What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Budesonide and clarithromycin
Budesonide's FDA label of October 11, 2019 names clarithromycin in its drug interactions section; the clarithromycin label PlainMeds reads does not name budesonide. The budesonide label: “Interactions with Strong Cytochrome P450 3A4 Inhibitors Caution should be exercised when considering the coadministration of PULMICORT RESPULES with ketoconazole, and other known strong CYP3A4 inhibitors because adverse …”
Check it at the source: the budesonide FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 11, 2019, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP); the clarithromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 9, 2026, Solaris Pharma Corporation).
What does the budesonide label say about clarithromycin?
Budesonide label, drug interactionsCaution should be exercised when considering the coadministration of PULMICORT RESPULES with long-term ketoconazole and other known strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, telithromycin) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12), Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Budesonide label, warnings and precautionsInteractions with Strong Cytochrome P450 3A4 Inhibitors Caution should be exercised when considering the coadministration of PULMICORT RESPULES with ketoconazole, and other known strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, telithromycin) because adverse effects related to increased systemic exposure to budesonide may occur [see Drug Interactions (7.1), Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Source: FDA drug label (PULMICORT RESPULES), AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, effective October 11, 2019 (SPL set 33cd9834-76df-4f26-3fa2-aab6b9eee8f2), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the clarithromycin label say about budesonide?
Clarithromycin's label (effective April 9, 2026) does not name budesonide in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Clarithromycin), Solaris Pharma Corporation, effective April 9, 2026 (SPL set 4d42821d-ce7a-7d64-e063-6294a90a0875), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Budesonide | Clarithromycin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis | Bacterial infections, Acid reflux and ulcers |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.498 per capsule 3 mg capsule | $0.466 per tablet 500 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once