Amjevita interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

There are no known interactions between Amjevita and alcohol. However, drinking alcohol during Amjevita treatment can worsen certain side effects of the drug, such as headache.

In addition, consuming large amounts of alcohol can cause liver problems. Amjevita may also cause liver problems as a side effect. This means that drinking alcohol during Amjevita treatment may increase the risk of liver problems.

Alcohol can also worsen the condition you’re receiving Amjevita to treat. For example, if you have Crohn’s disease, drinking alcohol may worsen your symptoms.

If you drink alcohol and have questions about consuming it during Amjevita treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Before you start treatment with Amjevita, tell your doctor and pharmacist which prescription, over-the-counter, and other medications you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Amjevita interacts with supplements, herbs, or vitamins, see the “Amjevita and other interactions” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Here’s a table of drugs that can interact with Amjevita. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with Amjevita. Some of these interactions are described in detail just below in “Drug interactions in depth.”

* Amjevita is a TNF blocker.

Here’s a closer look at certain drug interactions of Amjevita.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are prescribed to treat inflammation related to many different conditions. This may include inflammation related to the same conditions Amjevita is prescribed to treat, such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Interaction result. Receiving Amjevita with corticosteroids can increase the risk of side effects from either medication.

Interaction explained. Amjevita and corticosteroids may lower your immune system’s ability to fight infection. These drugs can increase your risk of infection when they’re taken or received individually. Receiving Amjevita in combination with a corticosteroid can further increase your risk of infection. Some infections may be serious.*

Examples of corticosteroids. Here are some corticosteroids that may interact with Amjevita:

• dexamethasone (Hemady)
• methylprednisolone (Medrol)
• prednisone (Rayos)

Steps you or your doctor may take. Before starting Amjevita treatment, tell your doctor if you take a corticosteroid. They can determine whether it’s safe for you to receive Amjevita with these medications.

If you receive Amjevita with a corticosteroid, your doctor will monitor you closely for infection symptoms. They can tell you what to do if you have symptoms of a serious infection during treatment with these medications.

* Amjevita has a boxed warning about the risk of serious infection. This is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see “Boxed warnings” at the top of this article.

Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can be prescribed for many different autoimmune conditions. (Autoimmune conditions involve the immune system mistakenly attacking health tissue in the body.) These include some of the same conditions Amjevita is prescribed to treat, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Interaction result. Receiving Amjevita with biologic DMARDs can increase the risk of side effects from either drug.

Interaction explained. Amjevita and biologic DMARDs can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infection. Either drug can increase your risk of infection when taken or received on its own. Receiving Amjevita in combination with a biologic DMARD can further increase your risk of infection. Some infections may be serious.*

Examples of biologic DMARDs. Here are some biologic DMARDs that may interact with Amjevita:

• abatacept (Orencia)
• anakinra (Kineret)
• rituximab (Rituxan)
• sarilumab (Kevzara)
• tocilizumab (Actemra)

Steps you or your doctor may take. Before starting Amjevita, tell your doctor if you’re already prescribed a biologic DMARD. They aren’t likely to prescribe these medications in combination. Your doctor can recommend a treatment other than Amjevita that is less likely to interact with a biologic DMARD.

* Amjevita has a boxed warning about the risk of serious infection. This is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see “Boxed warnings” at the top of this article.

Immunosuppressants

Immunosuppressants can be prescribed for different purposes. Examples include to help prevent organ rejection after a transplant and for the treatment of certain cancers.

Interaction result. Receiving Amjevita with immunosuppressants can increase the risk of side effects from either drug.

Interaction explained. Amjevita can weaken your immune system. Immunosuppressants can also weaken it. Receiving Amjevita with an immunosuppressant could further weaken your immune system.

Having a weakened immune system can increase your risk of infections, some of which may be serious.* In addition, taking Amjevita with certain immunosuppressants may increase the risk of cancers associated with Amjevita.*

Examples of immunosuppressant drugs. Here are some immunosuppressants that may interact with Amjevita:

• azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• mercaptopurine (Purinethol, Purixan)

Steps you or your doctor may take. Before starting treatment with Amjevita, tell your doctor if you take an immunosuppressant. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take these medications in combination. If needed, your doctor can recommend a treatment other than Amjevita that is less likely to interact with immunosuppressants.

* Amjevita has boxed warnings about the risks of serious infection and cancer. These are serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see “Boxed warnings” at the top of this article.

Amjevita may have other interactions, such as with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. You’ll find details below. Keep in mind that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with Amjevita.

