What Is Azithromycin?

Azithromycin seems to be an antibiotic. Thus, like others, it should help treat bacterial infections. Most patients may take it orally. However, an intravenous injection may be possible. It appears that children and adults can take this antibiotic. Some pediatricians will prescribe it for tonsilitis or ear infections. Most patients seem to take this medication for three to five days. Severe infections, though, may need ten days.

Antibiotics for bacterial skin infections appear to be fairly common. Azithromycin seems to be particularly effective, and it is one of the safe antibiotics for kids. Patients should finish all of the antibiotics pills their doctor prescribed. Otherwise, their infection may return, and they could have to deal with antibiotic resistance. Of course, understanding how azithromycin works should be helpful.

How It Works

Azithromycin appears to be a macrolide antibiotic. The first of this antibiotic class seems to have been erythromycin. It was isolated from Streptomyces erythraeus sometime in the 1950s. This bacteria may be found in soil. Azithromycin is the synthetic version of this medication.

It should help kill bacteria by attaching to a subunit on the ribosomes of bacteria. The specific one it seems to attach to is the P site of the 505 unit. This function should prevent bacteria from creating proteins and spreading throughout the body. This class of antibiotics appears to have the most significant effect on gram-positive cocci and intracellular pathogens.

Get more information on the potential uses and benefits of this antibiotic next.

Possible Uses

Patients may receive this antibiotic to treat ear and sinus infections. It appears to also help with skin, throat, and maybe respiratory infections. Specific conditions that it might be able to treat include pneumonia and sinusitis. It seems to help patients with pneumonia who could be allergic to penicillin. It may also treat patients with folliculitis or impetigo.

Some individuals who have pelvic inflammatory disease appear to benefit from this medication as well. If doctors want to prescribe this antibiotic for 'off-label' uses, they may do so for acne. It also may be useful for cat-scratch disease. Some bacterial endocarditis patients may receive a prescription too.

Discover some of the potential side effects linked to this medication next.

Potential Side Effects

Patients taking this medication may be faced with many potential side effects. Reports seem to indicate that the most common side effects are nausea and diarrhea. Swelling, fever, and crusty, red skin may also appear when individuals take this medication. Patients may also experience itchy skin and blisters on their skin. Although these side effects should be minor, patients may wish to report their concerns to a doctor regardless.

Some other side effects that may appear when individuals take this antibiotic include appetite loss, bloody urine, and muscle pain. Patients may be congested. They could also deal with increased coughing, and headaches or earaches may be possible. Few individuals appear to deal with breathing issues, heart rate changes, indigestion, or jaundice. Other patients can encounter dry mouth, taste changes, and white patches on their tongue. These white patches also seem to be able to appear elsewhere in their mouth and throat. Serious side effects may include feeling like the room is spinning, shaking, mood changes, and vision changes. Patients may need immediate medical attention for these symptoms.

Learn about precautions that may be linked to this medication next.

Precautions

Patients may need to speak to their doctor before they start taking this antibiotic. This discussion should include a review of their medical history. Some patients may not be able to take azithromycin if they have certain health issues. These issues may make this medication unsafe for them. Possible precautions include their history of kidney disease, jaundice, and liver issues. A history of heart problems may also matter. Heart issues of note may include heart failure and an irregular heartbeat.

Some patients may be more sensitive to the sun when they take this medication. Thus, doctors may recommend wearing sunscreen more often. Applying a brand with a higher SPF may also be helpful. Patients may also wish to consider staying away from the sun when possible. They may also choose to wear protective clothing in addition to sunscreen.

This antibiotic may interact with other medications. Learn about these possible interactions next.

Possible Medication Interactions

It appears that this antibiotic may have over three hundred possible medication interactions. This number seems to include over sixty interactions with major drugs. One possible example is interacting with warfarin or other blood thinners. This can mean that it will interact with Aspirin. Azithromycin may interact with other antibiotics, as well as some heart medications. Antacids made with calcium or magnesium also seem to have an effect on this antibiotic. Patients should consider waiting at least two hours after taking one before taking azithromycin. They may also be able to take the antibiotic two hours before the antacid.

Due to these interactions, patients may want to make a list of the medications they take. The list should also include vitamins and over-the-counter drugs. Doctors can review the list to see if there are possible medication interactions on it. Pharmacists may also want to look at it to confirm.