Antiprotozoal Drugs Health Article

Interactions

Antiprotozoal drugs may interact with other medicines. When this happens, the effects of one or both of the drugs may change or the risk of side effects may be greater. Anyone who takes antiprotozoal drugs should let the physician know all other medicines he or she is taking. Among the drugs that may interact with antiprotozoal drugs are:

• alcohol
• anticancer drugs
• medicine for overactive thyroid
• antiviral drugs such as zidovudine (Retrovir)
• antibiotics
• medicine used to relieve pain or inflammation
• amphetamine
• diet pills (appetite suppressants)
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) such as phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate), used to treat conditions including depression and Parkinson's disease
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil)
• decongestants such as phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• other antiprotozoal drugs

The list above does not include every medicine that may interact with an antifungal drug. Be sure to check with a physician or pharmacist before combining anti-fungal drugs with any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicine.

Nancy Ross-Flanigan

KEY TERMS

Amebiasis—An infection caused by an ameba, which is a type of protozoan.

Fetus—A developing baby inside the womb.

Giardiasis—A condition in which the intestines are infected with Giardia lamblia, a type of protozoan.

Inflammation—Pain, redness, swelling, and heat that usually develop in response to injury or illness.

Parasite—An organism that lives and feeds in or on another organism (the host) and does nothing to benefit the host.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia—A severe lung infection caused by a parasitic protozoan. The disease mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, such as people with AIDS.