Drug Interactions With Capecitabine

If certain medications are combined, there is a possibility for negative drug interactions. When capecitabine is taken with leucovorin or phenytoin, for example, it can alter the levels of medication in your blood and can increase your risk of side effects. When warfarin and capecitabine are taken together, there is an increased risk of bleeding. If drug interactions with capecitabine are a concern, your healthcare provider may adjust your dosages or monitor you more closely.

 

An Overview of Drug Interactions With Capecitabine

Capecitabine (Xeloda®) can potentially interact with other medications. Some of these medicines that may lead to capecitabine interactions include:
 

Capecitabine Interactions Explained

The following sections explain in detail the potentially negative interactions that can occur when capecitabine is combined with any of the drugs listed above.
 
Leucovorin
Taking capecitabine with leucovorin can increase your risk of side effects. In general, these medications should not be taken together.
 
Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
Capecitabine can increase the level of phenytoin in your blood, increasing the risk of phenytoin side effects. Your healthcare provider should closely monitor the level of phenytoin in your blood and adjust your phenytoin dosage as necessary.
 
Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Taking capecitabine with warfarin can increase your risk of bleeding. Your healthcare provider should monitor you frequently and adjust your warfarin dosage as necessary.
 
(Drug Interactions With Capecitabine Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;