Chemotherapy Medications
Calan SR can interact with various chemotherapy medications, causing a variety of effects. Always make sure to tell all of your healthcare providers about any medications you are taking.
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Cimetidine may increase the level of
Calan SR in your blood, increasing your risk of
Calan SR side effects (although drug interaction studies have shown mixed results). Your healthcare provider may need to adjust your Calan SR dose or may suggest an alternative to cimetidine.
Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
Calan SR may increase the level of cyclosporine in your blood, increasing your risk of side effects. Your healthcare provider should closely monitor your cyclosporine levels and may need to adjust your dosage.
Digoxin (Digitek, Lanoxin)
Calan SR may increase the level of digoxin in your blood (although studies have shown conflicting results). Because changes in digoxin levels can be dangerous, your healthcare provider should closely monitor the level of digoxin in your blood and adjust your digoxin dosage as necessary. Your healthcare provider should also monitor your heart rate, as Calan SR and digoxin can both lower your heart rate.
Disopyramide (Norpace)
Because both disopyramide and Calan SR decrease the heart's ability to pump blood forcefully, disopyramide should not be taken within 48 hours before, or 24 hours after, taking Calan SR.
Flecainide (Tambocor)
Combining Calan SR with flecainide may decrease the heart's ability to pump blood forcefully and may decrease the heart rate too much. Your healthcare provider should monitor you closely when combining these two medications.
Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit juice can increase the level of Calan SR in your blood, increasing your risk of side effects. Grapefruit juice should be avoided in most cases. However, if your healthcare provider decides that it is okay for you to drink grapefruit juice, you should do so consistently and in moderation.
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