Drug interactions
Pentamidine + Zidovudine
Severity: Moderate
Pentamidine and Zidovudine: 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
Zidovudine can cause bone marrow suppression, and systemic pentamidine can cause neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and pancreatic toxicity. Used together, hematologic toxicity may be greater, particularly in patients with advanced HIV.
What this interaction means in plain words
Pentamidine and Zidovudine 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.
Pentamidine belongs to Anti Parasitic; Zidovudine belongs to Anti Virals.
Why it happens
Additive myelosuppressive effects of the two drugs.
What to do
Monitor complete blood counts regularly during co-therapy with systemic pentamidine. Reduce the zidovudine dose or switch to a non-myelosuppressive antiretroviral if cytopenias develop.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Pentamidine and Zidovudine, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Zidovudine
- Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df + Zidovudine Contraindicated
- Stavudine + Zidovudine Contraindicated
- Atidarsagene autotemcel + Zidovudine Major
- Betibeglogene autotemcel + Zidovudine Major
- Carboplatin + Zidovudine Major
- Cisplatin + Zidovudine Major
Other interactions of Pentamidine
- Clomipramine + Pentamidine Contraindicated
- Desipramine + Pentamidine Contraindicated
- Dronedarone + Pentamidine Contraindicated
- Moxifloxacin + Pentamidine Contraindicated
- Nortriptyline + Pentamidine Contraindicated
- Pentamidine + Pimozide Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Pentamidine with Zidovudine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Pentamidine and Zidovudine 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. Zidovudine can cause bone marrow suppression, and systemic pentamidine can cause neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and pancreatic toxicity. Used together, hematologic toxicity may be greater, particularly in patients with advanced HIV.
How serious is the interaction between Pentamidine and Zidovudine?
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 complete blood counts regularly during co-therapy with systemic pentamidine. Reduce the zidovudine dose or switch to a non-myelosuppressive antiretroviral if cytopenias develop.
What other medicines interact with Zidovudine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Zidovudine with, for example, Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df, Stavudine, Atidarsagene autotemcel. The full list is on the Zidovudine page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
