Drug interactions
Deflazacort + Terbutaline
Severity: Moderate
Deflazacort and Terbutaline: 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
Systemic corticosteroids such as deflazacort can cause potassium loss, and terbutaline shifts potassium into cells. Together they may cause hypokalemia, which can provoke arrhythmias and muscle weakness, especially in acute severe asthma.
What this interaction means in plain words
Deflazacort and Terbutaline 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.
Deflazacort belongs to Miscellaneous; Terbutaline belongs to Respiratory.
Why it happens
Additive hypokalemia from beta-2 agonist intracellular potassium shift and corticosteroid mineralocorticoid-related renal potassium wasting.
What to do
Monitor serum potassium during combined use, particularly with high terbutaline doses or other potassium-lowering drugs. Replace potassium as needed.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Deflazacort and Terbutaline, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 7 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Terbutaline
Other interactions of Deflazacort
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Deflazacort Contraindicated
- Bcg vaccine live + Deflazacort Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps and rubella vaccine Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Deflazacort with Terbutaline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Deflazacort and Terbutaline 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. Systemic corticosteroids such as deflazacort can cause potassium loss, and terbutaline shifts potassium into cells. Together they may cause hypokalemia, which can provoke arrhythmias and muscle weakness, especially in acute severe asthma.
How serious is the interaction between Deflazacort and Terbutaline?
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 serum potassium during combined use, particularly with high terbutaline doses or other potassium-lowering drugs. Replace potassium as needed.
What other medicines interact with Terbutaline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Terbutaline with, for example, Carvedilol, Droperidol, Fexinidazole. The full list is on the Terbutaline page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
