Taking Metronidazole With Other Medicines And Herbal Supplements

Cautions with other medicines

Metronidazole may not mix well with some other medicines. This can be a problem with metronidazole tablets, suppositories, liquid or vaginal gel. It is not usually a problem if you are using a skin gel or cream, as only a small amount of metronidazole is absorbed into the body.

Check with a pharmacist or your doctor if you're taking any other medicines, including:

warfarin, a medicine that helps to treat and prevent blood clots
lithium, used to treat some types of mental health conditions
disulfiram, used to help people stay off alcohol
phenytoin or phenobarbitone, used to treat epilepsy
ciclosporin, used to reduce the activity of the immune system
fluorouracil or busulfan, used to treat some types of cancer
any medicines that you take as a liquid, in case these contain alcohol

These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take them with metronidazole. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

Mixing metronidazole with herbal remedies and supplements

There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with metronidazole. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Some remedies and supplements that come as liquids that you drink may also contain alcohol. Check the list of ingredients or ask the supplier or manufacturer.

Medicine safety

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

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