Therapeutic implications of drug interactions with acetaminophen and aspirin
A. H. Hayes Jr
Only drug-drug interactions that are believed clinically important and that
are primarily pharmacokinetic in nature are discussed in this article.
Drugs reported to interact with aspirin are oral anticoagulants,
methotrexate, probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone; those that are believed to
interact with acetaminophen are propantheline bromide, narcotics, and
metoclopramide hydrochloride, as well as food (carbohydrates). Ethyl
alcohol, ammonium chloride, antacids, oral antidiabetic agents,
corticosteroids, and heparin sodium probably interact with aspirin.
Fenoprofen calcium, gold sodium thiomalate, indomethacin, naproxen,
penicillin, phenylbutazone, phenytoin sodium, and spironolactone may also
cause such interactions. Ethyl alcohol, beta-adrenergic blockers, oral
anticoagulants, chlorpromazine hydrochloride, and miscellaneous mutual
toxicities may cause interactions with acetaminophen. The concomitant use
of drugs that are believed to interact importantly with either aspirin or
acetaminophen should be avoided when designing a treatment regimen. The
remaining agents discussed here (of doubtful importance in man) demand
careful monitoring in difficult clinical situations and must be submitted
to further controlled studies.