Jakafi interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

There are no known interactions between Jakafi and alcohol.

If you have questions about drinking alcohol while taking Jakafi, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

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

* To learn more about the side effects of Jakafi, see this article.

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

Certain birth control pills

Birth control pills are oral tablets taken to help prevent pregnancy.

Interaction result. Taking Jakafi with certain birth control pills can increase the risk of side effects from Jakafi. This includes birth control pills that contain a hormone called ethinyl estradiol.

Interaction explained. Jakafi is broken down by an enzyme called CYP3A4. (An enzyme is a type of protein.)

Certain birth control pills can block the activity of this enzyme. Taking Jakafi with these birth control pills can slow the breakdown of Jakafi in your system. This may raise the level of Jakafi in your body, increasing your risk of side effects from the drug. (To learn more about the side effects of Jakafi, see this article.)

Examples of birth control pills. Here are some birth control pills that may interact with Jakafi:

• ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel (Seasonale, Seasonique, others)
• ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate (Sprintec, Tri-Sprintec, others)
• drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Kariva, Yaz, others)

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you’re sexually active and can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while taking Jakafi.

If your doctor recommends using birth control, they can advise you on forms of birth control that do not contain ethinyl estradiol. These are less likely to interact with Jakafi. An example is the birth control pill that contains norethindrone (Camila, Erinn, others).

Certain antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat infections caused by bacteria.

Interaction result. Taking Jakafi with certain antibiotics can increase the risk of side effects from Jakafi. Other antibiotics could make Jakafi less effective.

Interaction explained. Your body breaks down Jakafi by using an enzyme called CYP3A4. (An enzyme is a type of protein.)

Certain antibiotics block the activity of this enzyme. If Jakafi is taken with an antibiotic that blocks CYP3A4, a higher level of Jakafi could remain in your body. This can raise your risk of side effects from Jakafi.

Other antibiotics speed up the activity of this enzyme. If Jakafi is taken with an antibiotic that speeds up the activity of CYP3A4, Jakafi may leave your system more quickly. This can lower the level of Jakafi in your body, which may make the drug less effective for your condition.

Examples of antibiotics. Here are some antibiotics that may interact with Jakafi:

• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• erythromycin (Ery-Tab, EryPed, others)
• clarithromycin

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you need an antibiotic during Jakafi treatment, talk with your doctor. Be sure they know that you’re taking Jakafi. Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe to take the antibiotic with Jakafi.

In some cases, your doctor may increase your Jakafi dosage while you take an antibiotic. (For details about Jakafi’s dosage, see this article.)

In other cases, your doctor may watch you closely for side effects from Jakafi while you take an antibiotic. (To learn more about the side effects of Jakafi, see this article.)

Talk with your doctor if you have questions about antibiotics and Jakafi.

Zafirlukast

Zafirlukast (Accolate) is prescribed to treat asthma.

Interaction result. Taking Jakafi with zafirlukast can increase the risk of side effects from Jakafi.

Interaction explained. An enzyme called CYP3A4 breaks down Jakafi in your body. (An enzyme is a type of protein.)

Zafirlukast can block the activity of this enzyme and slow the breakdown of Jakafi in your body. This can increase your risk of side effects from the drug by raising the level of Jakafi in your system. (To learn more about the side effects of Jakafi, see this article.)

Steps you or your doctor may take. Before starting Jakafi treatment, tell your doctor if you take zafirlukast. They can advise you on whether it’s safe to take these medications in combination. If your doctor prescribes Jakafi while you’re taking zafirlukast, they’ll likely monitor you closely for Jakafi’s side effects.

Jakafi 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 Jakafi.

Jakafi interactions with supplements

Before you start treatment with Jakafi, 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.

Jakafi interactions with herbs

St. John’s wort has been reported to interact with Jakafi. This is an herb used to ease symptoms of certain conditions, including depression.

Taking Jakafi with St. John’s wort could cause your body to break down Jakafi faster than it should. This can lead to a low level of Jakafi in your system, making the drug less effective.

Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe to take Jakafi with St. John’s wort. If they tell you it’s safe to take them in combination, your doctor may give you a higher dosage of Jakafi. Doing so can help keep the drug level high enough in your body for it to be effective. (For details about Jakafi’s dosage, see this article.)

