Selected Retinoids/Tetracyclines
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:
Severe. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects and are usually not taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
The cause of the interaction is unknown.
What might happen:
Using some retinoids and tetracyclines together may increase your risk of developing a condition called pseudotumor cerebri. Another medical term for this condition is benign intracranial hypertension. In this condition, the brain swells around the optic nerve (the nerve connecting your eyes to your brain). Early symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and changes in vision.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure that your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. If your doctor decides that you should continue taking these medicines together, you should tell your doctor right away if you have frequent headaches, nausea, vomiting, or any problems with your vision. Your doctor may want to examine your eyes and you may need to stop taking your medicines.Your healthcare professionals 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.Neotigason (acitretin) UK summary of product characteristics. Roche Products Limited April 5, 2006.
2.Soriatane (acitretin) US prescribing information. Roche Pharmaceuticals October, 2007.
3.Roaccutane (isotretinoin) UK summary of product characteristics. Roche Products Limited February 14, 2006.
4.Accutane (isotretinoin) US prescribing information. Roche Laboratories, Inc. January, 2010.
5.Vesanoid (tretinoin) UK summary of product characteristics. Roche Products Limited March 20, 2006.
6.Vesanoid (tretinoin) US prescribing information. Roche Laboratories, Inc. October, 2004.
7.Toctino (alitretinoin) UK summary of product characteristics. Basilea Pharmaceuticals Ltd September 19, 2008.
8.Fraunfelder FW, Fraunfelder FT. Evidence for a probable causal relationship between tretinoin, acitretin, and etretinate and intracranial hypertension. J Neuroophthalmol 2004 Sep;24(3):214-6.
9.Minocin (minocycline hydrochloride oral suspension) US prescribing information. Triax Pharmaceuticals LLC August, 2010.
