Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol) is a prescription inhaler used to treat asthma or COPD in adults. This drug can interact with certain supplements and other medications, such as clarithromycin and furosemide.
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.
Before you start using Trelegy Ellipta, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Trelegy Ellipta interacts with herbs or vitamins or supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Trelegy Ellipta?” 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 Trelegy Ellipta. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Trelegy Ellipta. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
|---|---|---|
| clarithromycin | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta |
| nefazodone | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta |
| certain antifungals | • itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) • ketoconazole • voriconazole (Vfend) | can increase the risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta |
| certain diuretics | • bumetanide (Bumex) • furosemide (Furoscix, Lasix) • hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) | can increase the risk of changes in heart rhythm or a low level of potassium in your blood |
| certain seizure drugs | • carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, others) • phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) • phenobarbital (Sezaby) | can make Trelegy Ellipta less effective |
| beta-blockers | • atenolol (Tenormin) • metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL, others) • propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal LA, others) | can make Trelegy Ellipta or the beta-blocker less effective |
| tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) | • amitriptyline • imipramine • nortriptyline (Pamelor) | can increase the risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta and the TCA |
| monoamine oxidase inhibitors | • isocarboxazid (Marplan) • phenelzine (Nardil) • tranylcypromine (Parnate) | can increase the risk of heart-related side effects |
| stimulant drugs | • amphetamine/ dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Adderall XR) • methylphenidate (Jornay PM, Ritalin, others) • phentermine (Adipex-P, Lomaira) | can increase the risk of heart-related side effects |
| anticholinergics | • aclidinium (Tudorza Pressair) • ipratropium (Atrovent HFA) • tiotropium (Spiriva) | can increase the risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta or the anticholinergic |
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you use Trelegy Ellipta. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Trelegy Ellipta for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Trelegy Ellipta.
If you’re having sudden breathing problems: If you have a sudden breathing problem, such as an asthma attack, you should not use Trelegy Ellipta to treat it. This drug does not work quickly enough to manage sudden breathing problems. Instead, your doctor will likely prescribe a fast-acting rescue inhaler for this purpose.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Trelegy Ellipta or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Trelegy Ellipta for you. This includes having an allergic reaction to milk proteins, because Trelegy Ellipta contains milk proteins.
Before you start using Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor if either of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Trelegy Ellipta is a safe treatment option.
Trelegy Ellipta is not known to interact with alcohol. But Trelegy Ellipta and alcohol can cause some similar side effects, such as headache and diarrhea. So you may be more likely to experience these side effects if you drink alcohol during your Trelegy Ellipta treatment.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol while using Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Trelegy Ellipta.
Interaction with clarithromycin
Trelegy Ellipta can interact with clarithromycin. This is an antibiotic used to treat infections caused by bacteria.
What could happen
Combining clarithromycin with Trelegy Ellipta can raise your risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta. This is because clarithromycin may cause your body to break down Trelegy Ellipta more slowly than usual. This can lead to a high level of Trelegy Ellipta in your system, which raises your risk of side effects.
What you can do
Before taking clarithromycin, tell your doctor if you’re using Trelegy Ellipta. They can tell you whether it’s safe to use the medications together. If needed, your doctor may prescribe a different antibiotic that isn’t known to interact with Trelegy Ellipta.
If you have questions about taking clarithromycin with Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with certain diuretics
Trelegy Ellipta can interact with certain diuretics. These drugs are used to treat high blood pressure and other heart-related conditions.
Examples of diuretics that may interact with Trelegy Ellipta include:
- bumetanide (Bumex)
- furosemide (Furoscix, Lasix)
- hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide)
What could happen
Taking certain diuretics with Trelegy Ellipta can raise your risk of a low level of potassium in your blood. Both Trelegy Ellipta and these diuretics can cause low potassium, so taking them together can increase your risk of this side effect.
Low blood potassium can lead to heart rhythm changes, including long QT syndrome.
What you can do
If your doctor prescribes Trelegy Ellipta with a diuretic it interacts with, they may check your potassium levels often during treatment. If the test shows that you have low potassium, your doctor may prescribe treatments to raise your potassium level.
If you have questions about taking diuretics with Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with beta-blockers
Trelegy Ellipta can interact with beta-blockers, which are used to treat heart conditions such as high blood pressure.
