Cosentyx interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

Cosentyx interactions with other medications  

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

When to avoid Cosentyx

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

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

If you have had an allergic reaction to Cosentyx or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Cosentyx. 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 Cosentyx, it’s important to tell your doctor if this contraindication applies to you. They can determine whether to prescribe Cosentyx.

Cosentyx interaction with alcohol

There are no known interactions between Cosentyx and alcohol. However, your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit alcohol consumption during Cosentyx treatment.

This is because drinking alcohol while taking the drug may worsen some of Cosentyx’s side effects. For example, you may experience:

• headache
• nausea
• diarrhea

Alcohol can also worsen the condition you’re receiving Cosentyx to treat. For example, if you have psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, drinking alcohol may worsen your symptoms.

Drinking alcohol can also make it harder for your body to fight off infections, which are a possible side effect of Cosentyx.

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

Drug interactions in depth

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

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors

Cosentyx can interact with drugs that are JAK inhibitors. Doctors prescribe drugs from this class to treat various inflammatory conditions, including some of the forms of arthritis that Cosentyx also treats.

Interaction result:Taking Cosentyx with a JAK inhibitor can raise your risk of infections, including serious or even life threatening infections.

Interaction explained:Cosentyx and JAK inhibitors both weaken part of your immune system (your body’s defense system). They can both raise your risk of infection. So taking them together can raise this risk even further.

Examples of JAK inhibitor drugs: Here are some JAK inhibitors that may interact with Cosentyx:

• baricitinib (Olumiant)
• tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR)
• upadacitinib (Rinvoq)

Steps you or your doctor may take:Your doctor typically will not prescribe Cosentyx with a JAK inhibitor. If you take one of these drugs, talk with your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

If you have questions about taking Cosentyx with a JAK inhibitor, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Cyclosporine (Neoral, others)

Cosentyx may interact with cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant drug that doctors may prescribe to treat some of the same conditions as Cosentyx. Examples include psoriasis and some forms of arthritis.

Interaction result: Taking Cosentyx with cyclosporine may change the effect of cyclosporine. It may also raise your risk of infections, including serious or even life threatening infections.

Interaction explained: Cosentyx treatment may affect your body’s production of certain enzymes that help breakdown cyclosporine. If your body makes more of these enzymes, cyclosporine may be broken down faster than usual. This could make it less effective. But if your body makes less of these enzymes, cyclosporine may be broken down slower than usual. This could cause cyclosporine build up in your body, which could raise your risk of its side effects.

As well, Cosentyx and cyclosporine both weaken part of your immune system (your body’s defense system). They can both raise your risk of infection. So taking them together can raise this risk even further.

Steps you or your doctor may take: Doctors will typically avoid prescribing Cosentyx with cyclosporine due to the increased risk of infection.

If your doctor prescribes Cosentyx with cyclosporine, they will likely monitor the amount of cyclosporine in your blood. If needed, they may adjust your dosage of cyclosporine.

If you have questions about taking Cosentyx with cyclosporine, talk with your doctor.

Warfarin (Jantoven)

Cosentyx may interact with warfarin, which is a blood thinner medication. Doctors prescribe it to treat and help prevent blood clots.

Interaction result: Taking Cosentyx with warfarin may change the effect of warfarin.

Interaction explained: Cosentyx treatment may affect your body’s production of certain enzymes that help breakdown warfarin. If your body makes more of these enzymes, warfarin may be broken down faster than usual. This could make it less effective at treating or preventing blood clots. But if your body makes less of these enzymes, warfarin may be broken down slower than usual. This could make warfarin build up in your body, which could raise your risk of warfarin side effects such as bleeding.

Steps you or your doctor may take: If your doctor prescribes Cosentyx with warfarin, they will likely monitor your International Normalized Ratio (INR) more often than usual. Your INR is a measure of how long your blood takes to clot. It helps doctors monitor the effect of warfarin treatment. Your doctor may adjust your warfarin dosage based on your INR.

If you have questions about taking Cosentyx with warfarin, talk with your doctor.

Cosentyx and other interactions

Cosentyx 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 Cosentyx.

Cosentyx and supplements

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

Cosentyx and herbs

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

Cosentyx and vitamins

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

Cosentyx and food

There were no reports of food interactions with Cosentyx. If you’d like to learn more about eating certain foods during treatment with Cosentyx, talk with your doctor. They can recommend if there are foods to avoid while you are taking Cosentyx.

Cosentyx interactions with vaccines

Cosentyx 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 working well, live vaccines usually won’t cause infection.

But Cosentyx 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 Cosentyx treatment include:

• measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• chickenpox
• nasal spray vaccine (Flumist)

Before starting Cosentyx, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any vaccines you may need. Your doctor will likely recommend that you get up to date with any recommended vaccines before you start Cosentyx treatment. This is because Cosentyx can raise your risk of getting infections. Getting recommended vaccines before you start treatment can help protect you from serious infections.

Cosentyx interactions with lab tests

Cosentyx is not known to interact with any lab tests. If you have concerns about this medication interacting with lab tests, talk with your doctor.

COSENTYX INTERACTION WITH CANNABIS OR CBD

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

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

Cosentyx and health-related interactions

Certain medical conditions and other factors may increase the risk of interactions with Cosentyx. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Cosentyx 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 Cosentyx include:

• Infections: Cosentyx can raise your risk of infections. Before starting Cosentyx, tell your doctor if you have an ongoing infection or infections that keep coming back. Your doctor may prescribe medication to treat these infections before you start Cosentyx. If you have an infection while taking Cosentyx, your doctor may prescribe medication such as antibiotics or antifungals to treat the infection. It’s usually fine to take Cosentyx and antibiotics or antifungals together. But if you have a serious infection, your doctor may have you stop taking Cosentyx until the infection gets better.
• Tuberculosis: Your doctor will likely test you for tuberculosis (TB) before prescribing Cosentyx. If you test positive for TB, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat it before you start treatment with Cosentyx.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: If you have inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, taking Cosentyx could worsen your symptoms. Talk with your doctor about whether Cosentyx is right for you.
• Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Cosentyx or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Cosentyx. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
• Latex allergy: The caps of Cosentyx prefilled syringes and injection pens contain latex. These dose forms have not been studied in people with a latex allergy. If you have an allergy to latex, talk with your doctor about whether these forms of Cosentyx are right for you.
• Breastfeeding: It is unknown whether it’s safe to use Cosentyx while breastfeeding. There isn’t enough information to determine whether the drug passes into breast milk or what effects Cosentyx may have on a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to, talk with your doctor before using Cosentyx. They can talk with you about treatment options and ways to feed your child.
• Pregnancy: There haven’t been enough clinical trials to determine whether Cosentyx is safe to use while pregnant. Animal studies did not find harmful effects when Cosentyx was given to pregnant females. However, it’s important to note that animal studies don’t always indicate what may happen in humans. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell your doctor before starting Cosentyx. They can advise you on the right treatment plan for you.

Preventing interactions

You can take certain steps to help prevent interactions with Cosentyx. 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 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 Cosentyx 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 Cosentyx 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 Cosentyx 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.