Drug interactions
Gemifloxacin + Magnesium supplement
Severity: Moderate
Gemifloxacin and Magnesium supplement: 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
Magnesium binds gemifloxacin in the gut and markedly reduces its absorption, which can lead to subtherapeutic antibiotic levels and treatment failure.
What this interaction means in plain words
Gemifloxacin and Magnesium supplement 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
Chelation of gemifloxacin by divalent magnesium cations forms poorly absorbed complexes in the gastrointestinal tract.
What to do
Give gemifloxacin at least 2 hours before or 3 hours after the magnesium supplement. Alternatively, withhold the supplement during the antibiotic course.
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 Gemifloxacin
- Arsenic trioxide + Gemifloxacin Contraindicated
- Dofetilide + Gemifloxacin Contraindicated
- Gemifloxacin + Ibutilide Contraindicated
- Gemifloxacin + Pimozide Contraindicated
- Gemifloxacin + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Gemifloxacin + Vandetanib Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Gemifloxacin with Magnesium supplement?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Gemifloxacin and Magnesium supplement 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. Magnesium binds gemifloxacin in the gut and markedly reduces its absorption, which can lead to subtherapeutic antibiotic levels and treatment failure.
How serious is the interaction between Gemifloxacin and Magnesium supplement?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Give gemifloxacin at least 2 hours before or 3 hours after the magnesium supplement. Alternatively, withhold the supplement during the antibiotic course.
What other medicines interact with Gemifloxacin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Gemifloxacin with, for example, Arsenic trioxide, Dofetilide, Ibutilide. The full list is on the Gemifloxacin page.
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