Drug interactions
Diphenoxylate + Nortriptyline
Severity: Moderate
Diphenoxylate and Nortriptyline: 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
Diphenoxylate is an opioid, usually combined with atropine, and can cause sedation. With nortriptyline this increases drowsiness and anticholinergic effects such as urinary retention and constipation, with a risk of ileus.
What this interaction means in plain words
Diphenoxylate and Nortriptyline 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.
Diphenoxylate belongs to Gastrointestinal Tract; Nortriptyline belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression and antimuscarinic effects.
What to do
Monitor sedation and bowel and bladder function, especially in older adults, and stop if abdominal distension develops.
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 Nortriptyline
- Disopyramide + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
- Dofetilide + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
- Dronedarone + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
- Ibutilide + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Nortriptyline Contraindicated
Other interactions of Diphenoxylate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Diphenoxylate with Nortriptyline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Diphenoxylate and Nortriptyline 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. Diphenoxylate is an opioid, usually combined with atropine, and can cause sedation. With nortriptyline this increases drowsiness and anticholinergic effects such as urinary retention and constipation, with a risk of ileus.
How serious is the interaction between Diphenoxylate and Nortriptyline?
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 and bowel and bladder function, especially in older adults, and stop if abdominal distension develops.
What other medicines interact with Nortriptyline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Nortriptyline with, for example, Disopyramide, Dofetilide, Dronedarone. The full list is on the Nortriptyline page.
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