Amjevita and supplements

It’s possible for drugs to interact with supplements such as vitamins and herbs.

Amjevita and herbs

There are no specific reports of herbs interacting with Amjevita. However, that doesn’t mean herbal interactions won’t occur or be recognized in the future. Because of this, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products during Amjevita treatment.

Amjevita and vitamins

There are no specific reports of vitamins interacting with Amjevita. However, that doesn’t mean vitamin interactions won’t occur or be recognized in the future. Because of this, you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any vitamin product with Amjevita.

Amjevita and food

There were no reports of food interactions with Amjevita. If you’d like to learn more about eating certain foods during treatment with Amjevita, talk with your doctor.

Amjevita interactions with vaccines

Live vaccines have been reported to interact with Amjevita. A live vaccine is made from a weakened form of the virus or bacterium it’s meant to protect against.

Live vaccines won’t typically cause infection in a person with a healthy immune system. However, Amjevita may weaken your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight against the virus or bacterium in a live vaccine. Getting a live vaccine during your Amjevita treatment may increase your risk of getting the infection the vaccine protects against.

Examples of live vaccines include:

• nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist)
• measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR II, Priorix)
• chickenpox vaccine (Varivax)
• shingles vaccine (Shingrix)

Before starting Amjevita treatment, talk with your doctor about your vaccination history. They may recommend getting certain vaccines before you start receiving Amjevita injections. Your doctor can also advise you on the safety of receiving other vaccines with Amjevita.

Amjevita and lab tests

There are no specific reports of lab tests interacting with Amjevita. If you’d like to learn more about getting specific lab tests during Amjevita treatment, talk with your doctor.

AMJEVITA AND CANNABIS OR CBD

Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have not been specifically reported to interact with Amjevita. However, as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis in combination with Amjevita. The impact of cannabis may affect how well you stick to your Amjevita treatment plan.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions and other factors may increase the risk of interactions with Amjevita. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Amjevita may not be the right treatment option if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health.

Health conditions or factors that might interact with Amjevita include:

• Nerve problems. Before starting Amjevita, tell your doctor if you have a nerve problem such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or multiple sclerosis (MS). Amjevita may damage the protective covering around your nerves, which can worsen any nerve problem you already have. Your doctor will likely monitor your condition closely during treatment with Amjevita.
• Infections. Amjevita may weaken your immune system. This can increase your risk of infection or worsen current infections. If you have a current infection, talk with your doctor before starting Amjevita. They can determine when you may start treatment with Amjevita.
• Hepatitis B. Before starting Amjevita, tell your doctor if you have hepatitis B. The drug may reactivate the hepatitis B virus, which causes this condition. Reactivation happens when a virus that’s already in your body flares up and causes symptoms of the infection. If you have hepatitis B, your doctor can advise whether Amjevita is right for you.
• Heart failure. Amjevita may worsen heart failure in people who have this condition. Before starting Amjevita, tell your doctor if you have heart failure. They can recommend whether Amjevita is a safe treatment option for you.
• Pregnancy. It’s unknown whether it’s safe to receive Amjevita treatment during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor. For more details about Amjevita and pregnancy, see this article.
• Breastfeeding. It’s unknown whether it’s safe to receive Amjevita treatment while breastfeeding. The drug passes into breast milk, which can cause side effects in a child who’s breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor.
• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Amjevita or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Amjevita. Treatment with the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

You can take certain steps to help prevent interactions with Amjevita. Your doctor and pharmacist are key resources, so reach out to them before starting treatment. For example, you should plan to do the following:

• Let them know if you drink alcohol.
• Tell them about any other medications you take, as well as any supplements, herbs, and vitamins.
• Create a medication list, which your doctor and pharmacist can help you fill out.

It’s also important to read the Amjevita label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. The label may have colored stickers that mention an interaction. And the paperwork, sometimes called the medication guide or patient package insert, may contain details about interactions.

If Amjevita doesn’t come with paperwork, you can ask your pharmacist to print a copy. If you need help reading or understanding this information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You can also help prevent interactions with Amjevita by following your treatment plan exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Besides learning about interactions, you may want to find out more about Amjevita. These resources might help:

• Overview of Amjevita. For a general overview of Amjevita, you can see this article.
• Cost. If you’d like to learn about Amjevita and cost, see this article.
• Facts about your condition. To learn more about psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, see our arthritis hub. To find more information on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, see our IBD hub.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.