Drug interactions
Brivaracetam + Fentanyl
Severity: Moderate
Brivaracetam and Fentanyl: 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
Brivaracetam commonly causes somnolence and dizziness, which can add to the sedation and respiratory depression produced by fentanyl. The effect is usually manageable but matters in frail or opioid-naive patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Brivaracetam and Fentanyl 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.
Brivaracetam belongs to Central Nervous System; Fentanyl belongs to Musculoskeletal.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depressant effects.
What to do
Monitor for sedation and respiratory depression after starting or increasing either drug, and reduce doses if excessive drowsiness 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 Fentanyl
- Alvimopan + Fentanyl Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Fentanyl + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Fentanyl Major
Other interactions of Brivaracetam
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Brivaracetam with Fentanyl?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Brivaracetam and Fentanyl 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. Brivaracetam commonly causes somnolence and dizziness, which can add to the sedation and respiratory depression produced by fentanyl. The effect is usually manageable but matters in frail or opioid-naive patients.
How serious is the interaction between Brivaracetam and Fentanyl?
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 for sedation and respiratory depression after starting or increasing either drug, and reduce doses if excessive drowsiness occurs.
What other medicines interact with Fentanyl?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Fentanyl with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Fentanyl page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
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