When two or more
medicines are taken together, it can change how the medicines work and increase the risk of side-effects. In medical terms, this is called as a
Drug Interaction.
Erythromycin interacts with
digoxin, which is used to treat heart disorder. The use of Erythromycin with
digoxin may cause an increased level of digoxin in the blood. The dosage adjustment should be done as necessary. The patients should be monitored carefully particularly when using Erythromycin together with medicine that prolongs the heartbeat.
There may be an interaction of
Erythromycin with
calcium channel blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure. The use of
Erythromycin with
calcium channel blockers such as
verapamil, may cause low blood pressure, slow heart rhythms, and excessive lactic acid accumulation in the body.
Erythromycin may interact with
theophylline, which is used to treat lung diseases such as
asthma. The use of
Erythromycin with
theophylline may cause an increased amount of theophylline in the blood. If this happens, the dose of theophylline should be reduced while receiving concurrent therapy with Erythromycin.
Your doctor's guidelines may need to be followed while taking this medicine along with drugs undergone breakdown and elimination by a
liver enzyme (
cytochrome P450). The use of
Erythromycin with drugs metabolized by a liver
enzyme (cytochrome P450) for example,
alfentanil,
acenocoumarol,
bromocriptine,
astemizole,
carbamazepine,
cyclosporin,
cilostazol,
disopyramide,
dihydroergotamine,
ergotamine,
methylprednisolone, hexobarbitone,
midazolam,
omeprazole,
quinidine,
phenytoin,
rifabutin,
tacrolimus,
sildenafil,
terfenadine,
domperidone,
theophylline,
triazolam,
vinblastine,
valproate, and antifungals e.g
ketoconazole,
fluconazole, and
itraconazole may increase the level of these drugs in the blood. The dosage adjustment should be done as necessary. The patients should be monitored carefully particularly when using Erythromycin together with medicine that prolongs the heartbeat.
Special instructions need to be followed while taking this medicine along with
anticoagulants, which are used to treat blood clots. When
Erythromycin is used together with anticoagulants may increase the anticoagulant effects. This interaction is more noticeable in elderly patients.
Your doctor's guidelines may need to be followed while taking this medicine along with
Sildenafil (Viagra), which is used to treat erectile dysfunction. When using
Erythromycin together with sildenafil, an increase in the systemic exposure of sildenafil is seen. A reduction in the dose of sildenafil is recommended while using it together with Erythromycin.
Special instructions need to be followed while taking this medicine along with
statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors), which are used to reduce heart diseases. The use of
Erythromycin with statins such as
lovastatin and
simvastatin, may increase the amount of statins in the body. It may also cause muscle injury and leakage of
protein content into the blood (
rhabdomyolysis) with or without kidney problems. Patients using Erythromycin with statins should be monitored for blood transaminase and
creatine kinase
enzymes levels.
Erythromycin interacts with CYP3A4 inducers. The use of Erythromycin with CYP3A4 inducers such as
phenytoin,
rifampicin,
phenobarbital,
carbamazepine, St John's Wort, may cause the breakdown and elimination of Erythromycin. This may result in a decrease in the effect of Erythromycin. The use of Erythromycin during or within two weeks after treatment with CYP3A4 inducers is not recommended.
There may be an interaction of
Erythromycin with triazolobenzodiazepines, which are used to treat
anxiety. The use of
Erythromycin with benzodiazepines such as
triazolam and
alprazolam, may cause a decrease in the clearance of benzodiazepines. This may result in an increase in the effect of benzodiazepines in the body.
Erythromycin may interact with
ergotamine or
dihydroergotamine, which is used to treat
migraines. The use of
Erythromycin with ergotamine or
dihydroergotamine may cause an increased level of ergots in the body which is associated with narrowing of blood vessels, severe blockage in the blood vessels in the
brain and other body parts. The use of Erythromycin with ergotamine or dihydroergotamine is not recommended.
Your doctor's guidelines may need to be followed while taking this medicine along with
cimetidine, which is used to treat
heartburn and stomach
ulcers. The use of cimetidine with
Erythromycin may increase the amount of the Erythromycin in the blood by blocking its breakdown.
Special instructions need to be followed while taking this medicine along with
protease inhibitors which are used to treat viral infections. The use of
Erythromycin with protease inhibitors may block the breakdown of Erythromycin.
Erythromycin may interact with
colchicine, which is used to treat
gout. The use of colchicine with
Erythromycin may cause an increase in the amount of colchicine in the blood. The use of recommended doses of Erythromycin and colchicine together can be possibly fatal. The starting and maximum dose of colchicine should be reduced when used with Erythromycin. These patients should be monitored for the symptoms of increasing levels of the colchicine in the blood.
This page does not contain all the possible interactions of Erythromycin. Share a list of all medicines that you use with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any
medicines without the approval of your doctor.