Drug interactions
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Tapentadol
Severity: Contraindicated
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Tapentadol: contraindicated 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 and opioids both depress the CNS, so combined use can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Tapentadol also has serotonergic and seizure-threshold effects.
What this interaction means in plain words
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Tapentadol are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression via opioid and GABA-B/GHB receptor activity.
What to do
Avoid combined use. If it cannot be avoided, use the lowest doses for the shortest time and monitor respiration and sedation closely.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Tapentadol
- Isocarboxazid + Tapentadol Contraindicated
- Linezolid + Tapentadol Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Tapentadol Contraindicated
- Olanzapine / samidorphan + Tapentadol Contraindicated
- Phenelzine + Tapentadol Contraindicated
- Procarbazine + Tapentadol Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates with Tapentadol?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Tapentadol are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Oxybates and opioids both depress the CNS, so combined use can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Tapentadol also has serotonergic and seizure-threshold effects.
How serious is the interaction between Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Tapentadol?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid combined use. If it cannot be avoided, use the lowest doses for the shortest time and monitor respiration and sedation closely.
What other medicines interact with Tapentadol?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Tapentadol with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Linezolid, Methylene blue. The full list is on the Tapentadol page.
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