Drug Interactions With Filgrastim

Chemotherapy medications and lithium could potentially cause drug interactions with filgrastim. Using filgrastim within 24 hours before or after chemotherapy can increase your risk of developing low white blood cells. When lithium is taken together with filgrastim, interactions may also occur that could lead to serious complications, such as heart attacks and strokes.

 

Filgrastim Drug Interactions: An Overview

Filgrastim (Neupogen®) can potentially interact with a few other medications. Some of these medicines that may lead to filgrastim drug interactions include:
 

Filgrastim Interactions Explained

The following sections explain in detail the potentially negative interactions that can occur when filgrastim is combined with any of the drugs listed above.
 
Chemotherapy
Filgrastim should not be taken within 24 hours before or after chemotherapy. Filgrastim stimulates the bone marrow, and chemotherapy tends to target rapidly growing cells (such as stimulated bone marrow cells). Therefore, using Filgrastim just before or after chemotherapy may actually increase the risk of low white blood cells. Usually, filgrastim is given the day after chemotherapy to avoid this interaction.
 
Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
Lithium and filgrastim both increase the production of white blood cells. While this may seem like a beneficial drug interaction, it can be rather dangerous. Increasing the white blood cell count too much can increase the risk of very serious problems, such as strokes and heart attacks. If your healthcare provider recommends that you take these medications at the same time, more frequent blood counts are necessary to make sure your white blood cell levels do not get too high.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;