clarithromycin vs dofetilide
Side-by-side comparison of clarithromycin and dofetilide. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with Clarithromycin Tablets Drugs That Are Affected By Clarithromycin Tablets Drug(s) with Pharmacokinetics Affected by Clarithromycin Tablets Recommendation Comments Antiarrhythmics: Disopyramide Quinidine Dofetilide Amiodarone Sotalol Procainamide Not Recommended Disopyramide, Quinidine: There have been postmarketing reports of torsades de pointes occurring with concurrent use of clarithromycin and quinidine or disopyramide.
Recommendation: This combination is not recommended and should be avoided to prevent serious heart complications.
Biaxin
Tikosyn
Clarithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of drugs called macrolides.
Dofetilide (Tikosyn) helps keep your heart in a normal rhythm if you have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. It can also help convert these abnormal rhythms back to normal.
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.
This medicine is used to maintain a normal heart rhythm if you have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter for more than a week, and your heart has been returned to a normal rhythm. It can also convert atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter to a normal rhythm. This medicine is for people who have bothersome symptoms from their atrial fibrillation or flutter.
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.
Dofetilide belongs to a class of drugs called Class III antiarrhythmics. It works by changing the electrical activity in your heart. This helps to stabilize your heart rhythm and prevent irregular heartbeats.
- • Abdominal pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Taste changes
- • Headache
- • Chest pain
- • Dizziness
- Drug Interaction 2,906
- Nausea 2,214
- Dyspnoea 1,959
- Diarrhoea 1,937
- Malaise 1,650
- Irregular heartbeat 1,059
- Shortness of breath 603
- Feeling lightheaded 552
- Feeling tired 521
- Death 478
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.
This drug can cause life-threatening heart rhythm problems. To lower this risk, you must start or restart this medicine in a hospital where your heart can be watched closely for at least 3 days. The hospital staff will check your kidney function and heart rhythm regularly.
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 or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while pregnant or breastfeeding.
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How to Read This clarithromycin vs dofetilide Comparison
clarithromycin is classified in the Macrolide Antibiotic drug class, while dofetilide sits within the Class III Antiarrhythmic 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 dofetilide has 3,213. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to clarithromycin affects how this heart medicine is broken down, which can increase the risk of a life-threatening irregular heartbeat.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between clarithromycin and dofetilide - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.