Drug interactions
Pholcodine + Thioridazine
Severity: Moderate
Pholcodine and Thioridazine: 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 cough suppressant, and combining it with thioridazine may increase drowsiness and central nervous system depression. The effect is typically modest at antitussive doses.
What this interaction means in plain words
Pholcodine and Thioridazine 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 central nervous system depression.
What to do
Counsel patients about drowsiness and avoid alcohol and driving until the response is known. Use the lowest effective pholcodine dose.
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 Pholcodine and Thioridazine, 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 7 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Thioridazine
- Abiraterone + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Adagrasib + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Amiodarone + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Amisulpride + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Thioridazine Contraindicated
- Amoxapine + Thioridazine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Pholcodine with Thioridazine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Pholcodine and Thioridazine 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 cough suppressant, and combining it with thioridazine may increase drowsiness and central nervous system depression. The effect is typically modest at antitussive doses.
How serious is the interaction between Pholcodine and Thioridazine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Counsel patients about drowsiness and avoid alcohol and driving until the response is known. Use the lowest effective pholcodine dose.
What other medicines interact with Thioridazine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Thioridazine with, for example, Abiraterone, Adagrasib, Amiodarone. The full list is on the Thioridazine 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.
