Drug & supplement interaction

Devil's Claw + Clarithromycin

Clarithromycin brand names: Biaxin, Biaxin XL.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Devil's Claw has a moderate interaction with Clarithromycin. Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Devil's Claw and Clarithromycin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Clarithromycin

Clarithromycin falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Devil's Claw interacts with.

Theoretically, devil's claw might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that devil's claw might inhibit CYP3A4, although this has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with these two together. Your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear clarithromycin out of your system. In lab dish studies, devil's claw appears to slow that same enzyme down. If that held true in people, clarithromycin could linger at higher levels, which in theory might nudge up the chance of side effects like stomach upset, nausea, a strange or metallic taste in your mouth, or, less commonly, effects on heart rhythm.

I want to be straight with you though: this is only seen in test tube research, never confirmed in actual patients, so the real-world risk looks small. Still, since this is usually a short antibiotic course, it's worth a quick word with your pharmacist or doctor before mixing the two.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Unger M, Frank A. Simultaneous determination of the inhibitory potency of herbal extracts on the activity of six major cytochrome P450 enzymes using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and automated online extraction. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2004;1 PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Devil's Claw Also Interacts With Other Medications

Devil's Claw has 730 moderate, 73 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Clarithromycin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 730 Minor 73 No known interaction 2,027 (incl. Clarithromycin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Devil's Claw

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Devil's Claw. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Devil's Claw or Clarithromycin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Devil's Claw or Clarithromycin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Clarithromycin

This page covers Devil's Claw only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Clarithromycin page lists 196 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 9 major · 146 moderate · 41 minor.

Open the Clarithromycin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Devil's Claw as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 585 real supplement products containing Devil's Claw, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Devil's Claw. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Clarithromycin too, on top of Devil's Claw — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Devil's Claw and Clarithromycin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Devil's Claw
Top 25%

#289 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Clarithromycin
Top 25%

#470 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Devil's Claw

What is Devil's Claw?

Devil's Claw
  • Osteoarthritis pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • General inflammation
  • Digestive upset and loss of appetite

Devil's claw is a southern African plant used mainly for arthritis and back pain, and some studies suggest it may help ease these types of discomfort. The evidence is moderate at best, and product strength varies, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

Read the full Devil's Claw monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Clarithromycin

What Is Clarithromycin Used For?

Brand names: Biaxin, Biaxin XL

Clarithromycin tablets and oral suspension treat a range of mild to moderate bacterial infections in adults and children, including community-acquired pneumonia, acute sinus infections, acute bacterial flare-ups of chronic bronchitis, strep throat and tonsillitis, uncomplicated skin infections, and middle ear infections in children. Tablets are also used in adults to eliminate H. pylori bacteria (in combination with other medicines) to reduce the risk of duodenal ulcer recurrence.

Clarithromycin tablets — but not the extended-release tablet — are also used to treat and prevent disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections in people with advanced HIV. Clarithromycin extended-release tablets are approved only for acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, acute maxillary sinusitis, and community-acquired pneumonia in adults — not for the other conditions listed above.

See full Clarithromycin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Devil's Claw

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Devil's Claw — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
730Moderate
73Minor
2,026No known interaction
730 Moderate 73 Minor 2,026 No interaction
Moderate

730 interactions

Showing 60 of 730 moderate interactions — see all 730 on the Devil's Claw page.

Minor

73 interactions

Showing 60 of 73 minor interactions — see all 73 on the Devil's Claw page.

No interaction 2,026 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Devil's Claw against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,026 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Devil's Claw list.

See the full Devil's Claw interactions page
See every supplement checked against Clarithromycin, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Devil's Claw monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Clarithromycin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Clarithromycin, ranked by severity Clarithromycin drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Devil's Claw and Clarithromycin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Devil's Claw with Clarithromycin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Devil's Claw and Clarithromycin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Clarithromycin and Devil's Claw?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.