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cyclosporine vs terbinafine

Side-by-side comparison of cyclosporine and terbinafine. 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

Drug interactions have also been noted with cimetidine, fluconazole, cyclosporine, rifampin, and caffeine. In vitro studies with human liver microsomes showed that terbinafine does not inhibit the metabolism of tolbutamide, ethinylestradiol, ethoxycoumarin, cyclosporine, cisapride and fluvastatin. Terbinafine increases the clearance of cyclosporine by 15%.

Recommendation: Your doctor may need to check your blood levels and adjust your cyclosporine dose to make sure it still works.

Drug Class
cyclosporine Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant)
terbinafine Allylamine Antifungal
Type
cyclosporine Prescription
terbinafine Prescription
Summary
cyclosporine

Vevye eye drops contain cyclosporine. They help treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

terbinafine

Terbinafine is an antifungal medicine. It is used to treat fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails.

What It Treats
cyclosporine

Vevye treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye can cause discomfort, stinging, and blurred vision. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.

terbinafine

Terbinafine treats onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails. Before you start taking this medicine, your doctor should take a nail sample. This is to make sure the infection is caused by a fungus.

How It Works
cyclosporine

Vevye contains cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant. It works by decreasing inflammation in the eyes. This helps your eyes make more tears.

terbinafine

Terbinafine belongs to a class of medicines called allylamine antifungals. It works by stopping the growth of fungi. This eventually kills the fungus causing the infection.

Common Side Effects
cyclosporine
  • Irritation where the drops are applied (8%)
terbinafine
  • Headache
  • Diarrhea
  • Rash
  • Upset stomach
  • Abnormal liver enzyme tests
FAERS Reports
cyclosporine
  • Eye feels irritated 7,786
  • Fever 4,066
  • Eye ache 3,808
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 3,623
  • Loose stools 3,562
terbinafine
  • Skin rash 391
  • Itching 316
  • Tiredness 300
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 280
  • Loss of taste 270
Serious Warnings
cyclosporine

To avoid eye injury or contamination, do not touch the bottle tip to your eye or any other surface. Do not use Vevye while wearing contact lenses. If you wear contacts, remove them before using the drops. You can put them back in 15 minutes after using Vevye.

terbinafine

Terbinafine can cause liver problems, including liver failure. Your doctor should check your liver before you start taking it and regularly while you are taking it. Tell your doctor right away if you have nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, vomiting, pain in your upper right belly area, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools. If you have taste changes, stop taking terbinafine. These changes can be severe, long-lasting, or even permanent. Tell your doctor if you feel depressed or have other mood changes.

Pregnancy
cyclosporine

It is not known if Vevye will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Cyclosporine can pass into breast milk after being taken orally, but it is unknown if it passes into breast milk from eye drops. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

terbinafine

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if terbinafine will harm your unborn baby. Terbinafine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking this medicine.

How to Read This cyclosporine vs terbinafine Comparison

cyclosporine is classified in the Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant) drug class, while terbinafine sits within the Allylamine Antifungal class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, cyclosporine has 22,845 submissions while terbinafine has 1,557. 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 terbinafine makes the body get rid of cyclosporine more quickly than normal.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between cyclosporine and terbinafine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.