Home›Clarithromycin›Clarithromycin + Ritonavir

Does Clarithromycin Interact with Ritonavir?

CDI records a moderate classification for Clarithromycin and Ritonavir. The stored summary is: Antivirals: Atazanavir Saquinavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Ritonavir Etravirine Maraviroc Boceprevir (in patients with normal renal function) Didanosine Zidovudine Use With Caution No Dose Adjustment Atazanavir : Both clarithromycin and atazanavir are substrates and inhibitors of CYP3A, and there is evidence of a bi-directional drug interaction (see Atazanavir under “Drugs That Affect Clarithromycin” in the table below) [see Pharmacokinetics (12.3) ] . Ritonavir, Etravirine: (see Ritonavir and Etravirine under “Drugs That Affect Clarithromycin” in the table below) [see Pharmacokinetics (12.3) ] . Antivirals: Atazanavir Ritonavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Saquinavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Etravirine Saquinavir (in patients with normal renal function) Ritonavir (in patients with normal renal function) Use With Caution No Dose Adjustment Atazanavir: When clarithromycin is co-administered with atazanavir, the dose of clarithromycin should be decreased by 50% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Patients taking both medications should consult their healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of either drug. This record was extracted from drug labeling through openFDA. NIH/NLM RxNorm is used for drug identities. The summary and severity classification are CDI's processed information, not a verbatim source quotation. Product, route, and patient circumstances matter.

Severity: Moderate
Clarithromycin Class: Macrolide Antimicrobial
Ritonavir Class: Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor
Management: Monitor for effects
Data Source: U.S. FDA via OpenFDA

What To Tell Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you are taking Clarithromycin and your doctor is considering prescribing Ritonavir (or vice versa), make sure to:

Inform your doctor and pharmacist of all current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements
Ask whether the benefits of combining these medications outweigh the risks for your specific situation
Ask what symptoms to watch for that would indicate the interaction is causing problems
Ask whether any dosage adjustments are needed
Never stop or change either medication without first consulting your healthcare provider

💊 Clarithromycin(Biaxin)+💊 Ritonavir(Norvir)

Severity & Interaction Details

🟡

moderate

Be aware — moderate interaction

Documented interaction with manageable risk. May require dose adjustment or monitoring.

Severity scale

MinorContra

On record

Yes

Drug A class

Macrolide Antimicrobial

Drug B class

Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor

Source

FDA drug label - clarithromycin

What this means in plain English

Antivirals: Atazanavir Saquinavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Ritonavir Etravirine Maraviroc Boceprevir (in patients with normal renal function) Didanosine Zidovudine Use With Caution No Dose Adjustment Atazanavir : Both clarithromycin and atazanavir are substrates and inhibitors of CYP3A, and there is evidence of a bi-directional drug interaction (see Atazanavir under “Drugs That Affect Clarithromycin” in the table below) [see Pharmacokinetics (12.3) ] . Ritonavir, Etravirine: (see Ritonavir and Etravirine under “Drugs That Affect Clarithromycin” in the table below) [see Pharmacokinetics (12.3) ] . Antivirals: Atazanavir Ritonavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Saquinavir (in patients with decreased renal function) Etravirine Saquinavir (in patients with normal renal function) Ritonavir (in patients with normal renal function) Use With Caution No Dose Adjustment Atazanavir: When clarithromycin is co-administered with atazanavir, the dose of clarithromycin should be decreased by 50% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

About Clarithromycin and Ritonavir

Clarithromycin is a Macrolide Antimicrobial, while Ritonavir is a Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor. You may recognize them by the brand names Biaxin and Norvir. Ritonavir additionally carries an FDA boxed warning, the FDA's strongest safety alert.

Source and Limitations

This record was produced by automated extraction from drug-label information, including AI processing. The summary and mechanism are not verbatim FDA quotations. The drug profiles below may describe different formulations from the source label. Confirm the exact product and route with your pharmacist. This page does not establish independent clinical review.

📖 Source: FDA drug label - clarithromycin

Share this result:

WhatsApp Text / SMS Email

Also share on:X Facebook

Add more drugs

Check Clarithromycin and Ritonavir against your full medication list

Most patients take more than two medications. CDI checks every pair across up to 20 drugs simultaneously — including OTCs and common supplements.

Add more drugs →

How this information is prepared: CDI uses automated extraction, including AI, to summarize drug labeling from openFDA and includes separately identified curated-reference records. RxNorm helps identify medications; it does not verify interaction claims. Extracted summaries and CDI severity classifications can contain errors and are not verbatim FDA statements or independent clinical review. Maintained by CheckDrugInteractions.com. See our methodology or report a correction at support@checkdruginteractions.com.

Data sourced from U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine, supplemented with a small number of well-established interactions from curated clinical references. For informational purposes only. Always consult your pharmacist or physician.