PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

clarithromycin vs lansoprazole

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

major Known Drug Interaction

Combination Therapy with Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin Clinical Impact: Concomitant administration of clarithromycin with other drugs can lead to serious adverse reactions, including potentially fatal arrhythmias, and are contraindicated. Intervention : See Contraindications and Warnings and Precautions in prescribing information for clarithromycin.

Recommendation: Your doctor must check for heart risks before you take these medicines together.

Drug Class
clarithromycin Macrolide Antibiotic
lansoprazole Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI)
Type
clarithromycin Prescription
lansoprazole Over-the-Counter
Summary
clarithromycin

Clarithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of drugs called macrolides.

lansoprazole

Lansoprazole is a medicine that reduces the amount of acid in your stomach. It belongs to a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

What It Treats
clarithromycin

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.

lansoprazole

Lansoprazole can treat several conditions caused by too much stomach acid. It can heal duodenal and gastric ulcers. It also treats heartburn (GERD) and a damaged esophagus (erosive esophagitis).

How It Works
clarithromycin

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.

lansoprazole

Lansoprazole works by blocking the enzyme in the stomach that produces acid. This helps to lower the amount of acid made. Lowering acid helps to heal damage and relieve symptoms.

Common Side Effects
clarithromycin
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Taste changes
lansoprazole
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
FAERS Reports
clarithromycin
  • Drug Interaction 2,906
  • Nausea 2,214
  • Dyspnoea 1,959
  • Diarrhoea 1,937
  • Malaise 1,650
lansoprazole
  • Long-term kidney disease 32,775
  • Sudden kidney damage 18,670
  • Kidney failure 13,811
  • Kidney failure requiring dialysis 9,782
  • Kidney damage 9,520
Serious Warnings
clarithromycin

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.

lansoprazole

Lansoprazole may hide the symptoms of stomach cancer. If you have a poor response or early return of symptoms, your doctor may do more tests. Long-term use of PPIs like lansoprazole may increase your risk of bone fractures. It may also cause low magnesium levels or Vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Pregnancy
clarithromycin

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.

lansoprazole

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Lansoprazole may affect bone development in the fetus. If you take lansoprazole with clarithromycin, also consider clarithromycin's pregnancy risks.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This clarithromycin vs lansoprazole Comparison

clarithromycin is classified in the Macrolide Antibiotic drug class, while lansoprazole sits within the Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) 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, clarithromycin has 10,666 submissions while lansoprazole has 84,558. 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to clarithromycin can cause serious and potentially fatal heart rhythm problems when combined with certain other drugs.. 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 lansoprazole - 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.