Patient information leaflets

[Lemongrass57]

Yesterday I was prescribed clarithromycin for an infection. The GP asked if I was still taking citalopram as I couldn’t take both (I’d stopped it a few weeks ago).

The patient information leaflet says nothing about an interaction with citalopram or even with SSRIs. Google says it the combo can cause problems with heart rate.

Is it usual for leaflets to miss interactions? It made me wonder as it seemed potentially worrying.

The most serious interactions ought to be mentioned but otherwise you are - to some extent - beholden to your doctor and pharmacist to ensure that prescriptions are appropriate.

Rxlist suggests that clarithromycin has 29 very serious drug interactions, 277 serious, 206 significant, and 62 minor. Clindamycin has a similar number of drug interactions listed.

I guess this is why it takes pharmacists so long to fill each prescription!