Drug interactions
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Clozapine
Severity: Major
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Clozapine: major 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
Oxybates are potent CNS depressants, and clozapine is also strongly sedating. Together they can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Clozapine may also cause seizures, which oxybate can complicate.
What this interaction means in plain words
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Clozapine can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression through GABA-B and sedative pathways.
What to do
Avoid the combination where possible. If both are needed, use the lowest effective doses and monitor closely for sedation and respiratory depression, particularly at night.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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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 Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates with Clozapine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Clozapine can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Oxybates are potent CNS depressants, and clozapine is also strongly sedating. Together they can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Clozapine may also cause seizures, which oxybate can complicate.
How serious is the interaction between Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Clozapine?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid the combination where possible. If both are needed, use the lowest effective doses and monitor closely for sedation and respiratory depression, particularly at night.
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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