Drug interactions
Butabarbital + Clozapine
Severity: Moderate
Butabarbital and Clozapine: 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
Butabarbital induces hepatic enzymes and can lower clozapine concentrations, risking loss of antipsychotic control. Both drugs are also sedating, so additive CNS depression can occur.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butabarbital and Clozapine 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
Barbiturate induction of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 increases clozapine clearance, together with additive CNS depression.
What to do
Monitor psychiatric response and clozapine plasma levels, adjusting the dose if needed, and watch for excess sedation. Expect levels to rise if the barbiturate is stopped.
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 Clozapine
- Clozapine + Deferiprone Contraindicated
- Clozapine + Irinotecan Contraindicated
- Clozapine + Pimozide Contraindicated
- Clozapine + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Acalabrutinib + Clozapine Major
- Adagrasib + Clozapine Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butabarbital with Clozapine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Butabarbital and Clozapine 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. Butabarbital induces hepatic enzymes and can lower clozapine concentrations, risking loss of antipsychotic control. Both drugs are also sedating, so additive CNS depression can occur.
How serious is the interaction between Butabarbital and Clozapine?
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 psychiatric response and clozapine plasma levels, adjusting the dose if needed, and watch for excess sedation. Expect levels to rise if the barbiturate is stopped.
What other medicines interact with Clozapine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Clozapine with, for example, Deferiprone, Irinotecan, Pimozide. The full list is on the Clozapine page.
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