What is Azithromycin?

Azithromycin (Zithromax) is an antibiotic that fights bacteria. Its use for treating many different kinds of infections due to bacteria, such as respiratory infections, skin infections, eye infections, and ear infections, is useful in sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia and gonorrhea infections. It is a macrolide-type medicine. Along with other medications, medicos may also prescribe their use in malaria.

Its work involves blocking the growth of bacteria. One must not use Azithromycin if allergic to them or its consumption ever causes jaundice or liver problems.

What is the use of Azithromycin?

Its use is for the treatment of various infections, including:

• Prevention and treatment of acute bacterial heightenings of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to H. influenza, S. pneumonia, or M. catarrhalis
• Community-acquired pneumonia
• Uncomplicated skin infections
• Urethritis and cervicitis
• Trachoma
• Chancroid (genital ulcer disease)
• Acute bacterial sinusitis
• Acute otitis media
• Pharyngitis or tonsillitis

Azithromycin dosage

Have a look at Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before taking medicine. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

The usual intake of this medicine is orally once daily with or without food. The dose and length of infection may not be the same and vary according to each infection type.

Take the extended-release liquid (oral suspension) of this medicine on an empty stomach, one hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

Steps to take the oral suspension of a single dose packet:

• Tear the packet and pour the medicine into two ounces of water.
• blend the mixture and drink all of it right away
• To ensure you get the entire dose, add two more ounces of water to the same glass.
• Swirl gently and drink right away

Do not save the solution for later use. Throw away any mixed Zmax oral suspension that you are not drinking within 12 hours.

Shake the liquid oral suspension before measuring a dose. Use the dosing syringe while measuring it, or use the proper medicine cup to do so.

Symptoms may improve before the complete clearance of infection, but you must use the medicine for the full prescribed length of time. Skipping doses may increase your risk of other diseases that may be resistant to antibiotics. Azithromycin will not be able to treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

Antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium are more likely to decrease the absorption of Azithromycin if you take it simultaneously. Wait a minimum of a couple of hours before or after taking Azithromycin if you take such an antacid.

How do Azithromycin works?

Azithromycin is a type of macrolide antibiotic known as azalide. It works by decreasing the production of protein, which leads to the blocking of bacterial growth. It contains no harm, even in the case of pregnancy. Its safety during breastfeeding is not certified safe yet, but it is likely safe.

It works in preventing bacteria from growing by interfering with their protein synthesis. It does so by attaching to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, leading to inhibiting the translation of mRNA.

What to know before using Azithromycin?

One should not use Azithromycin in case of allergy to it. You should not take it if:

• You ever had jaundice or liver problems due to the intake of Azithromycin.
• You are allergic to similar drugs such as Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, or Telithromycin.

prior taking this medicine, inform your doctor if you ever had:

• Liver or kidney disease
• Myasthenia gravis
• Heart rhythm disorder
• Low potassium level in your blood
• Long QT syndrome

Tell your doctor about your pregnancy or your plan to become pregnant. This medicine is less likely to harm an unborn baby.

It is still a question that whether Azithromycin passes into the breast milk and harms the nursing baby or not. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding a nursing baby.

Azithromycin side effects

In case of signs of an allergic reaction, ti azithromycin (Zithromax) gets emergency medical health. The allergic responses include hives, difficulty in breathing, swelling in your face or throat. It may also lead to a severe skin reaction, fever, sore throat, burning in the eyes, skin pain, red/purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Get medical treatment in case of a severe drug reaction affecting many parts of your body. Its symptoms include skin rash, flu-like symptoms, fever, swollen glands, muscle ache, severe weakness, unusual bruising, yellow color of skin or eyes. There are fair chances that this reaction may occur several weeks after you began using Azithromycin.

Consult your doctor if you have:

• Watery or bloody diarrhea
• Severe stomach pain
• Fast or pounding heartbeats
• Fluttering in chest
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden dizziness like you might pass out.
• Liver problems

Liver problems include nausea, upper stomach pain, tired feeling, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice along with yellowness of the skin or eyes.

If a baby becomes irritable or vomits while eating or nursing after taking Azithromycin, then call your doctor right away.

Old people are more likely to have side effects on heart rhythm, including a fast heart rate that is life-threatening.

Common azithromycin side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, or headache. An allergic reaction like anaphylaxis or QT prolongation is also possible.

In case you address some different side effects, you may report your side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.