Drug interactions
Calcium chloride + Tetracycline
Severity: Moderate
Calcium chloride and Tetracycline: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Oral calcium binds tetracycline in the gut and lowers its absorption, which may cause treatment failure. The effect depends on both agents being taken by mouth at similar times.
What this interaction means in plain words
Calcium chloride and Tetracycline can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Chelation of tetracycline by calcium divalent cations forms poorly absorbed complexes.
What to do
Separate oral tetracycline from calcium by at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after, or choose a non-chelating antibiotic.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Tetracycline
- Acitretin + Tetracycline Contraindicated
- Methoxyflurane + Tetracycline Contraindicated
- Isotretinoin + Tetracycline Major
- Palovarotene + Tetracycline Major
- Strontium ranelate + Tetracycline Major
- Tetracycline + Tretinoin Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Calcium chloride with Tetracycline?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Calcium chloride and Tetracycline can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Oral calcium binds tetracycline in the gut and lowers its absorption, which may cause treatment failure. The effect depends on both agents being taken by mouth at similar times.
How serious is the interaction between Calcium chloride and Tetracycline?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Separate oral tetracycline from calcium by at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after, or choose a non-chelating antibiotic.
What other medicines interact with Tetracycline?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Tetracycline with, for example, Acitretin, Methoxyflurane, Isotretinoin. The full list is on the Tetracycline page.
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