Is Curcumin Safe with Clarithromycin?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Avoid combining Curcumin with Clarithromycin — Curcumin blocks the liver enzyme (CYP3A4) that processes Clarithromycin, potentially raising Clarithromycin levels to toxic range. Consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Why this interaction occurs
Curcumin inhibits CYP3A4 intestinal and hepatic activity. Result: increased drug levels. Clinical significance depends on drug and dose
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 37,389 reports mentioning Clarithromycin. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Clarithromycin + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Curcumin interactions → · All Clarithromycin interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.