Breast Cancer Channel
Topics & Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
Taxol Drug Interactions
When certain medications like rifamycin antibiotics or protease inhibitors are taken with Taxol, drug interactions may occur. These interactions can increase the level of Taxol in your blood, which can increase your risk of developing potentially negative side effects. Other medicines that may cause Taxol drug interactions include certain anticonvulsants, "live" vaccinations, and certain antibiotics or antifungals.
Taxol Drug Interactions: An Overview
Taxol® (paclitaxel) can potentially interact with other medications. Some of the medicines that may lead to Taxol drug interactions include:
- Certain antibiotics or antifungals, including:
- Clarithromycin (Biaxin®)
- Erythromycin (Ery-Tab®)
- Isoniazid (Nydrazid®)
- Itraconazole (Sporanox®)
- Ketoconazole (Nizoral®)
- Miconazole
- Telithromycin (Ketek®)
- Certain anticonvulsants, including:
-
Gemfibrozil (Lopid®)
-
"Live" vaccinations, including:
- Chickenpox vaccine (varicella vaccine)
- FluMist® (the nasal vaccine for influenza; the injected vaccine is not live)
- MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella vaccine)
- Polio vaccine
- Rotavirus vaccine
- Smallpox vaccine
- Yellow fever vaccine
- BCG vaccine (used in some countries for tuberculosis)
- Protease inhibitors, such as:
- Amprenavir (Agenerase®)
- Atazanavir (Reyataz®)
- Fosamprenavir (Lexiva®)
- Indinavir (Crixivan®)
- Nelfinavir (Viracept®)
- Ritonavir (Norvir®)
- Saquinavir (Invirase®)
- Rifamycin antibiotics, including rifabutin (Mycobutin®), rifampin (Rifadin®), and rifapentine (Priftin®).
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD