Drug interactions
Erlotinib + Famotidine
Severity: Moderate
Erlotinib and Famotidine: 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
Erlotinib absorption depends on acidic gastric conditions, and H2-receptor antagonists lower its exposure. Reduced erlotinib levels may compromise anticancer efficacy.
What this interaction means in plain words
Erlotinib and Famotidine 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.
Erlotinib belongs to Oncology; Famotidine belongs to Gastrointestinal Tract.
Why it happens
Higher gastric pH decreases the solubility and absorption of erlotinib.
What to do
Avoid the combination if possible. If needed, take erlotinib at least 2 hours before and 10 hours after the H2 antagonist dose, ideally using a once-daily bedtime H2 blocker regimen.
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 Famotidine
Other interactions of Erlotinib
- Amobarbital + Erlotinib Major
- Apalutamide + Erlotinib Major
- Carbamazepine + Erlotinib Major
- Cobicistat + Erlotinib Major
- Darunavir + Erlotinib Major
- Dexlansoprazole + Erlotinib Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Erlotinib with Famotidine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Erlotinib and Famotidine 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. Erlotinib absorption depends on acidic gastric conditions, and H2-receptor antagonists lower its exposure. Reduced erlotinib levels may compromise anticancer efficacy.
How serious is the interaction between Erlotinib and Famotidine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid the combination if possible. If needed, take erlotinib at least 2 hours before and 10 hours after the H2 antagonist dose, ideally using a once-daily bedtime H2 blocker regimen.
What other medicines interact with Famotidine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Famotidine with, for example, Atazanavir, Dasatinib, Infigratinib. The full list is on the Famotidine page.
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