Does Carbamazepine Interact With Clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin tablets should be used with caution in patients receiving treatment with other drugs known to be CYP3A enzyme substrates, especially if the CYP3A substrate has a narrow safety margin (e.g., carbamazepine) and/or the substrate is extensively metabolized by this enzyme.
Severity: Moderate
Severity basis: drug interactions section (keywords: caution). Combining Carbamazepine (Anticonvulsant) and Clarithromycin (Macrolide antibiotic) is classified as a moderate interaction.
What to Do
Use this combination with caution. Your prescriber may monitor you more closely or adjust doses.
How This Interaction Works
Interactions like this one can happen when two medicines have overlapping effects, or when one changes how the other is absorbed, broken down, or cleared from the body. Carbamazepine is a anticonvulsant and Clarithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic; together they are documented as a moderate interaction. How much this matters depends on your dose, your other medications, and your overall health.
If You Take Both Medications
If you have been prescribed both Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin, do not start, stop, or change either medication on your own — some medicines are unsafe to stop suddenly. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist that you take both so they can decide whether the combination is right for you, adjust the dose, monitor you more closely, or suggest an alternative.
From the FDA Label
Clarithromycin tablets should be used with caution in patients receiving treatment with other drugs known to be CYP3A enzyme substrates, especially if the CYP3A substrate has a narrow safety margin (e.g., carbamazepine) and/or the substrate is extensively metabolized by this enzyme.
Source: FDA structured product labeling (set_id 0be243c6-de02-45dd-8210-cab1bbc8dfa7).
Check these against your full medication list in our free Interaction Checker
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you take Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin together?
Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin have a documented moderate interaction. Use this combination with caution. Your prescriber may monitor you more closely or adjust doses.
How serious is the Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin interaction?
It is classified as a moderate interaction, based on the FDA label's drug interactions section (keywords: caution). A moderate interaction can be clinically meaningful and usually calls for monitoring or a dose adjustment.
What should I do if I'm taking both Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin?
If you have been prescribed both Carbamazepine and Clarithromycin, do not start, stop, or change either medication on your own — some medicines are unsafe to stop suddenly. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist that you take both so they can decide whether the combination is right for you, adjust the dose, monitor you more closely, or suggest an alternative.
This information is educational — not medical advice.
This page is provided for general educational purposes and summarizes publicly available data from sources such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is not a substitute for the judgment of a licensed clinician and should not be used to start, stop, or change any medication. It may be incomplete or out of date, and individual circumstances vary. Always talk with your prescriber or pharmacist about your specific medications and health conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
Other Carbamazepine Interactions
- Carbamazepine + Apixaban(major)
- Carbamazepine + Itraconazole(major)
- Carbamazepine + Rivaroxaban(major)
- Carbamazepine + Ticagrelor(major)
- Carbamazepine + Acetaminophen(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Alprazolam(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Amitriptyline(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Aripiprazole(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Bupropion(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Citalopram(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Clonazepam(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Cyclosporine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Dexamethasone(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Doxycycline(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Fluoxetine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Hydrocodone Acetaminophen(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Ibuprofen(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Lamotrigine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Levothyroxine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Lithium(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Mirtazapine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Nortriptyline(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Olanzapine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Oxycodone(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Phenytoin(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Prednisolone(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Quetiapine(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Risperidone(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Sertraline(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Tacrolimus(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Tadalafil(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Topiramate(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Tramadol(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Valproic Acid(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Verapamil(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Warfarin(moderate)
- Carbamazepine + Buprenorphine Naloxone(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Ciprofloxacin(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Codeine(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Dabigatran(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Diltiazem(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Edoxaban(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Escitalopram(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Ferrous Sulfate(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Fluconazole(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Gabapentin(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Liothyronine(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Omeprazole(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Ondansetron(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Oxybutynin(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Pregabalin(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Rifampin(minor)
- Carbamazepine + Trazodone(minor)
Other Clarithromycin Interactions
- Clarithromycin + Colchicine(contraindicated)
- Clarithromycin + Lansoprazole(contraindicated)
- Clarithromycin + Lovastatin(contraindicated)
- Clarithromycin + Simvastatin(contraindicated)
- Clarithromycin + Amiodarone(major)
- Clarithromycin + Atorvastatin(major)
- Clarithromycin + Cyclosporine(major)
- Clarithromycin + Fluconazole(major)
- Clarithromycin + Fluticasone Salmeterol(major)
- Clarithromycin + Pioglitazone(major)
- Clarithromycin + Pravastatin(major)
- Clarithromycin + Quetiapine(major)
- Clarithromycin + Ticagrelor(major)
- Clarithromycin + Trazodone(major)
- Clarithromycin + Alprazolam(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Amlodipine(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Aripiprazole(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Dabigatran(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Digoxin(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Diltiazem(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Glimepiride(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Itraconazole(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Nifedipine(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Phenytoin(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Rifampin(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Rivaroxaban(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Sildenafil(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Tacrolimus(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Tadalafil(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Valproic Acid(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Verapamil(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Warfarin(moderate)
- Clarithromycin + Apixaban(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Eszopiclone(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Lorazepam(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Methylprednisolone(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Omeprazole(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Oxybutynin(minor)
- Clarithromycin + Temazepam(minor)