Drug interactions
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Zolpidem
Severity: Contraindicated
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Zolpidem: 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
Both agents depress the central nervous system, and together they can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma or death. Oxybate labeling contraindicates sedative hypnotics.
What this interaction means in plain words
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Zolpidem 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 pharmacodynamic CNS depression via GABAergic mechanisms.
What to do
Do not co-administer. Choose a non-sedating alternative or stop zolpidem before starting the oxybate.
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 Zolpidem
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates with Zolpidem?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Zolpidem 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. Both agents depress the central nervous system, and together they can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma or death. Oxybate labeling contraindicates sedative hypnotics.
How serious is the interaction between Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Zolpidem?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Do not co-administer. Choose a non-sedating alternative or stop zolpidem before starting the oxybate.
What other medicines interact with Zolpidem?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Zolpidem with, for example, Sodium oxybate, Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen, Brexanolone. The full list is on the Zolpidem page.
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