Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin Interaction
Drug interaction information between Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin.
Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin have a documented major interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a major-severity interaction between Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.
How They Interact
Clarithromycin slows down how fast your body processes atorvastatin, which can cause the statin levels to rise too high.
FDA Label Information
Intervention: In patients taking clarithromycin or itraconazole, do not exceed atorvastatin 20 mg [see Dosage and Administration (2.5) ]. Examples: Erythromycin, clarithromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole.
Atorvastatin Also Interacts With
- Darunavir major
- Itraconazole major
- Cyclosporine moderate
- Colchicine moderate
- Gemfibrozil moderate
Clarithromycin Also Interacts With
- Quetiapine major
- Pioglitazone major
- Fluconazole major
- Cyclosporine major
- Lurasidone major
Frequently Asked Questions
What SPL severity band is on file for Atorvastatin + Clarithromycin?
Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair major. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.
Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?
Clarithromycin has 81 labeled pairs on file vs Atorvastatin's 36. In the major band specifically: Atorvastatin has 3 (also Darunavir, Itraconazole); Clarithromycin has 16 (also Quetiapine, Pioglitazone, Fluconazole, Cyclosporine).
What mechanism field is on file for Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin slows down how fast your body processes atorvastatin, which can cause the statin levels to rise too high.
Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Atorvastatin
SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is major · classes on file: Atorvastatin (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)); Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic).
Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Atorvastatin's 3.
3 major · 8 moderate · 25 minor · 36 total
- Other major peers for Atorvastatin
- Darunavir
- Itraconazole
16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 total
- Other major peers for Clarithromycin
- Quetiapine
- Pioglitazone
- Fluconazole
- Cyclosporine
Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.