What is clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin is in a group of drugs called macrolide antibiotics. Clarithromycin fights bacteria in your body.
Clarithromycin is used to treat many different types of bacterial infections affecting the skin and respiratory system. Clarithromycin is also used together with other medicines to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.
Clarithromycin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Precautions
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to clarithromycin or to similar medicines such as azithromycin (Zithromax), dirithromycin (Dynabac), erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), or troleandomycin (Tao).
Do not use clarithromycin if you are also using any of the drugs listed below. They can interact with clarithromycin and cause life-threatening heart rhythm disorders:
- astemizole (Hismanal);
- cisapride (Propulsid);
- ergot medicine such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine), or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray);
- pimozide (Orap); or
- terfenadine (Seldane).
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
- liver disease;
- kidney disease;
- myasthenia gravis;
- porphyria; or
- a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome."
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take clarithromycin.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether clarithromycin is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether clarithromycin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give this medicine to a child younger than 6 months of age.
Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.
Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Side-effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- uneven heartbeats, chest pain, shortness of breath;
- diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
- nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
- fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; or
- problems with your hearing.
Less serious side effects may include:
- mild stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach;
- unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth;
- tooth discoloration;
- dizziness, headache, anxiety, confusion;
- skin rash; or
- vaginal itching or discharge.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Interactions
Before taking clarithromycin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
- omeprazole (Prilosec);
- fluconazole (Diflucan);
- ranitidine bismuth citrate (Tritec);
- sildenafil (Viagra);
- theophylline (Respbid, Theo-Dur, Theoclear, Theochron, Uniphyl);
- cholesterol-lowering medicines such as lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol), or atorvastatin (Lipitor);
- drugs that weaken your immune system, such as cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf), sirolimus (Rapamune), tacrolimus (Prograf), or steroids;
- heart rhythm medicine such as digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), or quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinaglute);
- HIV medicines such as ritonavir (Norvir) or zidovudine (Retrovir);
- a sedative such as alprazolam (Xanax), midazolam (Versed), or triazolam (Halcion); or
- seizure medications such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and valproic acid (Depakote, Depakene).
This list is not complete and there are many other medicines that can interact with clarithromycin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04