Diltiazem and Theophylline Interaction

Drug interaction information between Diltiazem and Theophylline.

Diltiazem and Theophylline have a documented major interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a major-severity interaction between Diltiazem and Theophylline. 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

Diltiazem

Calcium Channel Blocker

Drug B

Theophylline

Methylxanthine Bronchodilator

How They Interact

Diltiazem can slow down the liver's ability to break down theophylline. This can cause the medicine to build up in your body and reach toxic levels.

FDA Label Information

albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline,...

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Diltiazem + Theophylline?

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?

Theophylline has 86 labeled pairs on file vs Diltiazem's 46. In the major band specifically: Diltiazem has 4 (also Ezetimibe, Ezetimibe/Simvastatin, Simvastatin); Theophylline has 27 (also Metoprolol, Albuterol, Omeprazole, Amoxicillin).

What mechanism field is on file for Diltiazem and Theophylline?

Diltiazem can slow down the liver's ability to break down theophylline. This can cause the medicine to build up in your body and reach toxic levels.

Theophylline carries more major-labeled pairs than Diltiazem

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is major · classes on file: Diltiazem (Calcium Channel Blocker); Theophylline (Methylxanthine Bronchodilator).

Theophylline has 27 major-labeled pairs vs Diltiazem's 4.

Diltiazem

4 major · 7 moderate · 35 minor · 46 total

Theophylline

27 major · 5 moderate · 54 minor · 86 total

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.