Examples of beta-blockers include:
- atenolol (Tenormin)
- metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL, others)
- propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal LA, others)
What could happen
Taking a beta-blocker with Trelegy Ellipta could make either drug less effective. This is because beta-blockers and one of the ingredients in Trelegy Ellipta, vilanterol, work in opposite ways in your body. So combining these drugs could lessen the effect of either drug.
What you can do
If you use Trelegy Ellipta with a beta-blocker, your doctor will closely monitor you during treatment. They can determine whether a change in your dosage or treatment plan is needed.
If you have questions about taking beta-blockers with Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Trelegy Ellipta 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 possible interactions with Trelegy Ellipta.
Does Trelegy Ellipta interact with supplements?
Trelegy Ellipta may interact with caffeine supplements. Using Trelegy Ellipta while you’re taking caffeine supplements may increase the risk of heart-related side effects such as high blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Before you start using Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins or 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.
Trelegy Ellipta and herbs
There are currently no reports of Trelegy Ellipta 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 using Trelegy Ellipta.
Trelegy Ellipta and vitamins
There are currently no reports of Trelegy Ellipta 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 using Trelegy Ellipta.
Does Trelegy Ellipta interact with food?
Trelegy Ellipta may interact with caffeine or grapefruit products.
Trelegy Ellipta and caffeine can both cause heart-related side effects such as high blood pressure and increased heart rate. So taking them together can raise your risk of heart-related side effects.
Grapefruit or grapefruit juice could cause your body to break down Trelegy Ellipta more slowly than usual. This could increase the level of the drug in your system, which raises your risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta.
If you have questions about eating specific foods during your treatment with Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor.
Does Trelegy Ellipta interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Trelegy Ellipta interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your Trelegy Ellipta treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Trelegy Ellipta interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Trelegy Ellipta interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Trelegy Ellipta, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Trelegy Ellipta interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Trelegy Ellipta 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 Trelegy Ellipta.
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 Trelegy Ellipta. Before using Trelegy Ellipta, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Trelegy Ellipta is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Trelegy Ellipta include:
Diabetes: Trelegy Ellipta may raise your blood sugar levels. This could worsen diabetes. If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend monitoring your blood sugar levels more closely while you’re using Trelegy Ellipta.
Eye problems: Using Trelegy Ellipta may worsen eye conditions, including glaucoma and cataracts. Before starting Trelegy Ellipta treatment, tell your doctor about any eye problems you have. They can determine whether Trelegy Ellipta is a safe option for you.
Heart problems: Trelegy Ellipta may cause heart-related side effects, including high blood pressure and fast heart rate. Before starting treatment with the drug, tell your doctor about any heart problems you have. They’ll determine whether Trelegy Ellipta is a safe treatment option for you.
Osteoporosis: Using Trelegy Ellipta may worsen osteoporosis. If you have this condition, your doctor will let you know whether Trelegy Ellipta is safe for you. This is because long-term use of a drug that contains a corticosteroid (such as Trelegy Ellipta) may decrease bone mineral density.
If your doctor does prescribe Trelegy Ellipta, they may monitor your bone health closely during your treatment.
Urination problems: If you have a condition that affects urination, such as a bladder or prostate problem, talk with your doctor before using Trelegy Ellipta. Using Trelegy Ellipta may worsen your condition. This is because umeclidinium, an ingredient in Trelegy Ellipta, can cause urinary retention (difficulty passing urine). Talk with your doctor about whether Trelegy Ellipta is right for you.
Infection: Before starting Trelegy Ellipta treatment, tell your doctor if you think you have an infection. Using Trelegy Ellipta could weaken your immune system. This could raise your risk of getting an infection or worsen any infection you already have.
If you do have an infection, your doctor will likely treat it before you start using Trelegy Ellipta.
Liver problems: Before using Trelegy Ellipta, tell your doctor if you have a liver problem such as liver failure.
Having a liver condition may cause your body to break down Trelegy Ellipta more slowly than usual. This could increase the level of the drug in your system, which raises your risk of side effects from Trelegy Ellipta. Your doctor will help determine whether Trelegy Ellipta is safe for you.
Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Trelegy Ellipta is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before using Trelegy Ellipta.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Trelegy Ellipta while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Trelegy Ellipta or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Trelegy Ellipta. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. This includes having an allergic reaction to milk proteins, because Trelegy Ellipta contains milk proteins. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Trelegy Ellipta. 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 (they can also help you fill out a
medication list ) - what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Trelegy Ellipta treatment
It’s also important to understand Trelegy Ellipta’s
If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Using Trelegy Ellipta exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
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.