ketoconazole vs ziprasidone

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Side-by-side comparison of ketoconazole and ziprasidone. 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

Ketoconazole Ketoconazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4, at a dose of 400 mg QD for 5 days, increased the AUC and C max of ziprasidone by about 35 to 40%.

Drug Class
ketoconazole Azole Antifungal
ziprasidone Atypical Antipsychotic
Type
ketoconazole Over-the-Counter
ziprasidone Prescription
Summary
ketoconazole

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

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone is a medicine used to treat mental disorders. It helps to balance chemicals in the brain to improve mood and behavior.

What It Treats
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.

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone treats schizophrenia in adults. It also treats manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder, either alone or with lithium or valproate. This medicine can help manage mood swings and improve overall mental well-being.

How It Works
ketoconazole

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

ziprasidone

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic. It works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and serotonin. By balancing these chemicals, it helps to reduce symptoms of mental illness.

Common Side Effects
ketoconazole

No common side effects listed.

ziprasidone
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Respiratory tract infection
  • Extrapyramidal symptoms (movement problems)
  • Dizziness
  • Restlessness
FAERS Reports
ketoconazole
  • Fatigue 929
  • Pruritus 902
  • Nausea 834
  • Rash 802
  • Diarrhoea 760
ziprasidone
  • Weight Increased 1,176
  • Diabetes Mellitus 1,003
  • Anxiety 875
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 859
  • Insomnia 801
Serious Warnings
ketoconazole

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

ziprasidone

This medicine may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. Ziprasidone is not approved to treat dementia-related psychosis. Talk to your doctor about the risks if you are an elderly patient with dementia.

Pregnancy
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.

ziprasidone

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who use this medicine in the last 3 months of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms after birth. There is a pregnancy registry, call 1-866-961-2388.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This ketoconazole vs ziprasidone Comparison

ketoconazole is classified in the Azole Antifungal drug class, while ziprasidone sits within the Atypical Antipsychotic 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, ketoconazole has 4,227 submissions while ziprasidone has 4,714. 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 enzyme that breaks down ziprasidone, which causes the levels of ziprasidone in your body to rise.. 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 ketoconazole or ziprasidone.

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