Drug interactions
Galantamine + Pilocarpine
Severity: Moderate
Galantamine and Pilocarpine: 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
Galantamine slows acetylcholine breakdown while pilocarpine directly stimulates muscarinic receptors, so muscarinic effects may be intensified. Patients may develop excessive sweating, salivation, bradycardia, gastrointestinal cramping or bronchoconstriction.
What this interaction means in plain words
Galantamine and Pilocarpine 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.
Galantamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Pilocarpine belongs to Miscellaneous.
Why it happens
Additive cholinergic stimulation through cholinesterase inhibition plus direct muscarinic agonism.
What to do
Monitor for cholinergic adverse effects and heart rate, and lower the pilocarpine dose if symptoms occur; take particular care in asthma or COPD and bradyarrhythmia.
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 Galantamine
- Galantamine + Memantine-donepezil Major
- Galantamine + Physostigmine Major
- Galantamine + Ponesimod Major
- Galantamine + Rivastigmine Major
- Amifampridine + Galantamine Moderate
- Amiodarone + Galantamine Moderate
Other interactions of Pilocarpine
- Amitriptyline + Pilocarpine Moderate
- Atenolol-chlorthalidone + Pilocarpine Moderate
- Atenolol + Pilocarpine Moderate
- Atropine + Pilocarpine Moderate
- Betaxolol + Pilocarpine Moderate
- Bethanechol + Pilocarpine Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Galantamine with Pilocarpine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Galantamine and Pilocarpine 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. Galantamine slows acetylcholine breakdown while pilocarpine directly stimulates muscarinic receptors, so muscarinic effects may be intensified. Patients may develop excessive sweating, salivation, bradycardia, gastrointestinal cramping or bronchoconstriction.
How serious is the interaction between Galantamine and Pilocarpine?
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 for cholinergic adverse effects and heart rate, and lower the pilocarpine dose if symptoms occur; take particular care in asthma or COPD and bradyarrhythmia.
What other medicines interact with Galantamine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Galantamine with, for example, Memantine-donepezil, Physostigmine, Ponesimod. The full list is on the Galantamine page.
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