Drug interactions
Albuterol + Gentamicin
Severity: Moderate
Albuterol and Gentamicin: 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
Albuterol shifts potassium into cells and gentamicin can cause renal potassium and magnesium wasting, so together they can produce additive hypokalemia. This matters most with high-dose or nebulized albuterol and in patients at risk of arrhythmia.
What this interaction means in plain words
Albuterol and Gentamicin 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
Beta-2 agonist-driven intracellular potassium shift combined with aminoglycoside-induced renal tubular electrolyte wasting.
What to do
Monitor serum potassium and magnesium during concurrent therapy and replace deficits. Take extra care in patients receiving frequent or high-dose nebulized albuterol.
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 Gentamicin
- Cidofovir + Gentamicin Contraindicated
- Adefovir + Gentamicin Major
- Amikacin + Gentamicin Major
- Amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide-valsartan + Gentamicin Major
- Amphotericin b deoxycholate + Gentamicin Major
- Amphotericin b + Gentamicin Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Albuterol with Gentamicin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Albuterol and Gentamicin 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. Albuterol shifts potassium into cells and gentamicin can cause renal potassium and magnesium wasting, so together they can produce additive hypokalemia. This matters most with high-dose or nebulized albuterol and in patients at risk of arrhythmia.
How serious is the interaction between Albuterol and Gentamicin?
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 and magnesium during concurrent therapy and replace deficits. Take extra care in patients receiving frequent or high-dose nebulized albuterol.
What other medicines interact with Gentamicin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Gentamicin with, for example, Cidofovir, Adefovir, Amikacin. The full list is on the Gentamicin page.
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