Rhabdomyolysis in association with simvastatin and dosage increment in clarithromycin.
Case ReportsHuman subjects
Names both Clarithromycin and Simvastatin in its title.
Supplement × Prescription·Evidence index
PubMed indexes 7 records that name Clarithromycin and Simvastatin 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 Clarithromycin and Simvastatin. 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.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
Names both Clarithromycin and Simvastatin in its title.
“Macrolide antibiotics inhibit the metabolism of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors that are metabolized by CYP3A4 (i.e., atorvastatin, cerivastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin). This interaction may result in myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, particularly in patients with renal insufficiency or those who are concurrently taking medications associated with myopathy.”
Names both Clarithromycin and Simvastatin in its title.
“Clarithromycin co-treatment resulted in 2.3 fold increase in maximum plasma concentration Cmax (from 2.47±0.34 ng.mL-1 to 5.66±1.18 ng.mL-1; p<0.05) and 3.9 fold increase in area under time versus concentration curve from 0 to 10 hours AUC0-10 (from 15.10±3.73 ng.hr.mL-1 to 58.49±15.73 ng.hr.mL-1; p<0.05) of simvastatin.”
Names both Clarithromycin and Simvastatin in its title.
“Our model could successfully describe concentration-time course of simvastatin-clarithromycin interaction. The resulting interaction model can be able to use for further development of a quantitative model predicting rhabdomyolysis occurrence in patients concurrently receiving simvastatin and clarithromycin.”
Names both Clarithromycin and Simvastatin 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 Clarithromycin and Simvastatin together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Names Clarithromycin and Simvastatin 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 Clarithromycin and Simvastatin together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:
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 Clarithromycin, Simvastatin, 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.