Drug interactions
Ondansetron + Oxaliplatin
Severity: Moderate
Ondansetron and Oxaliplatin: 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 drugs have been associated with QT interval prolongation, so combined use may add to the risk of torsades de pointes. Oxaliplatin-related vomiting and diarrhea can also cause hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia, which increases the arrhythmia risk further.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ondansetron and Oxaliplatin 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.
Ondansetron belongs to Gastrointestinal Tract; Oxaliplatin belongs to Oncology.
Why it happens
Additive prolongation of cardiac repolarization through hERG potassium channel blockade, aggravated by chemotherapy-induced electrolyte loss.
What to do
Check potassium and magnesium and correct deficits before and during treatment. Obtain a baseline ECG in patients with cardiac risk factors and repeat it if QT-prolonging drugs are combined.
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 Ondansetron
- Apomorphine + Ondansetron Contraindicated
- Ondansetron + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Ondansetron + Vandetanib Contraindicated
- Adagrasib + Ondansetron Major
- Amiodarone + Ondansetron Major
- Amisulpride + Ondansetron Major
Other interactions of Oxaliplatin
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
- Bcg vaccine live + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
- Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Oxaliplatin Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ondansetron with Oxaliplatin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ondansetron and Oxaliplatin 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 drugs have been associated with QT interval prolongation, so combined use may add to the risk of torsades de pointes. Oxaliplatin-related vomiting and diarrhea can also cause hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia, which increases the arrhythmia risk further.
How serious is the interaction between Ondansetron and Oxaliplatin?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Check potassium and magnesium and correct deficits before and during treatment. Obtain a baseline ECG in patients with cardiac risk factors and repeat it if QT-prolonging drugs are combined.
What other medicines interact with Ondansetron?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Ondansetron with, for example, Apomorphine, Thioridazine, Vandetanib. The full list is on the Ondansetron page.
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