Is there an increased risk of developing torsades de pointes due to interactions between prescription drugs and OTC drugs or supplements? What about foods?
Yes, in some cases. Interactions are highly variable in their expression and sometimes difficult to predict. Some dietary supplements that contain ephedrine have been found to prolong the QT interval and would be especially dangerous if combined with prescription drugs that have this action. Some foods can cause an interaction with drugs; for example, grapefruit juice inhibits the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4, which metabolizes approximately 50% of all medications known to prolong the QT interval.
Related Questions
- Is there an increased risk of developing QT prolongation and torsades de pointes due to interactions between prescription/Over the counter drugs or supplements and foods?
- Is there an increased risk of developing torsades de pointes due to interactions between prescription drugs and OTC drugs or supplements? What about foods?
- Does female gender increase the sensitivity to QT-prolonging drugs and raise the risk of torsades de pointes with some drugs?
