Drug interactions
Chloral hydrate + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Chloral hydrate and Pholcodine: 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
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with mild sedative effects, and with chloral hydrate it may increase drowsiness. Clinically significant respiratory depression is unlikely at usual doses but possible with high doses or vulnerable patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Chloral hydrate and Pholcodine 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
Additive CNS depression from GABAergic sedation and opioid receptor agonism.
What to do
Monitor sedation, particularly in children and older adults, and avoid exceeding recommended doses of either drug.
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 Chloral hydrate
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Chloral hydrate Contraindicated
- Chloral hydrate + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Chloral hydrate Major
- Alprazolam + Chloral hydrate Major
- Amobarbital + Chloral hydrate Major
- Belladonna and opium + Chloral hydrate Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Chloral hydrate with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Chloral hydrate and Pholcodine 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. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with mild sedative effects, and with chloral hydrate it may increase drowsiness. Clinically significant respiratory depression is unlikely at usual doses but possible with high doses or vulnerable patients.
How serious is the interaction between Chloral hydrate and Pholcodine?
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 sedation, particularly in children and older adults, and avoid exceeding recommended doses of either drug.
What other medicines interact with Chloral hydrate?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Chloral hydrate with, for example, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Sodium oxybate, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Chloral hydrate page.
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