Drug interactions
Erythromycin base + Salbutamol
Severity: Moderate
Erythromycin base and Salbutamol: 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
Erythromycin can prolong the QT interval and cause torsades de pointes. Salbutamol may add to this risk through hypokalemia and tachycardia.
What this interaction means in plain words
Erythromycin base and Salbutamol 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
Additive pharmacodynamic QT prolongation, with beta-2 agonist-induced hypokalemia.
What to do
Monitor ECG and electrolytes in patients with other QT risk factors. Correct potassium and magnesium and consider an alternative antibiotic in high-risk patients.
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 Salbutamol
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Erythromycin base with Salbutamol?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Erythromycin base and Salbutamol 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. Erythromycin can prolong the QT interval and cause torsades de pointes. Salbutamol may add to this risk through hypokalemia and tachycardia.
How serious is the interaction between Erythromycin base and Salbutamol?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor ECG and electrolytes in patients with other QT risk factors. Correct potassium and magnesium and consider an alternative antibiotic in high-risk patients.
What other medicines interact with Salbutamol?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Salbutamol with, for example, Arsenic trioxide, Carvedilol, Droperidol. The full list is on the Salbutamol page.
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