Ketoconazole and Theophylline Interaction

Drug interaction information between Ketoconazole and Theophylline.

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

FDA drug labeling documents a major-severity interaction between Ketoconazole 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

Ketoconazole

Azole Antifungal

Drug B

Theophylline

Methylxanthine Bronchodilator

How They Interact

Ketoconazole can slow down the liver's ability to process theophylline. This can cause the medicine to build up in your body to unsafe 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 Ketoconazole + 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?

Ketoconazole has 113 labeled pairs on file vs Theophylline's 86. In the major band specifically: Ketoconazole has 6 (also Alfuzosin, Dronedarone, Ranolazine, Saxagliptin); Theophylline has 27 (also Metoprolol, Albuterol, Omeprazole, Amoxicillin).

What mechanism field is on file for Ketoconazole and Theophylline?

Ketoconazole can slow down the liver's ability to process theophylline. This can cause the medicine to build up in your body to unsafe levels.

Theophylline carries more major-labeled pairs than Ketoconazole

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is major · classes on file: Ketoconazole (Azole Antifungal); Theophylline (Methylxanthine Bronchodilator).

Theophylline has 27 major-labeled pairs vs Ketoconazole's 6.

Ketoconazole

6 major · 22 moderate · 85 minor · 113 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.