Drug interactions
Sertraline + Trifluoperazine
Severity: Moderate
Sertraline and Trifluoperazine: 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
Trifluoperazine, a phenothiazine antipsychotic, can prolong the QT interval, and sertraline has a modest QT effect as well. Sertraline may also modestly raise phenothiazine exposure through weak CYP2D6 inhibition. Together they add to the risk of arrhythmia, especially with electrolyte disturbance or heart disease.
What this interaction means in plain words
Sertraline and Trifluoperazine 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 QT prolongation by pharmacodynamic effect, with possible minor CYP2D6 inhibition by sertraline.
What to do
Obtain a baseline ECG and correct potassium and magnesium before combining. Repeat the ECG after dose changes and use the lowest effective trifluoperazine 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?
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Other interactions of Sertraline
- Isocarboxazid + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Phenelzine + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Pimozide + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Selegiline transdermal + Sertraline Contraindicated
- Selegiline + Sertraline Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Sertraline with Trifluoperazine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Sertraline and Trifluoperazine 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. Trifluoperazine, a phenothiazine antipsychotic, can prolong the QT interval, and sertraline has a modest QT effect as well. Sertraline may also modestly raise phenothiazine exposure through weak CYP2D6 inhibition. Together they add to the risk of arrhythmia, especially with electrolyte disturbance or heart disease.
How serious is the interaction between Sertraline and Trifluoperazine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Obtain a baseline ECG and correct potassium and magnesium before combining. Repeat the ECG after dose changes and use the lowest effective trifluoperazine dose.
What other medicines interact with Sertraline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Sertraline with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Methylene blue, Phenelzine. The full list is on the Sertraline page.
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