Uceris (budesonide) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat ulcerative colitis. This drug can interact with some medications. For example, Uceris can interact with antacids and certain antibiotics.
Uceris is prescribed to adults to reduce symptoms of ulcerative colitis and help the condition go into remission. (With remission, you have few or no symptoms.)
Uceris contains the active ingredient budesonide. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) The drug comes as an extended-release oral tablet and a rectal foam. (Extended release means the drug releases into your body slowly over time instead of all at once.)
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions also can occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Uceris’s possible interactions. And for more information about Uceris, including details about its uses, see this article.
Before you start Uceris treatment, 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 Uceris interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Uceris?” 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 Uceris. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Uceris. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| certain antibiotics | • ciprofloxacin (Cipro) • clarithromycin • erythromycin (Eryc, Ery-Tab) | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
| certain antifungals | • fluconazole (Diflucan) • itraconazole (Sporanox) • ketoconazole | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
| certain HIV drugs | • cobicistat (Tybost) • nelfinavir (Viracept) • ritonavir (Norvir) | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
| certain calcium channel blockers | • diltiazem (Cardizem CD, others) • verapamil (Verelan, others) | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
| H2 receptor blockers | • cimetidine (Tagamet HB) • famotidine (Pepcid AC) • ranitidine | can make Uceris extended-release oral tablet less effective |
| proton pump inhibitors | • esomeprazole (Nexium) • omeprazole (Prilosec) • pantoprazole (Protonix) | can make Uceris extended-release oral tablet less effective |
| antacids | • aluminium hydroxide/magnesium hydroxide (Maalox) • calcium carbonate (Tums) • calcium carbonate/ magnesium hydroxide (Rolaids) | can make Uceris extended-release oral tablet less effective |
| cyclosporine (Neoral, others) | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
| nefazodone | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Uceris |
Some medications can interact with Uceris extended-release oral tablet but not with Uceris rectal foam.
Uceris oral tablet is an extended-release oral tablet. The tablet has a special coating that dissolves in your stomach acid. After this occurs, the tablet releases the medication gradually as it passes through your intestines. This allows the medication to work throughout your intestines.
Uceris rectal foam is applied in your rectum. This allows the medication to work in the lower end of your large intestine.
Medications that reduce stomach acid can prevent Uceris extended-release oral tablet from working correctly. These medications treat conditions such as acid indigestion (upset stomach), heartburn, and stomach ulcers. Examples include:
- H2 receptor blockers, such as famotidine (Pepcid AC)
- proton pump inhibitors, such as esomeprazole (Nexium)
- antacids, such as Tums
Medications that reduce stomach acid can stop the special coating on the Uceris tablet from dissolving in your stomach. This can make the tablet form of Uceris less effective. Medications that reduce stomach don’t affect Uceris rectal foam.
If you take medications that reduce stomach acid, talk with your doctor before taking Uceris extended-release oral tablet. They may recommend taking these medications at different times of day. Depending on the type of ulcerative colitis you have, they also might recommend other treatment options.
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you use Uceris. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Uceris for you. These are known as contraindications. The only contraindication of Uceris is allergic reaction.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Uceris or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Uceris for you. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Uceris is not known to interact with alcohol. But alcohol and Uceris can cause some of the same side effects, such as headache and nausea. So you may have a raised risk of these side effects if you drink alcohol during Uceris treatment.
Drinking alcohol also may worsen symptoms of ulcerative colitis, which Uceris is prescribed to treat. So during Uceris treatment, your doctor may recommend avoiding or limiting alcohol.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol during Uceris treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Uceris.
Interaction with certain antibiotics
Uceris can interact with certain antibiotics, which are prescribed to treat infections caused by bacteria.
Examples of antibiotics that can interact with Uceris include:
- ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
- clarithromycin
- erythromycin (Eryc, Ery-Tab)
What could happen
Certain antibiotics can reduce the action of an enzyme (protein) that helps clear Uceris from your body. If you use Uceris with one of these antibiotics, Uceris can build up in your body. This can raise your risk of Uceris side effects, such as nausea and adrenal insufficiency.
What you can do
Your doctor will usually avoid prescribing certain antibiotics with Uceris. If you need one of these medications, your doctor may recommend stopping Uceris temporarily during your antibiotic treatment.
If you have questions about using Uceris with antibiotics, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with certain antifungals
Uceris can interact with certain antifungals, which are prescribed to treat infections caused by fungus.
Examples of antifungals that can interact with Uceris include:
- fluconazole (Diflucan)
- itraconazole (Sporanox)
- ketoconazole
What could happen
Certain antifungals can reduce the action of an enzyme (protein) that helps clear Uceris from your body. If you use Uceris with one of these antifungals, Uceris can build up in your body. This can raise your risk of Uceris side effects, such as nausea and adrenal insufficiency.
