Budesonide/Formoterol and Clarithromycin Interaction
Drug interaction information between Budesonide/Formoterol and Clarithromycin.
Budesonide/Formoterol and Clarithromycin have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Budesonide/Formoterol 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 the process your body uses to get rid of the steroid in the inhaler. This can cause the medicine to build up to higher levels in your system.
FDA Label Information
Caution should be exercised when considering the coadministration of SYMBICORT 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 (5.9) ] .
Budesonide/Formoterol Also Interacts With
- Ketoconazole moderate
- Itraconazole moderate
- Formoterol moderate
- Budesonide minor
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 Budesonide/Formoterol + Clarithromycin?
Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair moderate. 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 Budesonide/Formoterol's 5. In the moderate band specifically: Budesonide/Formoterol has 4 (also Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, Formoterol); Clarithromycin has 35 (also Omeprazole, Methylprednisolone, Sildenafil, Valproate).
What mechanism field is on file for Budesonide/Formoterol and Clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin slows down the process your body uses to get rid of the steroid in the inhaler. This can cause the medicine to build up to higher levels in your system.
Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Budesonide/Formoterol
SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Budesonide/Formoterol (Corticosteroid / Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist Combination); Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic).
Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Budesonide/Formoterol's 0. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.
0 major · 4 moderate · 1 minor · 5 total
- Other moderate peers for Budesonide/Formoterol
- Ketoconazole
- Itraconazole
- Formoterol
16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 total
- Other moderate peers for Clarithromycin
- Omeprazole
- Methylprednisolone
- Sildenafil
- Valproate
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.