buprenorphine vs erythromycin

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Side-by-side comparison of buprenorphine and erythromycin. 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: Macrolide antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin), azole-antifungal agents (e.g.

Drug Class
buprenorphine Partial Opioid Agonist
erythromycin Macrolide Antibiotic
Type
buprenorphine Prescription
erythromycin Prescription
Summary
buprenorphine

Buprenorphine sublingual tablets help treat opioid dependence. It should be part of a full treatment plan with counseling and support.

erythromycin

Erythromycin Topical Solution is a medicine that you put on your skin to treat acne. It contains an antibiotic to help clear up your skin.

What It Treats
buprenorphine

This medicine treats opioid dependence. Opioid dependence means you feel like you need to take opioids. This medicine can help you manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

erythromycin

Erythromycin Topical Solution treats acne vulgaris. This medicine helps to reduce acne on your face, neck, shoulders, chest, and back. It works by fighting the bacteria that cause acne.

How It Works
buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist. This means it binds to the same receptors in the brain as opioids, but it does not activate them as strongly. This helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms without causing the same high as other opioids.

erythromycin

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps to reduce inflammation and clear up acne.

Common Side Effects
buprenorphine
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Sweating
  • Constipation
erythromycin
  • Peeling
  • Dryness
  • Itching
  • Redness
  • Oily skin
FAERS Reports
buprenorphine
  • Death 13,278
  • Drug Dependence 12,452
  • Overdose 10,911
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 10,722
  • Pain 8,157
erythromycin
  • Drug Hypersensitivity 4,088
  • Nausea 1,271
  • Vomiting 1,121
  • Diarrhoea 1,069
  • Dyspnoea 1,023
Serious Warnings
buprenorphine

Buprenorphine can be abused, like other opioids. Taking buprenorphine with benzodiazepines or other depressants can cause serious breathing problems, coma, or death. Keep this medicine out of the reach of children, as it can cause severe breathing problems and death. Using opioids for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.

erythromycin

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

Pregnancy
buprenorphine

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Using this medicine during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in your baby after birth. Buprenorphine can pass into breast milk.

erythromycin

It is not known if erythromycin topical solution can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This buprenorphine vs erythromycin Comparison

buprenorphine is classified in the Partial Opioid Agonist drug class, while erythromycin sits within the Macrolide Antibiotic class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, buprenorphine has 55,520 submissions while erythromycin has 8,572. 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 erythromycin blocks the enzyme that clears buprenorphine from your system. this can lead to higher levels of the drug 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 buprenorphine or erythromycin.

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