AIP, HCP, VP, & ADP

Drugs and AIP

Certain drugs are the most important factors that make AIP worse. Patients with AIP are often treated with harmful drugs such as tranquilizers and sedatives before the disease has been diagnosed. This may lead to a severe attack. Porphyria will improve greatly after these drugs are stopped. Severe and fatal attacks are almost always related to the use of harmful drugs. This is one very important reason for testing blood relatives of known porphyria patients to determine if they have the genetic defect.

Harmful drugs
Recommendations about drugs in AIP are based on specific test results and experience in patients with porphyria in whom attacks have been caused by drugs. Since most new, commonly used drugs have not been tested, they should be avoided if at all possible. If a question arises, a physician or medical center specializing in porphyria should be contacted.

The most important harmful drugs are barbiturates and sulfonamides (sulfa drugs). Barbiturates are commonly used as tranquilizers, sleeping pills and general anesthetics. Sulfa drugs are antibiotics commonly used to treat kidney and bladder infections.

If you would like to order the Drugs and Porphyria brochure, which includes lists of safe and unsafe drugs, please contact the APF. To see a list of these drugs, click here.