Pravastatin and Clarithromycin Interaction

Drug interaction information between Pravastatin and Clarithromycin.

Pravastatin and Clarithromycin have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Pravastatin 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.

Drug A

Pravastatin

HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)

Drug B

Clarithromycin

Macrolide Antibiotic

How They Interact

Clarithromycin increases the amount of pravastatin that stays in your body. This higher level of medicine in your blood increases the risk of serious muscle damage.

FDA Label Information

(2.6, 7.1) Clarithromycin: combination increases exposure. 7.2 Clarithromycin and Other Macrolide Antibiotics The risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant administration of clarithromycin. Limit pravastatin to 40 mg once daily for concomitant use with clarithromycin [see Dosage and Administration (2.7) , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) , and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].

Pravastatin Also Interacts With

View all Pravastatin interactions →

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Pravastatin + 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 Pravastatin's 16. In the moderate band specifically: Pravastatin has 9 (also Cyclosporine, Erythromycin, Colchicine, Gemfibrozil); Clarithromycin has 35 (also Omeprazole, Methylprednisolone, Sildenafil, Valproate).

What mechanism field is on file for Pravastatin and Clarithromycin?

Clarithromycin increases the amount of pravastatin that stays in your body. This higher level of medicine in your blood increases the risk of serious muscle damage.

Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Pravastatin

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Pravastatin (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)); Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic).

Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Pravastatin's 0. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.

Pravastatin

0 major · 9 moderate · 7 minor · 16 total

Clarithromycin

16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 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.