Clarithromycin and Pioglitazone Interaction

Drug interaction information between Clarithromycin and Pioglitazone.

Clarithromycin and Pioglitazone have a documented major interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a major-severity interaction between Clarithromycin and Pioglitazone. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.

Drug A

Clarithromycin

Macrolide Antibiotic

Drug B

Pioglitazone

Thiazolidinedione

How They Interact

Clarithromycin can interfere with how your body handles certain diabetes drugs, which may increase the risk of your blood sugar falling too low.

FDA Label Information

Gastroprokinetic Agents: Cisapride Contraindicated Cisapride: [See Contraindications ( 4.2 )] Lipid-lowering agents: Lomitapide Lovastatin Simvastatin Contraindicated Lomitapide, Lovastatin, Simvastatin: Clarithromycin may increase the exposure of these drugs by inhibition of CYP3A metabolism, thereby increasing the risk of toxicities from these drugs [see Contraindications ( 4.5 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Atorvastatin, Pravastatin, Fluvastatin: [See Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Atorvastatin Pravastatin Use With Caution Fluvastatin No Dose Adjustment Hypoglycemic Agents:...

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Clarithromycin + Pioglitazone?

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 Pioglitazone's 10. In the major band specifically: Clarithromycin has 16 (also Quetiapine, Fluconazole, Cyclosporine, Lurasidone); Pioglitazone has 1.

What mechanism field is on file for Clarithromycin and Pioglitazone?

Clarithromycin can interfere with how your body handles certain diabetes drugs, which may increase the risk of your blood sugar falling too low.

Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Pioglitazone

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is major · classes on file: Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic); Pioglitazone (Thiazolidinedione).

Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Pioglitazone's 1.

Clarithromycin

16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 total

Pioglitazone

1 major · 0 moderate · 9 minor · 10 total

Pioglitazone has no other major-band peer in this dataset besides Clarithromycin.

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.