The effect of erythromycin and fluvoxamine on the pharmacokinetics of intravenous lidocaine

Inhibitors of CYP3A4 (cytochrome P450 3A4) have a minor effect on lidocaine pharmacokinetics. We studied the effect of coadministration of the antidepressant fluvoxamine (CYP1A2 inhibitor) and antimicrobial drug erythromycin (CYP3A4 inhibitor) on lidocaine pharmacokinetics in a double-blind, randomized, three-way crossover study. Nine volunteers ingested daily 100 mg fluvoxamine and placebo, 100 mg fluvoxamine and 1500 mg erythromycin, or their corresponding placebos for 5 days. On day 6, 1.5 mg/kg lidocaine was administered IV over 60 min. Concentrations of lidocaine and its major metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide were measured for 10 h. Fluvoxamine alone decreased the clearance of lidocaine by 41% (P < 0.001) and prolonged its elimination half-life from 2.6 to 3.5 h (P < 0.01). During the combination of fluvoxamine and erythromycin, lidocaine clearance was 53% smaller than during placebo (P < 0.001) and 21% smaller than during fluvoxamine alone (P < 0.05). During the combination phase the half-life of lidocaine (4.3 h) was longer than during the placebo (2.6 h; P < 0.001) or fluvoxamine (3.5 h; P < 0.01). We conclude that inhibition of CYP1A2 by fluvoxamine considerably reduces elimination of lidocaine and may increase the risk of lidocaine toxicity. Concomitant use of both fluvoxamine and a CYP3A4 inhibitor such as erythromycin can further increase plasma lidocaine concentrations by decreasing its clearance.