Azithromycin Oral

In Depth

Uses and How to Use
Precautions and Side Effects
Dosage and Storage

Generic Name: AZITHROMYCIN CAPSULES - ORAL
Pronounced: (azz-ith-row-MY-sin)

Azithromycin Oral Side Effects

This medication may cause stomach upset, loose stools, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps or vaginal irritation. If these symptoms persist or become severe, inform your doctor.

Notify your doctor if you develop symptoms of jaundice such as:

dark urine
clay-colored stools
yellowing of eyes or skin

In the unlikely event you have an allergic reaction to this drug, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include:

rash
itching
swelling
dizziness
trouble breathing

If you develop diarrhea while taking this medication, notify your doctor. Do not take any nonprescription medications to treat diarrhea without first consulting your doctor.

If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Azithromycin Oral Precautions

Tell your doctor if you have:

other illnesses
allergies (especially drug allergies)
liver disease
colitis or other stomach problems
kidney disease

Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in a secondary infection (e.g., oral, bladder or vaginal yeast infection).

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before taking this medication. It is not known if azithromycin appears in breast milk. Consult with your doctor before breast-feeding.

Azithromycin Oral Drug Interactions

See also the How to Use section.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of:

aluminum- and magnesium-containing antacids
digoxin
live vaccines
lovastatin
nelfinavir
warfarin

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of combination-type birth control pills. This can result in pregnancy. You may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details.

Other drugs besides azithromycin which may affect the heart rhythm (QTc prolongation in the EKG) include dofetilide, pimozide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, and sparfloxacin among others. QTc prolongation can infrequently result in serious, rarely fatal, irregular heartbeats. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details. Ask for instructions about whether you need to stop any other QTc-prolonging drugs you may be using in order to minimize the risk of this effect.

Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.