What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Erythromycin and hydrocortisone
Hydrocortisone's FDA label (Solu-Cortef) of August 27, 2026 names erythromycin in its drug interactions section; the erythromycin labels PlainMeds reads (4) do not name hydrocortisone. The hydrocortisone label: “Hydrocortisone is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Concomitant administration of inhibitors of CYP3A4 may lead to increases in serum concentrations of ALKINDI SPRINKLE and increase the risk of adverse …”
Check it at the source: the erythromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 1, 2024, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.); the hydrocortisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 19, 2026).
What does the erythromycin label say about hydrocortisone?
Erythromycin's label (effective August 1, 2024) and its 3 other brand-application labels do not name hydrocortisone in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Erythromycin), Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., effective August 1, 2024 (SPL set 75a0bd5a-d09f-483b-bfd8-f8343b149eb2), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the hydrocortisone label say about erythromycin?
Solu-Cortef label (Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, August 27, 2026), drug interactionsHepatic Enzyme Inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin and troleandomycin):
Alkindi Sprinkle label (Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc., April 21, 2026), drug interactionsCYP3A4 Inhibitors Clinical Impact: Hydrocortisone is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Concomitant administration of inhibitors of CYP3A4 may lead to increases in serum concentrations of ALKINDI SPRINKLE and increase the risk of adverse reactions associated with the use of excessive doses. Intervention: Concomitant use of CYP3A4 inhibitors may require a decrease in the ALKINDI SPRINKLE dose. Examples: Anti-fungals: itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole Antibiotics: erythromycin and clarithromycin Antiretrovirals: ritonavir Grapefruit juice
Source: FDA drug label (Solu-Cortef, NDA009866), Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, effective August 27, 2026 (SPL set 65eefd58-b166-4d71-ade6-45c8fdf86922), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Alkindi Sprinkle, NDA213876), Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective April 21, 2026 (SPL set 26c13a5f-7119-4c6a-bf10-fda4e07d7682), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (hydrocortisone 1), Kroger Company, effective August 19, 2026 (SPL set f05edff2-2dc5-427c-b52c-518e0aaef4e0), 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
| Erythromycin | Hydrocortisone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acne | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis) |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $1.96 per tablet 250 mg tablet | $0.0613 per gram 1% cream |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
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