Home›Capecitabine›Capecitabine + Allopurinol

Does Capecitabine Interact with Allopurinol?

Capecitabine and Allopurinol have a contraindicated drug interaction according to U.S. FDA drug labeling data. Avoid concomitant use; allopurinol may decrease concentration of capecitabine's active metabolites, reducing efficacy. The mechanism involves decreased concentration of active metabolites. Patients taking both medications should consult their healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of either drug. This information is based on official FDA drug labeling sourced from OpenFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine.

Severity
Contraindicated
Capecitabine Class
Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor
Allopurinol Class
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor
Management
Do not take together
Data Source
U.S. FDA via OpenFDA

How This Interaction Works

The interaction between Capecitabine and Allopurinol occurs because decreased concentration of active metabolites. Clinically, this means avoid concomitant use; allopurinol may decrease concentration of capecitabine's active metabolites, reducing efficacy. Because of the severity of this interaction, these medications are contraindicated — meaning they should not be taken together under any circumstances. If you are currently taking both, contact your healthcare provider immediately to discuss alternatives.

What To Tell Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you are taking Capecitabine and your doctor is considering prescribing Allopurinol (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 about alternative medications that do not interact with your current regimen
  • Ask how frequently you should be monitored while these are co-prescribed
  • Never stop or change either medication without first consulting your healthcare provider
💊 Capecitabine(Xeloda)+💊 Allopurinol(Zyloprim)

Severity & Interaction Details

⛔
contraindicated
Avoid this combination
FDA labeling lists this pair as contraindicated. The risk outweighs the benefit in nearly all cases.
Severity scale
MinorContra
On record
Yes
Drug A class
Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor
Drug B class
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor
Source
NLP:allopurinol

What this means in plain English

Avoid concomitant use; allopurinol may decrease concentration of capecitabine's active metabolites, reducing efficacy.

About Capecitabine and Allopurinol

Capecitabine is a Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor, while Allopurinol is a Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor. You may recognize them by the brand names Xeloda and Zyloprim. Both medications are taken by mouth. Both Capecitabine and Allopurinol carry an FDA boxed warning — the agency's most serious safety designation.

What the FDA label says

"Decreased concentration of active metabolites"

📖 Source: NLP:allopurinol

Share this result:

WhatsAppText / SMSEmail
Also share on:XFacebook
Add more drugs
Check Capecitabine and Allopurinol against your full medication list

Most patients take more than two medications. CDI checks every pair across up to 20 drugs simultaneously — including OTCs and common supplements.

Add more drugs →
Data integrity: Every interaction shown is extracted directly from official U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH) — no interactions are invented, inferred, or manually edited. Maintained by CheckDrugInteractions.com. See our methodology or report a correction at support@checkdruginteractions.com.

Data sourced from U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine, supplemented with a small number of well-established interactions from curated clinical references. For informational purposes only. Always consult your pharmacist or physician.