How can bezafibrate affect other medicines?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. These usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, Something has to be pay attention to when you taking this medicine with others medicines at the same time.

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with bezafibrate. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.
There is an increased risk of side effects on the muscles (myopathy) if bezafibrate is taken with other fibrate medicines or statins used for lowering cholesterol, such as simvastatin. Statins should be used with caution in combination with this medicine. Statins should not be used in combination with bezafibrate in people who may be more at risk of muscle side effects, for example people with decreased kidney function, an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), hormone or electrolyte disturbances, or who drink large amounts of alcohol.

There may also be an increased risk of side effects on the muscles if bezafibrate is taken in combination with colchicine or daptomycin.

If you are prescribed any of the medicines listed above in combination with your bezafibrate, it is important to let your doctor know if you experience any unexplained muscle symptoms, such as pain or tenderness, muscle weakness or muscle cramps.
Bezafibrate increases the anti-blood-clotting effect of anticoagulant medicines such as warfarin, which increases the risk of bleeding in people taking these medicines. For this reason, if you are taking an anticoagulant your doctor may want to check your blood-clotting time (INR) and adjust your anticoagulant dose when you start or stop treatment with bezafibrate, and if your bezafibrate dose is altered.

Bezafibrate may increase the blood sugar lowering effect of antidiabetic medicines, including insulin. This may be unpredictable and the dose of the antidiabetic may need adjusting. People with diabetes should monitor their blood sugar more frequently when first starting this medicine.

There may be an increased risk of a decline in kidney function if this medicine is taken by people who have had an organ transplant and are being treated with ciclosporin. These people should have their kidney function closely monitored.

There may be an increased risk of gallstones if this medicine is taken in combination with ezetimibe.

Colestipol and colestyramine can reduce the absorption of bezafibrate from the gut. If you are taking one of these medicines with bezafibrate, each dose of bezafibrate should be taken either at least two hours before or two hours after it. Ask your pharmacist for further advice.

The manufacturer of this medicine states that it should not be taken in combination with monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs).