Ibsrela (tenapanor) is a prescription oral tablet that treats irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults. The drug can interact with other medications and some supplements. For example, Ibsrela can interact with certain statin drugs.

An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Keep reading to learn about Ibsrela’s possible interactions. And for more information about Ibsrela, including its uses, see this article.

Before you start taking Ibsrela, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Ibsrela interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Ibsrela?” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Ibsrela. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Ibsrela. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

Drug group or drug nameDrug examplesWhat can happen
certain statin drugsatorvastatin (Atorvaliq, Lipitor)
• fluvastatin (Lescol XL)
pitavastatin (Livalo, Zypitamag)
pravastatin
rosuvastatin (Crestor)
can make certain statin drugs less effective
aliskiren (Tekturna)can make aliskiren less effective
atenolol (Tenormin)can make atenolol less effective
enalapril (Epaned, Vasotec)can make enalapril less effective
fexofenadine (Allegra)can make fexofenadine less effective
midazolam (Nayzilam, Seizalam)can make midazolam less effective
montelukast (Singulair)can make montelukast less effective
sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)can make sulfasalazine less effective
sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra, others)can make sumatriptan less effective
telmisartan (Micardis)can make telmisartan less effective

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Ibsrela. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Ibsrela for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Ibsrela.

If your child is younger than age 6 years: Doctors likely won’t prescribe Ibsrela for children younger than age 6 years. This is because taking the drug may lead to serious dehydration in children of this age.

In fact, Ibsrela has a boxed warning for this risk. To learn more, see the “Boxed warning” at the top of this article.

If you have a blockage in your intestines: Doctors likely won’t prescribe Ibsrela if you have a blockage in your intestines. This is because the drug can speed up the passing of food through your intestines. And that can worsen the blockage.

If you have a blockage in your intestines, talk with your doctor about other treatment options.

Before you start taking Ibsrela, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Ibsrela is safe for you to take.

Ibsrela is not known to interact with alcohol. But diarrhea is a possible side effect of Ibsrela and alcohol. So drinking alcohol while you’re taking Ibsrela may increase the likelihood of diarrhea.

If you have questions about consuming alcohol while taking Ibsrela, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Ibsrela.

Interaction with certain statin drugs

Ibsrela can interact with certain statin drugs, which are used to lower cholesterol levels. Examples of certain statin drugs that may interact with Ibsrela include:

What could happen

Ibsrela may affect your body’s ability to absorb certain statin drugs. This can lead to a lower level of the statin drug in your body. In turn, this can make the statin less effective.

What you can do

If you take a statin drug, talk with your doctor. They can advise whether the statin may interact with Ibsrela or whether it’s safe to take with it. In some cases, they may recommend an alternative drug that’s more suitable.

If you take Ibsrela and a statin that interacts with it, your doctor may closely monitor the statin’s effect. They may also prescribe a dosage of the statin that’s higher than usual to help the drug be effective.

If you have questions about taking Ibsrela with a statin drug, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with enalapril

Ibsrela can interact with enalapril (Epaned, Vasotec). This drug is used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart conditions.

What could happen

Enalapril may be less effective if it’s taken with Ibsrela. That’s because Ibsrela could prevent enalapril from being absorbed, which could decrease levels of enalapril in your body. And low levels of enalapril could keep the drug from working as well as it should.

What you can do

If you take enalapril, talk with your doctor. They can advise whether it’s safe to take it with Ibsrela or recommend an alternative treatment.

If you have questions about taking Ibsrela with enalapril, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with fexofenadine

Ibsrela can interact with fexofenadine (Allegra), which is used to ease allergy symptoms.

What could happen

Taking Ibsrela with fexofenadine could lead to a low level of fexofenadine in your system. This is because Ibsrela may affect your body’s ability to absorb fexofenadine, which could make fexofenadine less effective.

What you can do

If you take fexofenadine, talk with your doctor. They can recommend whether it’s safe to take the drug with Ibsrela.

Fexofenadine is an OTC drug, which means you can purchase it without a prescription. To help manage your allergy symptoms, your doctor may suggest an alternative OTC drug that doesn’t interact with Ibsrela. For example, they may recommend loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec).

If you have questions about taking Ibsrela with fexofenadine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Ibsrela may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other interactions possible with Ibsrela.

Does Ibsrela interact with supplements?

Ibsrela may interact with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplements, which are used for bone health and other conditions. Taking Ibsrela with DHEA supplements could make the supplements less effective. Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe to take Ibsrela with DHEA supplements.

Before you start taking Ibsrela, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins and supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Ibsrela and herbs

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Ibsrela.

Ibsrela and vitamins

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Ibsrela.

Does Ibsrela interact with food?

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Ibsrela, talk with your doctor.

Does Ibsrela interact with vaccines?

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your Ibsrela treatment, talk with your doctor.

Does Ibsrela interact with lab tests?

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Ibsrela, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.

Does Ibsrela interact with cannabis or CBD?

Ibsrela currently has no reports of interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Ibsrela.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Ibsrela. Before taking Ibsrela, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Ibsrela is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Ibsrela include:

Blockage in your intestines: Doctors typically will not prescribe Ibsrela if you have a blockage in your intestines. To learn more, see the “When should I avoid Ibsrela?” section above.

Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Ibsrela is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before taking Ibsrela.

Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Ibsrela while breastfeeding. It isn’t known whether the drug passes into breast milk or causes side effects in a child who’s breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.

Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Ibsrela or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Ibsrela. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Ibsrela. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

  • Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
  • Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
  • What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Ibsrela treatment.

It’s also important to understand Ibsrela’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Ibsrela, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

If you have difficulty reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Taking Ibsrela exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

If you still have questions about Ibsrela and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

  • Do other treatments for my condition have interactions similar to Ibsrela interactions?
  • Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement during my Ibsrela treatment?
  • Does my risk of interactions with Ibsrela depend on the dosage you prescribe?

To learn more about Ibsrela, see these articles:

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.