abiraterone vs dextromethorphan

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Side-by-side comparison of abiraterone and dextromethorphan. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

In a CYP2D6 drug-drug interaction trial, the C max and AUC of dextromethorphan (CYP2D6 substrate) were increased 2.8- and 2.9-fold, respectively, when dextromethorphan was given with abiraterone acetate 1,000 mg daily and prednisone 5 mg twice daily.

Drug Class
abiraterone CYP17 Inhibitor
dextromethorphan Antitussive
Type
abiraterone Prescription
dextromethorphan Over-the-Counter
Summary
abiraterone

Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a medicine used with prednisone to treat prostate cancer that has spread. It works by lowering the amount of androgen your body makes.

dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan is a medicine that helps to relieve coughs. It can also help with cold and flu symptoms.

What It Treats
abiraterone

Abiraterone is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is for cancers that are castration-resistant, meaning they no longer respond to hormone therapy alone. It is also used for high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer. You will take this medicine with prednisone.

dextromethorphan

This medicine temporarily relieves symptoms from a cold. It can help with minor aches and pains, headache, and nasal and sinus congestion. It also helps with sore throat, cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation, and reduces fever.

How It Works
abiraterone

Abiraterone blocks an enzyme called CYP17, which your body needs to make androgens. Androgens can help prostate cancer grow. By blocking this enzyme, abiraterone lowers androgen levels and slows cancer growth.

dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan works by decreasing the activity in the part of your brain that causes you to cough. This helps to reduce your urge to cough. It does not treat the underlying cause of the cough.

Common Side Effects
abiraterone
  • Feeling tired
  • Joint pain
  • High blood pressure
  • Feeling sick to your stomach
  • Swelling
dextromethorphan
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
FAERS Reports
abiraterone
  • Death 1,390
  • Fatigue 1,023
  • Hot Flush 678
  • Asthenia 562
  • Disease Progression 561
dextromethorphan
  • Drug Abuse 713
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 678
  • Overdose 594
  • Dizziness 435
  • Accidental Overdose 403
Serious Warnings
abiraterone

Abiraterone can cause problems with mineralocorticoid excess, like high blood pressure, low potassium, and fluid retention. If you have heart problems, your doctor will monitor you closely. This medicine can also cause liver problems, which can be severe. Your doctor will check your liver function regularly. Do not take abiraterone with radium Ra 223 dichloride. Abiraterone can harm an unborn baby, so men should use effective birth control if their partner can get pregnant.

dextromethorphan

Do not use in children under 12 years of age.

Pregnancy
abiraterone

Abiraterone can cause harm to an unborn baby. Men who are taking abiraterone should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 weeks after the last dose if their partner is able to get pregnant. It is not known if abiraterone passes into breast milk.

dextromethorphan

Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if this medicine passes into breast milk.

How to Read This abiraterone vs dextromethorphan Comparison

abiraterone is classified in the CYP17 Inhibitor drug class, while dextromethorphan sits within the Antitussive class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, abiraterone has 4,214 submissions while dextromethorphan has 2,823. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to abiraterone stops your body from breaking down dextromethorphan normally. this causes the amount of dextromethorphan in your blood to increase significantly.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for abiraterone or dextromethorphan.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.