Drug interactions
Ticarcillin + Tobramycin
Severity: Moderate
Ticarcillin and Tobramycin: 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
Ticarcillin can inactivate aminoglycosides such as tobramycin when mixed in vitro, and in patients with severe renal impairment this inactivation may occur in vivo and lower measured or effective aminoglycoside levels. The result can be reduced antibacterial effect.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ticarcillin and Tobramycin 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
Nucleophilic opening of the beta-lactam ring by the aminoglycoside amine groups chemically inactivates tobramycin, a process prolonged when renal clearance is poor.
What to do
Never mix in the same syringe or infusion line, and give at separate sites. In renal failure monitor tobramycin concentrations and clinical response, and consider the timing of level sampling.
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 Tobramycin
- Cidofovir + Tobramycin Contraindicated
- Adefovir + Tobramycin Major
- Amikacin + Tobramycin Major
- Amphotericin b deoxycholate + Tobramycin Major
- Amphotericin b + Tobramycin Major
- Atracurium + Tobramycin Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ticarcillin with Tobramycin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ticarcillin and Tobramycin 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. Ticarcillin can inactivate aminoglycosides such as tobramycin when mixed in vitro, and in patients with severe renal impairment this inactivation may occur in vivo and lower measured or effective aminoglycoside levels. The result can be reduced antibacterial effect.
How serious is the interaction between Ticarcillin and Tobramycin?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Never mix in the same syringe or infusion line, and give at separate sites. In renal failure monitor tobramycin concentrations and clinical response, and consider the timing of level sampling.
What other medicines interact with Tobramycin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Tobramycin with, for example, Cidofovir, Adefovir, Amikacin. The full list is on the Tobramycin page.
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