Drug interactions
Magnesium supplement + Tobramycin
Severity: Moderate
Magnesium supplement and Tobramycin: 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
Both magnesium and aminoglycosides depress neuromuscular transmission. Together, particularly with parenteral magnesium or in renal impairment, they can cause additive muscle weakness and respiratory depression.
What this interaction means in plain words
Magnesium supplement and Tobramycin 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
Additive pharmacodynamic neuromuscular blockade through reduced presynaptic acetylcholine release.
What to do
Monitor respiratory function and muscle strength when tobramycin is given with parenteral or high-dose magnesium, and check serum magnesium and renal function. Avoid unnecessary magnesium doses in patients on tobramycin.
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 Tobramycin
- Cidofovir + Tobramycin Contraindicated
- Adefovir + Tobramycin Major
- Amikacin + Tobramycin Major
- Amphotericin b deoxycholate + Tobramycin Major
- Amphotericin b + Tobramycin Major
- Atracurium + Tobramycin Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Magnesium supplement with Tobramycin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Magnesium supplement and Tobramycin 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. Both magnesium and aminoglycosides depress neuromuscular transmission. Together, particularly with parenteral magnesium or in renal impairment, they can cause additive muscle weakness and respiratory depression.
How serious is the interaction between Magnesium supplement and Tobramycin?
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 respiratory function and muscle strength when tobramycin is given with parenteral or high-dose magnesium, and check serum magnesium and renal function. Avoid unnecessary magnesium doses in patients on tobramycin.
What other medicines interact with Tobramycin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Tobramycin with, for example, Cidofovir, Adefovir, Amikacin. The full list is on the Tobramycin page.
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