Drug interactions
Midazolam + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Midazolam and Pholcodine: 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
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, and combined with midazolam it may increase sedation and respiratory depression. Risk is lower at antitussive doses but higher in older or frail patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Midazolam and Pholcodine 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 CNS and respiratory depression via opioid and GABAergic pathways.
What to do
Use lowest effective doses and monitor sedation and respiratory rate; avoid in patients with compromised breathing.
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 Midazolam
- Atazanavir + Midazolam Contraindicated
- Cobicistat + Midazolam Contraindicated
- Darunavir + Midazolam Contraindicated
- Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df + Midazolam Contraindicated
- Fosamprenavir + Midazolam Contraindicated
- Indinavir + Midazolam Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Midazolam with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Midazolam and Pholcodine 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. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, and combined with midazolam it may increase sedation and respiratory depression. Risk is lower at antitussive doses but higher in older or frail patients.
How serious is the interaction between Midazolam and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use lowest effective doses and monitor sedation and respiratory rate; avoid in patients with compromised breathing.
What other medicines interact with Midazolam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Midazolam with, for example, Atazanavir, Cobicistat, Darunavir. The full list is on the Midazolam page.
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