Neupro Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Does Neupro interact with other drugs?

An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Before starting Neupro, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.

To learn whether Neupro interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Neupro?” section below. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Neupro. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Neupro. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

When should I avoid Neupro?

Certain health conditions or other factors could increase your risk of harm if you take Neupro. These are known as contraindications. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Neupro for you. Neupro has one contraindication, which is described below.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Neupro or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Neupro for you. This is to avoid the potential of another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Does Neupro interact with alcohol?

You should not use Neupro with alcohol. Drinking alcohol could increase your risk of certain side effects from Neupro, such as drowsiness and suddenly falling asleep.

If you have questions about consuming alcohol during Neupro treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Drug interactions explained

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Neupro.

Interaction with benzodiazepines

Neupro can interact with benzodiazepines, which are used to treat anxiety, seizures, and other conditions. These drugs may also be used off-label for restless legs syndrome. (Off-label use is when a doctor prescribes a drug for a purpose other than what it has been approved for.)

Examples of benzodiazepines include:

• clonazepam (Klonopin)
• diazepam (Valium)
• lorazepam (Ativan)

What could happen

Neupro and benzodiazepines can both cause drowsiness as a side effect. So taking these drugs together can increase your risk of this side effect. It can also increase your risk of suddenly falling asleep, which is a possible side effect of Neupro.

What you can do

Your doctor may avoid prescribing Neupro with a benzodiazepine. If they do prescribe these drugs together, tell them right away if you have bothersome drowsiness or start suddenly falling asleep. They may switch you from Neupro or the benzodiazepine to a drug that’s less likely to have these effects.

If you have questions about using Neupro with a benzodiazepine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with certain antihistamines

Neupro can interact with certain antihistamines, which are used to ease allergy symptoms.

Examples of antihistamines that may interact with Neupro include:

• cetirizine (Quzyttir, Zyrtec)
• diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• levocetirizine (Xyzal)

What could happen

Neupro can cause drowsiness as a side effect. Certain antihistamines are also likely to cause drowsiness. Using Neupro with these antihistamines can raise your risk of this side effect.

Taking certain antihistamines with Neupro can also increase the risk of suddenly falling asleep. This is another possible side effect of Neupro.

What you can do

Before taking an antihistamine with Neupro, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can advise whether the medications are safe to take together. If needed, they can recommend a specific antihistamine or a different treatment for allergy symptoms.

If you have questions about using Neupro with an antihistamine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with levodopa

Neupro can interact with levodopa and other drugs that contain it. Levodopa is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Certain forms of levodopa may also be used off-label for restless legs syndrome.

Examples of medications that contain levodopa include:

• levodopa (Inbrija)
• carbidopa/levodopa/entacapone (Stalevo)
• carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet, Rytary, others)

What could happen

Neupro and levodopa can both cause similar side effects. Using Neupro while taking levodopa can raise your risk of these side effects.

Below are a few examples of side effects both drugs share:

• drowsiness
• suddenly falling asleep suddenly
• difficulty with impulse control, which may increase urges to gamble, overeat, and other behaviors
• involuntary movements

What you can do

If you use Neupro with levodopa, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Neupro or levodopa than usual. You should not take a higher dose of either medication than your doctor prescribes.

If you use these drugs together, tell your doctor right away if you have side effects that are bothersome or long-lasting. They may switch you from Neupro or levodopa to a different treatment for your condition.

If you have questions about using Neupro with levodopa, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Are there other interactions with Neupro?

Neupro may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Neupro.

Does Neupro interact with supplements?

Before starting Neupro, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins and supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Neupro and herbs

There are currently no reports of Neupro interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future. For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Neupro.

Neupro and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Neupro interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future. For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Neupro.

Does Neupro interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Neupro interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during treatment with Neupro, talk with your doctor.

Does Neupro interact with vaccines?

There are currently no reports of Neupro interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during Neupro treatment, talk with your doctor.

Does Neupro interact with lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Neupro interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests done during treatment with Neupro, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.

Does Neupro interact with cannabis or CBD?

Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been reported to interact with Neupro.

Cannabis products could increase your risk of certain side effects from Neupro. These include drowsiness and suddenly falling asleep.

Before you start treatment with Neupro, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis or cannabis-derived products. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

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

Does my health history affect whether I should use Neupro?

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may increase the risk of interactions with Neupro. Before using this medication, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Neupro is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Neupro include:

• MRI scan or cardioversion procedure: The backside of the Neupro patch contains aluminum. Wearing the patch during an MRI scan or cardioversion procedure could increase your risk of a skin burn. Your doctor will likely advise you to remove the patch before these procedures.
• Kidney problems: Before using Neupro, tell your doctor if you have a kidney problem such as kidney failure. Neupro may cause water retention, which could worsen kidney problems. Your doctor can tell you whether Neupro is a safe treatment option.
• Heart or blood pressure problems: Before using Neupro, tell your doctor if you have a heart or blood pressure problem. Examples include heart failure, low blood pressure, or high blood pressure. Neupro may cause side effects that worsen these conditions. Your doctor can recommend whether to use Neupro or a different treatment option instead.
• Sleep disorders: Neupro may cause the sudden urge to fall asleep. This risk may be higher for people with sleep disorders such as insomnia and narcolepsy. If you have a sleep disorder, your doctor may recommend an alternative to Neupro.
• Mental health conditions: Neupro may cause changes in behavior or mental health, such as hallucinations. This risk may be higher for people with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia or psychosis. Before using Neupro, tell your doctor if you have a mental health condition. They can recommend whether Neupro is a safe treatment option for you.
• Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Neupro is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before using Neupro.
• Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Neupro while breastfeeding. However, using the drug may reduce the amount of breast milk produced. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
• Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Neupro or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Neupro for you. Ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

How can I prevent interactions?

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Neupro. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

• whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis or cannabis-derived products
• other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs (they can also help you fill out a medication list)
• what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Neupro treatment

It’s also important to understand Neupro’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions.

If you didn’t get paperwork with Neupro, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you. If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Using Neupro exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

Disclaimer: Healthline 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.