Does Azathioprine Interact with Ribavirin?
CDI records a major classification for Azathioprine and Ribavirin. The stored summary is: Concomitant use induces severe pancytopenia and increases risk of azathioprine-related myelotoxicity through interference with IMDH metabolic pathway. The mechanism involves ribavirin interferes with inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (imdh), a required metabolic pathway for azathioprine. Patients taking both medications should consult their healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of either drug. This record was extracted from drug labeling through openFDA. NIH/NLM RxNorm is used for drug identities. The summary and severity classification are CDI's processed information, not a verbatim source quotation. Product, route, and patient circumstances matter.
- Severity
- Major
- Azathioprine Class
- Purine Antimetabolite
- Ribavirin Class
- Nucleoside Analog Antiviral
- Management
- Close medical supervision required
- Data Source
- U.S. FDA via OpenFDA
Recorded Mechanism
Ribavirin interferes with inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMDH), a required metabolic pathway for azathioprine
What To Tell Your Doctor or Pharmacist
If you are taking Azathioprine and your doctor is considering prescribing Ribavirin (or vice versa), make sure to:
- Inform your doctor and pharmacist of all current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements
- Ask whether the benefits of combining these medications outweigh the risks for your specific situation
- Ask what symptoms to watch for that would indicate the interaction is causing problems
- Ask how frequently you should be monitored while these are co-prescribed
- Ask whether any dosage adjustments are needed
- Never stop or change either medication without first consulting your healthcare provider