Used together they may increase excessive sedation.
What this interaction means in plain words
Brexanolone 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.
Why it happens
Additive central nervous system depressant effects.
What to do
Monitor sedation continuously during the brexanolone infusion as required by labeling, and reduce or interrupt the infusion if excessive sedation occurs.
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
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Brexanolone with Phenytoin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Brexanolone 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. Brexanolone causes dose-related sedation and loss of consciousness, and phenytoin can also cause drowsiness and CNS depression. Used together they may increase excessive sedation.
How serious is the interaction between Brexanolone 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 sedation continuously during the brexanolone infusion as required by labeling, and reduce or interrupt the infusion if excessive sedation occurs.
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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