Vagifem Drug Interactions

Make sure your healthcare provider is aware of all other medications you are taking before starting treatment with Vagifem. Drug interactions may occur if Vagifem is combined with certain medications, such as barbiturates, some antibiotics, and cyclosporine. Some of these drug interactions with Vagifem may cause your body to metabolize the medications differently than intended, possibly increasing your risk of side effects.

 

An Introduction to Vagifem Drug Interactions

Vagifem® (estradiol vaginal tablets) is not likely to interact with other medications, because it is taken vaginally at a low dose and very little Vagifem reaches the bloodstream and the liver, where many drug interactions occur.
 
However, because no drug interaction studies have been done with Vagifem, it is possible (although not likely) that any of the usual interactions with estrogen medications may also occur with Vagifem. Some of the medicines that may lead to Vagifem drug interactions include:
 
  • Barbiturates, such as:
 
    • Butalbital (Fioricet®, Fiorinal®)
    • Pentobarbital (Nembutal®)
    • Phenobarbital (Luminal®)
 
  • Certain antifungals or antibiotics, such as:
 
    • Clarithromycin (Biaxin®)
    • Erythromycin (Ery-Tab®)
    • Isoniazid (Nydrazid®)
    • Itraconazole (Sporanox®)
    • Ketoconazole (Nizoral®)
    • Miconazole
    • Telithromycin (Ketek®)
 
  • Cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®)
  • Grapefruit juice
  • Protease inhibitors, such as:
 
 
  • Rifamycin antibiotics, such as:
 
    • Rifabutin (Mycobutin®)
    • Rifampin (Rifadin®)
    • Rifapentine (Priftin®)
 
  • Some seizure medications, such as:
 
 
 
 
(Vagifem Drug Interactions Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;