Home›Tetrabenazine›Tetrabenazine + Carbidopa And Levodopa

Does Tetrabenazine Interact with Carbidopa And Levodopa?

Tetrabenazine and Carbidopa And Levodopa have a contraindicated drug interaction according to U.S. FDA drug labeling data. Use with carbidopa and levodopa is not recommended due to dopamine-depleting effects that may counteract the therapeutic benefit. The mechanism involves dopamine depletion. 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
Tetrabenazine Class
Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor
Carbidopa And Levodopa Class
Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylation Inhibitor
Management
Do not take together
Data Source
U.S. FDA via OpenFDA

How This Interaction Works

The interaction between Tetrabenazine and Carbidopa And Levodopa occurs because dopamine depletion. Clinically, this means use with carbidopa and levodopa is not recommended due to dopamine-depleting effects that may counteract the therapeutic benefit. 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 Tetrabenazine and your doctor is considering prescribing Carbidopa And Levodopa (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
💊 Tetrabenazine(Xenazine)+💊 Carbidopa And Levodopa(Rytary)

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
Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor
Drug B class
Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylation Inhibitor
Source
NLP:carbidopa and levodopa

What this means in plain English

Use with carbidopa and levodopa is not recommended due to dopamine-depleting effects that may counteract the therapeutic benefit.

About Tetrabenazine and Carbidopa And Levodopa

Tetrabenazine is a Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor, while Carbidopa And Levodopa is an Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylation Inhibitor. You may recognize them by the brand names Xenazine and Rytary. Both medications are taken by mouth. Tetrabenazine additionally carries an FDA boxed warning, the FDA's strongest safety alert.

What the FDA label says

"Dopamine depletion"

📖 Source: NLP:carbidopa and levodopa

Share this result:

WhatsAppText / SMSEmail
Also share on:XFacebook
Add more drugs
Check Tetrabenazine and Carbidopa And Levodopa 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.