CellCept interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

In some cases, factors or conditions could prevent your doctor from prescribing CellCept due to the risk of harm. These are known as contraindications. The contraindications of CellCept include:

Having had an allergic reaction to CellCept or any of its ingredients

If you’ve had an allergic reaction to CellCept or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe CellCept. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Note: Before you start treatment with CellCept, it’s important to tell your doctor if this contraindication applies to you. They can determine whether to prescribe CellCept.

There are no known interactions between CellCept and alcohol.

However, drinking alcohol can lead to health problems that may affect a transplanted organ. CellCept is prescribed to help prevent organ rejection after a kidney, liver, or heart transplant. So your doctor may recommend that you limit or avoid alcohol while taking CellCept.

If you have questions about drinking alcohol during CellCept treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Before you start treatment with CellCept, 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 CellCept interacts with supplements, herbs, or vitamins, see the “CellCept 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 CellCept. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with CellCept. Some of these interactions are described in detail just below in “Drug interactions in depth.”

* CellCept is a type of immunosuppressant.
† Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements can be used as antacids. These supplements may interact with CellCept. To learn more, see the “CellCept and other interactions” section below.

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

Proton pump inhibitors

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are prescribed to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and heartburn.

Interaction result. Taking CellCept with a PPI can make CellCept less effective.

Interaction explained. Taking CellCept with a PPI may lead to lower levels of CellCept in your system. Having a lower level of the drug in your body can keep CellCept from working as well as it should.

Examples of PPI drugs. Here are some PPIs that may interact with CellCept:

• lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• pantoprazole (Protonix)
• omeprazole (Prilosec)

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you take a PPI, be sure to tell your doctor before starting treatment with CellCept. They can determine whether it’s safe to take these medications together. If you do take CellCept with a PPI, your doctor will monitor your condition closely to make sure CellCept is working.

Certain birth control pills

Birth control pills are prescribed to help prevent pregnancy. Certain types of birth control pills may also be used as emergency contraception.

Interaction result. Taking CellCept with certain birth control pills can make the birth control pills less effective. This includes birth control pills and emergency contraception that contain a hormone called levonorgestrel.

Interaction explained. Taking CellCept with certain birth control pills may prevent your body from absorbing levonorgestrel as well as it should. As a result, the level of levonorgestrel in your system may be too low to prevent pregnancy.

Examples of birth control pills. Birth control pills that may interact with CellCept include ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel (Seasonale, Seasonique, others) and levonorgestrel (Opcicon One-Step, Plan B One-Step).

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you’re able to become pregnant, your doctor will likely advise you to use effective birth control while taking CellCept and for at least 6 weeks after your last dose. This is because CellCept has a boxed warning about the risk of harm to a pregnancy. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For more information, see “Boxed warnings” at the top of this article.

Doctors recommended that males* who take CellCept use effective birth control (such as condoms) while taking the medication. You should continue using birth control for at least 90 days after your last dose.

Your doctor can recommend forms of birth control that do not contain levonorgestrel. A few examples include:

• the vaginal ring ethinyl estradiol/etonogestrel (NuvaRing)
• the skin patch ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin (Xulane)
• the injection medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera)
• the implant etonogestrel (Nexplanon)
• the copper intrauterine device (Paragard)
• the vaginal gel lactic acid/citric acid/potassium bitartrate (Phexxi)
• condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, or sponges

Your doctor may advise you to use more than one birth control method while taking CellCept. Talk with them or your pharmacist to learn more.

* Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the term “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Certain antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat bacterial infections.

Interaction result. Taking CellCept with certain antibiotics can make CellCept less effective.

Interaction explained. CellCept is broken down in your liver. The drug’s byproducts are released back into your system and reabsorbed by your body. Certain antibiotics may keep this process from working as it usually does. This can lead to lower levels of CellCept in your body, which means it may not work as well to treat your condition.

Examples of antibiotic drugs. Here are some antibiotics that may interact with CellCept:

• sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra)
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• amoxicillin (Amoxil, Larotid)
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you need an antibiotic, be sure to tell your doctor if you’re taking CellCept. If possible, they’ll likely prescribe an antibiotic that doesn’t interact with CellCept. But if your specific infection requires treatment with an antibiotic that interacts with CellCept, your doctor will monitor your condition closely to make sure CellCept is working.

CellCept 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 CellCept.

CellCept interactions with supplements

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements can be used as antacids. These supplements may interact with CellCept. Taking CellCept with sodium bicarbonate supplements can make CellCept less effective for treating your condition.

Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe to take sodium bicarbonate supplements during CellCept treatment. If they tell you it’s safe, they may advise you to take sodium bicarbonate at least 2 hours after taking CellCept. Doing so may help prevent these supplements from affecting CellCept.

Before you start treatment with CellCept, tell your doctor and pharmacist which supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

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

CellCept and herbs

There are no specific reports of herbs interacting with CellCept. 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 CellCept treatment.

CellCept and vitamins

There are no specific reports of vitamins interacting with CellCept. 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 CellCept.

CellCept interactions with food

Keep in mind that you should take CellCept on an empty stomach. This means you’ll take the drug either 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating. If you take CellCept with food, the interaction can decrease the level of the drug in your body. This may make CellCept less effective.

Note: Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements may interact with CellCept. However, the baking soda found in foods isn’t expected to affect CellCept. This is because the amount of baking soda in foods is expected to be much less than what is found in a sodium bicarbonate supplement. To learn more about this interaction, see “CellCept interactions with supplements” above.

CellCept interactions with vaccines

CellCept can interact with live vaccines. These are vaccines that contain a weakened version of the virus or bacterium they’re meant to protect against. Live vaccines typically won’t cause infection in people with a healthy immune system.

However, CellCept may weaken your immune system. As a result, receiving a live vaccine during CellCept treatment may increase your risk of getting the infection the vaccine is meant to fend off.

Examples of live vaccines include:

• chickenpox
• nasal spray version of the flu vaccine (FluMist)
• measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• yellow fever

Due to this risk, doctors typically recommend getting any live vaccines you may need before starting CellCept treatment. Your doctor or pharmacist can also tell you whether it’s safe to receive any other vaccines while you’re taking CellCept.

If you have questions about getting vaccines while taking CellCept, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

CellCept and lab tests

There are no specific reports of lab tests interacting with CellCept. To learn more about getting certain lab tests while taking CellCept, talk with your doctor.

CELLCEPT AND CANNABIS OR CBD

Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), may interact with CellCept. This interaction can increase the risk of CellCept’s side effects. Talk with your doctor before using cannabis in combination with CellCept. The impact of cannabis may also affect how well you stick to your CellCept 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 CellCept. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. CellCept 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 CellCept include:

HGPRT enzyme deficiency. Before taking CellCept, tell your doctor if you have a deficiency in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) enzyme, which is a type of protein. Taking CellCept while you have this condition can cause uric acid to build up in your body. This can lead to health issues such as kidney failure or gout. Due to this risk, your doctor likely will not prescribe CellCept if you have an HGPRT enzyme deficiency. They can tell you about other treatment options for your condition.

Semen or blood donation. While taking CellCept, you should not donate blood or semen. Donating these fluids may expose others to the drug. If the person who receives the donation is pregnant or becomes pregnant, exposure to CellCept may lead to harmful effects. These can include pregnancy loss or congenital anomalies (birth defects). Because of these risks, you should wait at least 90 days after CellCept treatment ends to donate semen. And you should wait at least 6 weeks after your last CellCept dose to donate blood. If you have questions about this, talk with your doctor.

Digestive system problems. Taking CellCept may cause serious digestive system problems. Examples include ulcers (sores), perforation (tearing), or bleeding in the stomach. As a result, CellCept may worsen any digestive system problems you already have. Before taking CellCept, talk with your doctor about any digestive system problems you have. They can determine whether CellCept is a safe treatment option for you.

Phenylketonuria (PKU). CellCept oral liquid suspension contains an ingredient called phenylalanine. For this reason, your doctor may not prescribe CellCept oral liquid suspension if you have PKU. Your doctor may prescribe a different form of CellCept that doesn’t contain phenylalanine.

Pregnancy. It’s not safe to take CellCept while pregnant. In fact, the drug has a boxed warning about the risk of harm to a pregnancy. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For more information, see “Boxed warnings” at the top of this article.

Breastfeeding. It isn’t known whether CellCept passes into breast milk or if it causes side effects in a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor before starting CellCept treatment.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to CellCept or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe CellCept. Taking 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 CellCept. 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 CellCept 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 CellCept 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 CellCept by taking it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

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

• Overview of CellCept. For a general overview of CellCept, you can see this article.
• Side effects. If you’re interested in the side effects of CellCept, see this article. Another option is to refer to the CellCept prescribing information.
• Dosage specifics. To learn about the dosage of CellCept, see this article.
• Drug comparison. Learn how CellCept compares with Myfortic and Prograf.
• Facts about your condition. To learn more about your condition, see our list of transplant and organ donation articles.

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.