Effect of quinolones on caffeine disposition

Abstract

Six healthy volunteers received a single caffeine dose after pretreatment with norfloxacin, pipemidic acid, or placebo in a crossover, randomized, single‐blind clinical trial. Quinolones altered the pharmacokinetics of caffeine, with a significant increase in the AUCs and a decrease in plasma clearance. The elimination half‐life increased significantly with pipemidic acid. The apparent volume of distribution, mean renal clearance, and time to reach maximum caffeine concentrations remained unaltered. There was a decline in caffeine metabolite levels in the 24‐hour urine samples for both quinolone treatments, suggesting that pipemidic acid and, to a lesser degree, norfloxacin inhibit metabolism of the N‐demethylation pathways of caffeine. The practical consequence of this observation could be caffeine accumulation during repeated intake of coffee. In two additional healthy volunteers under a controlled multiple‐dose regimen of caffeine ingestion, administration of pipemidic acid for 2 days caused a fourfold increase in the plasma concentrations of caffeine. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1989) 45, 234–240; doi:10.1038/clpt.1989.23