Toxicity of combined therapy with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and aspirin.

A 67-year-old woman and a 75-year-old woman taking carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for therapy of glaucoma and high doses of aspirin for therapy of arthritis developed severe acid-base imbalance and salicylate intoxication. Neither patient exhibited ill effects when taking high aspirin doses without carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Carbonic anhydrose inhibitor-induced acidemia increases the risk of developing salicylate intoxication in patients receiving high aspirin doses.