What you can do
Your doctor will usually avoid prescribing certain antifungals with Uceris. If you need one of these medications, your doctor may recommend stopping Uceris temporarily during your antifungal treatment.
If you have questions about using Uceris with antifungals, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with certain calcium channel blockers
Uceris can interact with certain calcium channel blockers. These medications are prescribed to treat high blood pressure and certain heart conditions.
Examples of calcium channel blockers that can interact with Uceris include:
What could happen
Certain calcium channel blockers can reduce the action of an enzyme (protein) that helps clear Uceris from your body. If you use Uceris with one of these medications, Uceris can build up in your body. This can raise your risk of Uceris side effects. These include nausea, a high cortisol level, and adrenal insufficiency.
What you can do
Your doctor will usually avoid prescribing Uceris with these calcium channel blockers. If you take one of these medications, your doctor may prescribe a medication besides Uceris for ulcerative colitis. Or they may recommend switching to a different medication for your blood pressure or heart condition.
If you have questions about using Uceris with calcium channel blockers, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Uceris 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 Uceris.
Does Uceris interact with supplements?
Before you start Uceris, 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.
Uceris and herbs
In Uceris’s extended-release oral tablet studies and rectal foam studies, no reports showed interactions 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 during treatment with Uceris.
Uceris and vitamins
In Uceris’s extended-release oral tablet studies and rectal foam studies, no reports showed interactions 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 during treatment with Uceris.
Does Uceris interact with food?
You should avoid consuming grapefruit and grapefruit juice during treatment with Uceris. Grapefruit products can stop your body from breaking down Uceris the way it should. The decreased breakdown can make the drug build up in your body. This can raise your risk of Uceris side effects, such as nausea and adrenal insufficiency.
If you have questions about other foods interacting with Uceris, talk with your doctor.
Does Uceris interact with vaccines?
Talk with your doctor before getting live vaccines* during your Uceris treatment. Uceris may affect your immune system. And getting a live vaccine during treatment with Uceris may increase your risk of infection. Examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), rotavirus, and chickenpox.
If you need to receive a vaccine, talk with your doctor first to make sure it’s safe.
* Live vaccines contain weakened versions of the bacteria or virus that they’re meant to protect against.
Does Uceris interact with lab tests?
In Uceris’s extended-release oral tablet studies and rectal foam studies, no reports showed interactions with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Uceris, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Uceris interact with cannabis or CBD?
Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Uceris.
Using cannabis or cannabis products with Uceris could stop Uceris from clearing your body as well as it should. This could raise your risk of Uceris side effects, such as nausea, a high cortisol level, and adrenal insufficiency.
Before you start treatment with Uceris, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.
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 Uceris. Before starting Uceris, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Uceris is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Uceris include the following.
Infection: Before starting Uceris, tell your doctor if you have any infection. Also, tell them if you’ve recently been exposed to chickenpox or measles. Be sure to talk with your doctor about infections you’ve had in the past, especially tuberculosis (TB). Uceris can make it harder for your immune system to fight infection.
If you have an infection, your doctor likely will prescribe medication to treat it before you start Uceris.
Diabetes: Uceris can increase your blood sugar level. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor whether they will change your treatment plan while you’re using Uceris.
Glaucoma or cataracts: Uceris may worsen glaucoma or cataracts. If you have one of these eye conditions, ask your doctor whether Uceris is safe for you.
Osteoporosis: Uceris may weaken bones, especially with long-term use. If you have osteoporosis, treatment with Uceris could worsen it. Talk with your doctor about whether Uceris is right for you.
High blood pressure: Uceris may increase your blood pressure, especially with long-term use. If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor whether Uceris is right for you.
Peptic ulcer: Uceris may worsen symptoms of a peptic ulcer. If you have a peptic ulcer, ask your doctor whether Uceris is safe for you.
Liver problems: Your liver helps clear Uceris from your body. If you have a liver problem, the medication could build up in your body. This could raise your risk of Uceris side effects, such as a high cortisol level and adrenal insufficiency.
If you have liver problems, your doctor likely will monitor you for side effects during Uceris treatment.
Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Uceris is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before starting Uceris.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Uceris while breastfeeding. 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 Uceris or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely will not prescribe Uceris. This is because using 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 Uceris. 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 Uceris treatment.
It’s also important to understand Uceris’s
If you have difficulty reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Using Uceris exactly as prescribed also can help prevent interactions.
If you still have questions about Uceris and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.
Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
- Do other medications that could treat my condition have similar interactions?
- Do I need to check with you before taking over-the-counter medications with Uceris?
- If I have certain health conditions, will you monitor me more closely during Uceris treatment?
To learn more about Uceris, 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.