Rubraca interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

Before you start treatment with Rubraca, 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 Rubraca interacts with supplements, herbs, or vitamins, see the “Rubraca and other interactions” section.)

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

There aren’t any known interactions between Rubraca and alcohol.

However, Rubraca and alcohol may cause similar side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If you consume alcohol during Rubraca treatment, these side effects may worsen.

If you have questions about drinking alcohol during Rubraca treatment, talk with your doctor.

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

Opioids are prescribed to treat pain.

Interaction result: Taking Rubraca with certain opioids may increase the risk of side effects from the opioid.

Interaction explained: Rubraca may slow down the activity of an enzyme (protein) that helps break down certain opioids in your system. Taking these medications together could lead to a high level of the opioid in your body.

Having a high level of the opioid could increase your risk of side effects from the drug.

Examples of opioid drugs: Here are some opioids that may interact with Rubraca:

• buprenorphine (Belbuca, Brixadi, others)
• codeine
• fentanyl (Actiq, Sublimaze, others)
• hydrocodone (Hysingla ER)
• oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxybond, others)

Steps you or your doctor may take: Doctors may prescribe opioids for cancer pain, including pain from ovarian or prostate cancer. (Rubraca is prescribed to treat these cancers.) If needed, your doctor can recommend an opioid that’s safe to take with Rubraca.

If you take Rubraca with an opioid, your doctor will prescribe an opioid dosage that provides pain relief without causing bothersome side effects. You should not take a higher dose of either drug than your doctor prescribes.

If you’re taking Rubraca with an opioid it can interact with, do not stop taking Rubraca without talking with your doctor first. Suddenly stopping Rubraca can cause the level of the opioid in your system to drop quickly. In some cases, this could lead to opioid withdrawal. (Withdrawal symptoms are side effects that happen when you stop taking a drug your body relies on.) Your doctor will help reduce this risk.

To learn more about Rubraca and opioids, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

NSAIDs help ease inflammation, pain, and fever. Certain NSAIDs are available over the counter (OTC), meaning you don’t need a prescription to purchase them.

Interaction result: Taking Rubraca with certain NSAIDs may increase the risk of side effects from the NSAID.

Interaction explained: Rubraca may slow down the activity of an enzyme that helps break down certain NSAIDs in your body. Taking these drugs together could result in a high level of the NSAID in your system. This could increase your risk of side effects from the NSAID.

Examples of NSAIDs: Here are some NSAIDs that may interact with Rubraca:

• celecoxib (Celebrex, Elyxyb)
• diclofenac (Cambia, Cataflam, others)
• meloxicam

Steps you or your doctor may take: Before taking an NSAID with Rubraca, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take these medications together.

If you need an OTC pain reliever during Rubraca treatment, your doctor or pharmacist can advise you on which NSAIDs are safe to take with this drug.

To learn more about Rubraca and NSAIDs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction result: Taking Rubraca with certain antidepressants may increase the risk of side effects from the antidepressant.

Interaction explained: Rubraca could slow the activity of an enzyme that helps break down certain antidepressants in your body. Taking these drugs together could raise the level of the antidepressant in your system, increasing your risk of side effects from the drug.

Examples of antidepressant drugs: Citalopram (Celexa) and fluoxetine (Prozac) are antidepressants that may interact with Rubraca.

Steps you or your doctor may take: Your doctor can determine whether it’s safe to take Rubraca with specific antidepressants.

If your doctor prescribes Rubraca with an antidepressant it interacts with, they may give you a lower dosage of the antidepressant than is typically prescribed. Doing so will help reduce your risk of side effects from the drug.

To learn more about Rubraca and antidepressants, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Rubraca 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 Rubraca.

Rubraca may interact with caffeine supplements, which can be used to boost energy levels. Taking Rubraca with these supplements could increase the risk of side effects from caffeine. Examples include a fast heartbeat, agitation, and insomnia.

Your doctor may recommend limiting how much caffeine you consume during Rubraca treatment.

Before you start treatment with Rubraca, 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.

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

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

Rubraca may interact with caffeine. Consuming too much caffeine while taking Rubraca can increase the risk of side effects from caffeine. Examples include a fast heartbeat, agitation, and insomnia.

Below are examples of a few foods and beverages that contain caffeine:

Because of this interaction, your doctor may advise you to limit how much caffeine you consume during Rubraca treatment.

If you’d like to learn more about consuming certain foods or drinks while taking Rubraca, talk with your doctor.

Rubraca is known to interact with live vaccines. A live vaccine contains live but weakened pieces of the virus or bacterium it’s meant to defend against. When your immune system is healthy, live vaccines usually won’t cause infection.

But Rubraca works by weakening your immune system. So if you get a live vaccine, your immune system may not be able to fight the virus or bacterium. This may cause you to become sick or develop symptoms of the illness the vaccine is meant to prevent.

Examples of live vaccines to avoid during Rubraca treatment include:

Before starting Rubraca, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any vaccines you may need.

Rubraca may interfere with the results of certain lab tests. Taking the medication may cause lab results to show increased creatinine levels or increased liver enzymes (AST/ALT). Rubraca may also cause lab results to show a decrease in white blood cells (lymphocytes and neutrophils), platelets, and hemoglobin levels.

Because of this, it’s important to tell the person giving you the test that you’re taking Rubraca.

For additional information, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

RUBRACA AND CANNABIS OR CBD

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

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

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

• Let them know if you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• 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 Rubraca 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 Rubraca 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 Rubraca by taking it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

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.