Drug Interactions With Donepezil

When certain medications are taken together, there is the possibility of developing negative drug interactions. With donepezil, interactions with drugs such as succinylcholine, rifamycin antibiotics, or SSRI-type antidepressants can cause your body to metabolize the medicines differently than intended and potentially lead to side effects. Other potential drug interactions with donepezil may include: other cholinesterase inhibitors, general anesthetics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and certain anticonvulsants.

 

Drug Interactions With Donepezil: An Introduction

Donepezil (Aricept®) has the potential to interact with a number of other medications. Some of these donepezil drug interactions include:
 
  • Other cholinesterase inhibitors, including:

 

 

  • Bethanechol (Urecholine®)
     
  • Succinylcholine (Quelicin®)
     
  • General anesthetics
     
  • Anticholinergic medicines, including:

 

 

 

 

  • Barbiturates, including:

 

    • Amobarbital (Amytal®)
    • Butabarbital (Butisol Sodium®)
    • Phenobarbital (Luminal®)
    • Primidone (Mysoline®)
    • Pentobarbital (Nembutal®)
    • Thiopental (Pentothal®)

 

  • Certain anticonvulsants, including:

 

 

  • Rifamycin antibiotics, including:

 

    • Rifabutin (Mycobutin®)
    • Rifampin (Rifadin®)
    • Rifapentine (Priftin®)

 

 

(Drug Interactions With Donepezil Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;