If you are being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use vitamin B5 supplements without first talking to your health care provider.

Antibiotics, Tetracycline -- Vitamin B5 interferes with the absorption and effectiveness of the antibiotic tetracycline. You should take B vitamins at different times from tetracycline. (All vitamin B complex supplements act in this way and should therefore be taken at different times from tetracycline.)

Drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease -- Vitamin B5 may increase the effects of a group of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors, which are used to treat Alzheimer's, potentially leading to severe side effects. These drugs should not be taken with B5 unless under a doctor's supervision. Cholinesterase inhibitors include:

• Donepezil (Aricept)
• Memantine hydrochloride (Ebixa)
• Galantamine (Reminyl)
• Rivastigime (Exelon)