Salmeterol and Clarithromycin Interaction
Drug interaction information between Salmeterol and Clarithromycin.
Salmeterol and Clarithromycin have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Salmeterol 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.
How They Interact
Clarithromycin stops your body from breaking down salmeterol properly. This leads to higher levels of the drug in your blood, which can cause heart-related side effects.
FDA Label Information
The use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ketoconazole, telithromycin) with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI is not recommended because increased systemic corticosteroid and increased cardiovascular adverse effects may occur. The use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ketoconazole, telithromycin) with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI is not recommended because increased systemic...
Salmeterol Also Interacts With
- Ketoconazole moderate
- Itraconazole moderate
- Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir moderate
- Fluticasone minor
- Darunavir minor
Clarithromycin Also Interacts With
- Quetiapine major
- Pioglitazone major
- Fluconazole major
- Cyclosporine major
- Lurasidone major
Frequently Asked Questions
What SPL severity band is on file for Salmeterol + 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 Salmeterol's 7. In the moderate band specifically: Salmeterol has 4 (also Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir); Clarithromycin has 35 (also Omeprazole, Methylprednisolone, Sildenafil, Valproate).
What mechanism field is on file for Salmeterol and Clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin stops your body from breaking down salmeterol properly. This leads to higher levels of the drug in your blood, which can cause heart-related side effects.
Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Salmeterol
SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Salmeterol (Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA)); Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic).
Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Salmeterol's 0. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.
0 major · 4 moderate · 3 minor · 7 total
- Other moderate peers for Salmeterol
- Ketoconazole
- Itraconazole
- Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir
16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 total
- Other moderate peers for Clarithromycin
- Omeprazole
- Methylprednisolone
- Sildenafil
- Valproate
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.