Taking clarithromycin with other medicines and herbal supplements

Cautions with other medicines

There are some medicines that do not mix well with clarithromycin.

Check with a pharmacist or your doctor if you're taking any other medicines, including:

• epilepsy medicines, such as carbamazepine or phenytoin
• theophylline for asthma
• colchicine for gout
• digoxin, ivabradine or ranolazine, used for some heart problems
• warfarin or ticagrelor, used to help prevent blood clots (sometimes called a blood thinner)
• a statin medicine to lower your cholesterol, such as simvastatin or atorvastatin
• midazolam, used to treat seizures
• domperidone, used to treat nausea and vomiting

These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take them with clarithromycin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

Mixing clarithromycin with herbal remedies and supplements

Clarithromycin may not mix well with some complementary and herbal remedies such as St John's wort.

It's best to check with your doctor or a pharmacist before taking any herbal remedies or supplements while taking clarithromycin.

There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with clarithromycin.

This is because they're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.