A Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of the Combined Administration of Triazolam and Fluoxetine

The influence of fluoxetine on triazolam pharmacokinetics was studied because of changes in diazepam pharmacokinetics reportedly produced by fluoxetine. Twenty-four healthy volunteers received a single 0.25-mg triazolam tablet alone, and another 0.25-mg tablet after 8 days of fluoxetine therapy 60 mg/day. All subjects received these treatments in the same sequence. Several blood samples were drawn from the subjects after the triazolam doses and were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Blood samples were drawn immediately before the last three fluoxetine doses to determine the concentration of fluoxetine and its metabolite norfluoxetine, also by HPLC. The pharmacokinetics of triazolam did not change significantly when the tablets were administered after multiple doses of fluoxetine. These results indicate that no pharmacokinetic interaction exists between triazolam and fluoxetine or norfluoxetine. However, each patient's clinical response to therapy should be monitored when triazolam tablets and fluoxetine capsules are administered concomitantly.