Drug Interactions With Propoxyphene Napsylate

Alcohol, beta blockers, and most antidepressants can negatively interact with propoxyphene napsylate, possibly increasing your risk of serious complications. Some of the problems that can occur include hallucinations, difficulty walking, and difficulty breathing. To avoid these problems, make sure your healthcare provider is aware of all drugs and supplements you are taking, including nonprescription products.

An Overview of Propoxyphene Napsylate Interactions

In November 2010, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew all medications that contain propoxyphene from the market. It has been determined that the risks of propoxyphene outweigh the possible benefits. In particular, the FDA was concerned about the drug's ability to cause serious changes in the heart rhythm, even at normal doses. Pharmacies will no longer sell this medication, and people who take it should stop and ask their healthcare provider for a more suitable pain medication.

Propoxyphene napsylate (Darvon-N^®) can potentially interact with a number of other medications. Some of the drugs that may interact with propoxyphene napsylate include:

Alcohol
Carbamazepine (Carbatrol^®, Epitol^®, Equetro^®, Tegretol^®)
Certain beta blockers, such as:
- Acebutolol (Sectral^®)
- Betaxolol (Kerlone^®)
- Bisoprolol (Zebeta^®)
- Carvedilol (Coreg^®, Coreg CR^®)
- Esmolol (Brevibloc^®)
- Labetalol (Trandate^®)
- Metoprolol (Lopressor^®, Toprol XL^®)
- Nadolol (Corgard^®)
- Nebivolol (Bystolic^®)
- Penbutolol (Levatol^®)
- Propranolol (Inderal^®, Inderal^® LA, InnoPran XL™)
- Sotalol (Betapace^®)
- Timolol

CYP 3A4 inducer medications, such as:
- Aminoglutethimide (Cytadren^®)
- Bosentan (Tracleer^®)
- Carbamazepine (Carbatrol^®, Epitol^®, Equetro^®, Tegretol^®)
- Dexamethasone (Decadron^®, Dexpak^®, Maxidex^®)
- Efavirenz (Sustiva^®)
- Efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir (Atripla^®)
- Etravirine (Intelence™)
- Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx^®)
- Nafcillin
- Nevirapine (Viramune^®)
- Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal^®)
- Pentobarbital (Nembutal^®)
- Phenobarbital (Luminal^®)
- Phenytoin (Dilantin^®, Phenytek^®)
- Primidone (Mysoline^®)
- Rifabutin (Mycobutin^®)
- Rifampin (Rifadin^®)
- Rifapentine (Priftin^®)
- St. John's wort

CYP 3A4 inhibitors, such as:
- Amprenavir (Agenerase^®)
- Atazanavir (Reyataz^®)
- Clarithromycin (Biaxin^®)
- Conivaptan (Vaprisol^®)
- Darunavir (Prezista^®)
- Delavirdine (Rescriptor^®)
- Erythromycin
- Fosamprenavir (Lexiva^®)
- Grapefruit juice
- Imatinib (Gleevec^®)
- Indinavir (Crixivan^®)
- Isoniazid
- Itraconazole (Sporanox^®)
- Ketoconazole (Nizoral^®)
- Lopinavir and ritonavir (Kaletra^®)
- Miconazole
- Nefazodone (Serzone^®)
- Nelfinavir (Viracept^®)
- Nicardipine (Cardene^®)
- Posaconazole (Noxafil^®)
- Quinidine
- Ritonavir (Norvir^®)
- Saquinavir (Fortovase^®, Invirase^®)
- Telithromycin (Ketek^®)
- Voriconazole (VFEND^®)

Medications that cause drowsiness, such as:
- Antipsychotic medications
- Anxiety medications
- Most antidepressants
- Muscle relaxants
- Other narcotic pain relievers
- Sleep medications
- Some antihistamines