atorvastatin vs ketoconazole

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Side-by-side comparison of atorvastatin and ketoconazole. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Examples: Erythromycin, clarithromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole.

Drug Class
atorvastatin HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)
ketoconazole Azole Antifungal
Type
atorvastatin Prescription
ketoconazole Over-the-Counter
Summary
atorvastatin

Atorvastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins.

ketoconazole

Ketoconazole shampoo is an antifungal medicine. It treats a fungal infection on your skin.

What It Treats
atorvastatin

Atorvastatin is used to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in your blood. It can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and the need for heart procedures in adults with heart disease or risk factors for it. It is also used in children 10 years and older with certain inherited cholesterol problems.

ketoconazole

This shampoo treats tinea versicolor, a fungal infection. This infection can cause patches on your skin that are lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. These patches may appear on your trunk, neck, arms, and upper thighs.

How It Works
atorvastatin

Atorvastatin works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Lowering cholesterol can help prevent heart disease.

ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is an antifungal medicine. It works by stopping the growth of the fungus. This helps to clear up the infection.

Common Side Effects
atorvastatin
  • Common cold symptoms
  • Joint pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Pain in arms or legs
  • Urinary tract infection
ketoconazole

No common side effects listed.

FAERS Reports
atorvastatin
  • Fatigue 13,812
  • Nausea 12,425
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 11,244
  • Diarrhoea 11,037
  • Dyspnoea 11,029
ketoconazole
  • Fatigue 929
  • Pruritus 902
  • Nausea 834
  • Rash 802
  • Diarrhoea 760
Serious Warnings
atorvastatin

Atorvastatin can cause muscle problems, including muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. In rare cases, this can lead to serious kidney damage. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Atorvastatin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking atorvastatin and while you are taking it.

ketoconazole

You should not use this shampoo if you are allergic to ketoconazole or any of the other ingredients.

Pregnancy
atorvastatin

Atorvastatin can harm an unborn baby. You should not take atorvastatin if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is also not recommended to breastfeed while taking atorvastatin.

ketoconazole

It is not known if ketoconazole shampoo can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before using this medicine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This atorvastatin vs ketoconazole Comparison

atorvastatin is classified in the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) drug class, while ketoconazole sits within the Azole Antifungal class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, atorvastatin has 59,547 submissions while ketoconazole has 4,227. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to ketoconazole blocks the enzymes that break down atorvastatin, which can cause the statin to build up in your body.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for atorvastatin or ketoconazole.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.