clarithromycin vs diltiazem
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Side-by-side comparison of clarithromycin and diltiazem. 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
Amlodipine Diltiazem Amlodipine, Diltiazem: [See Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Nifedipine Nifedipine: Nifedipine is a substrate for CYP3A.
Biaxin
Cardizem, Tiazac
Clarithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of drugs called macrolides.
Diltiazem is a medicine that helps lower high blood pressure and prevent chest pain. It belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers.
Clarithromycin treats mild to moderate infections caused by certain bacteria. It can treat bronchitis, sinus infections, pneumonia, and throat/tonsil infections. It also treats skin infections, ear infections in children, certain mycobacterial infections, and H. pylori infections that cause ulcers.
Diltiazem is used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines. Diltiazem also helps manage chronic stable angina (chest pain) and angina caused by spasms in the heart's blood vessels.
Clarithromycin works by stopping the growth of bacteria. It prevents bacteria from making proteins they need to survive. This helps your body fight off the infection.
Diltiazem works by relaxing blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. It also reduces the heart's workload, which can prevent chest pain. This medicine blocks calcium from entering heart and blood vessel cells.
- • Abdominal pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Taste changes
- • Swelling in your ankles or feet
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate
- • Constipation
- Drug Interaction 2,906
- Nausea 2,214
- Dyspnoea 1,959
- Diarrhoea 1,937
- Malaise 1,650
- Dyspnoea 3,202
- Fatigue 2,638
- Nausea 2,372
- Pain 2,365
- Dizziness 2,091
Clarithromycin can cause severe allergic reactions. Stop taking it and get medical help right away if you have signs of a reaction. This medicine can also cause heart rhythm problems (QT prolongation) and liver problems. Tell your doctor if you have heart or liver issues. Clarithromycin may increase the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease.
Diltiazem can interact with other heart medications. Tell your doctor if you take beta-blockers or digoxin. Using diltiazem with these drugs can cause heart problems. Your doctor may need to adjust your dosages.
Clarithromycin is not recommended during pregnancy unless there are no other options. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if clarithromycin passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if diltiazem will harm your unborn baby. Diltiazem passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
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How to Read This clarithromycin vs diltiazem Comparison
clarithromycin is classified in the Macrolide Antibiotic drug class, while diltiazem sits within the Calcium Channel Blocker 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, clarithromycin has 10,666 submissions while diltiazem has 12,668. 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 clarithromycin interferes with how your body processes diltiazem by blocking certain enzymes. this can lead to higher levels of diltiazem in your blood, which may affect your heart rate.. 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 clarithromycin or diltiazem.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.