Digoxin, Oral/Aminoglycosides, Oral
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
When these two medicines are taken together, the absorption of digoxin from your stomach may be decreased.
What might happen:
The beneficial effects of your digoxin may be decreased. In a small number of patients, stomach bacteria inactivate digoxin. When these bacteria are killed by aminoglycosides, the blood levels of digoxin may increase and cause toxic effects.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure that your doctor knows all of the medicines that you are taking.If your doctor prescribes these medicines together, you may need to check your digoxin blood levels when starting, stopping, or changing the dose of the aminoglycoside.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.Lindenbaum J, Maulitz RM, Butler VP Jr. Inhibition of digoxin absorption by neomycin. Gastroenterology 1976 Sep;71(3):399-404.
2.Lindenbaum J, Tse-Eng D, Butler VP Jr, Rund DG. Urinary excretion of reduced metabolites of digoxin. Am J Med 1981 Jul;71(1):67-74.
