Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin: what the published research says
PubMed indexes 4 records that name Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. Each one is listed below with its study design and, where the abstract states one, the authors’ own conclusion, quoted and linked. This page reports that literature. It does not tell you whether to combine them.
Every statement below is attributed to a named, dated, linked source.
This page lists published research relevant to Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin. It deliberately does not state whether the combination is safe, whether it interacts, in which direction, at what dose, or how far apart to take them.
A study appearing here is not proof that an interaction exists. Two substances can be named together in a paper that never tested them in combination, and a source listed as background may cover only one of them.
Findings are quoted from each abstract as the authors wrote them. NutriStack has not re-analysed, pooled, or reconciled them, and they may disagree with each other.
NutriStack’s own interaction assessment for this pair is not published here. It has not completed qualified-human clinical review, so it is withheld from search. See the publication gate.
Nothing here is medical advice. Decisions about prescription medication and supplements belong with your prescriber or pharmacist, who can see your full regimen.
The research
4 studies naming Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
“When coadministered, clarithromycin raised subject exposure (AUC24) by 82% and peak plasma concentrations by 56%. These data suggest that while azithromycin appears to be safe to coadminister with atorvastatin, clarithromycin should be avoided in patients taking this and similarly metabolized HMG-CoA inhibitors.”
Names both Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin in its title.
“In line, a cohort study found concurrent use of clarithromycin and CYP3A4-metabolized statins to be associated with a doubled risk of hospitalization with rhabdomyolysis or other statin-related adverse events as compared with azithromycin-statin co-administration. If clarithromycin is necessary, we recommend (a) avoiding co-administration with simvastatin, lovastatin or atorvastatin; (b) withholding or dose-reducing pitavastatin; (c) continuing pravastatin therapy with…”
Names Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
“Clarithromycin significantly (p <0.001) increased the AUC (and C(max)) of all 3 statins, most markedly simvastatin ( approximately 10-fold increase in AUC) and simvastatin acid (12-fold), followed by atorvastatin (greater than fourfold) and then pravastatin (almost twofold). Pravastatin has a neutral drug interaction profile relative to cytochrome P450-3A4 inhibitors, but these substrates markedly increase systemic exposure to simvastatin and atorvastatin.”
Names Atorvastatin and Clarithromycin together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Limitations
What this evidence cannot tell you.
Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:
Selection. These records were found by searching PubMed titles and abstracts for both substance names alongside interaction and pharmacokinetic terms. Relevant work that phrases things differently, or is not indexed in PubMed, will be missing.
No effect size. The quoted conclusions are the authors’ words about their own study. We have not extracted effect direction or magnitude, and a single study’s conclusion is not a consensus.
Population mismatch. Findings in healthy volunteers, animals, or a specific patient group may not transfer to you, your dose, or your formulation.
Absence is not safety. Few published studies means the combination is under-studied, which is not the same as established as safe.
Nearby evidence
Other pairs with published research.
Pages covering Atorvastatin or Clarithromycin alongside a different substance.
NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Atorvastatin, Clarithromycin, and several hundred other substances.
The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid, and its per-pair assessments are excluded from search until they pass claim-level review.
NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