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal supplements during Jakafi treatment.

Jakafi and vitamins

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

Jakafi interactions with food

Certain foods have been reported to interact with Jakafi. These include grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

Grapefruit products may prevent your body from breaking down Jakafi as it should. This can raise the level of Jakafi in your system, increasing your risk of side effects from the drug. (For details about Jakafi’s side effects, see this article.)

Due to this risk, your doctor may recommend avoiding or reducing the amount of grapefruit products you consume while taking Jakafi.

If you’d like to learn more about eating certain foods during Jakafi treatment, talk with your doctor.

Jakafi interactions with vaccines

Certain vaccines have been reported to interact with Jakafi. These include vaccines for COVID-19 (Comirnaty, Spikevax) and cholera (Vaxchora).

Jakafi may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infection. These vaccines work by helping the immune system recognize COVID-19 and cholera. Receiving these vaccines during Jakafi treatment can make the vaccines less effective at protecting against infection.

Before taking Jakafi, talk with your doctor about your vaccine history. If you need a vaccine for COVID-19 or cholera, they may give you the vaccine before prescribing Jakafi. Your doctor can also tell you whether other vaccines are safe to receive during Jakafi treatment.

Jakafi and lab tests

There were no reports of lab tests interacting with Jakafi. If you’d like to learn more about getting certain lab tests while taking Jakafi, talk with your doctor.

JAKAFI AND CANNABIS OR CBD

Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have not been specifically reported to interact with Jakafi. However, as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis in combination with Jakafi. The impact of cannabis may affect how well you stick to your Jakafi 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 Jakafi. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Jakafi 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 Jakafi include:

• Tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis B, or herpes infection. If you’ve ever had TB, hepatitis B, or herpes infection, talk with your doctor before starting Jakafi treatment. Jakafi may reactivate the TB bacterium or hepatitis B virus. This means the bacterium or virus may become active again and cause symptoms. Jakafi may also cause a herpes infection to come back.
  
  Your doctor can recommend whether Jakafi is the right treatment option for you. If they prescribe Jakafi, your doctor will monitor you for symptoms of TB, hepatitis B, and herpes. They’ll advise you on what to do if any of these infections become active.

• Liver or kidney problems. Before starting Jakafi treatment, tell your doctor if you have a liver or kidney problem. Examples include liver failure and kidney failure. Having a liver or kidney problem may increase your risk of side effects from Jakafi. Due to this risk, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Jakafi if you have a liver or kidney problem. (For details about Jakafi’s dosage, see this article.)

• Factors that increase the risk of heart-related side effects. Jakafi may increase the risk of heart-related side effects, including heart attack, in people with certain risk factors. Examples of these factors include high blood pressure and smoking. Before starting Jakafi treatment, talk with your doctor about your risk of heart-related side effects. They can tell you whether you have any factors that increase your risk. Your doctor can recommend whether it’s safe for you to take Jakafi.

• Pregnancy. It’s not known for certain whether Jakafi is safe to take while pregnant. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before taking Jakafi. They can advise you on the risks and benefits of taking Jakafi during pregnancy.

• Breastfeeding. It isn’t known whether Jakafi is safe to take while breastfeeding. It’s not known whether the drug passes into breast milk or if it causes side effects in a child who’s breastfed. To be safe, your doctor may recommend that you avoid breastfeeding while taking Jakafi and for at least 2 weeks after your last dose. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking Jakafi.

• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Jakafi or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Jakafi. 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 Jakafi. Your doctor and pharmacist are key resources, so reach out to them before starting treatment. For example, you should plan to do the following:

• 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 Jakafi 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 Jakafi 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 Jakafi by taking it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

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

• Overview of Jakafi. For a general overview of Jakafi, you can see this article.
• Side effects. If you’re interested in the side effects of Jakafi, see this article. Another option is to refer to the Jakafi prescribing information.
• Dosage specifics. To learn about the dosage of Jakafi, see this article.
• Cost. If you’d like to learn about Jakafi and cost, see this article.
• Facts about your condition. To learn more about some of the conditions Jakafi treats, see our list of blood and hematology articles and polycythemia vera 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.