Zithromax (azithromycin) >> Zithromax (azithromycin) is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat a number of conditions caused by the presence of bacteria in the body. In adults it is prescribed to treat skin infections, ear infections, respiratory infections and sexually transmitted diseases, while in children Zithromax is efficient in relieving the symptoms of tonsillitis (strep throat), middle ear infection, sinusitis, or community acquired pneumonia including when the child is allergic to penicillin. You can take this drug with some food or without exactly as prescribed by your health care provider. Taking Zithromax with food is perfect for people whose stomach gets easily upset when taking different medicines. Before starting to take Zithromax make sure you talk to your health care provider about the treatment itself and the factors you need to take into consideration when using this medicine.

You should never combine Zithromax with antacids that contain aluminum and magnesium as they will slow down the absorption of Zithromax from the intestine and make it less efficient for the treatment of your condition. If you ever had an allergic reaction to the active ingredient of this medicine – azithromycin, or any other drugs of the kind – troleandomycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin and telithromycin – you will probably not be able to take Zithromax because of the high probability of the same reaction happening again. You must also report any drugs you are taking at the moment to make sure there are no interactions possible. Some medicines can decrease the effects of Zithromax or alter them, so it’s important that you mention to your health care provider the fact of taking any of the following drugs: warfarin, any other antibiotic, calcium channel blockers, phenytoin, carbamazepine, pimozide, digoxin, theophylline, cholesterol-lowering drugs, HIV medicines or ergotamine. This is not the full list of drugs that have been reported to interact with Zithromax – so if you are taking any meds at the moment, make sure you tell about it to your health care provider to make sure your treatment goes as planned and is not affected in any way. Your health care provider may want you to have regular blood tests done to see if you are benefitting from the treatment to make sure Zithromax does not lower the effects of other medicines you are taking at the moment, for instance blood thinners. Most people are able to take Zithromax safely and benefit from it, while some special tests may be required if you would like to use Zithromax and have been diagnosed with kidney or liver disease, have a history of heart rhythm disorder or Long QT syndrome. In case of a suspected overdose with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach discomfort seek emergency medical assistance.

Take Zithromax an hour before or two hours after having a meal. It’s also very important that you continue taking Zithromax for as long as prescribed by your health care provider. Your symptoms may improve after just a couple of days of the treatment, but that does not mean all the bacteria have been cleared out. If you stop taking Zithromax without talking to your doctor first a relapse of infection is possible. In some cases antibiotics, and Zithromax being one of them as well, can cause bowel inflammation and cause diarrhea. If you have persistent or bloody diarrhea talk to your doctor as soon as possible but do not try to treat it yourself by taking any other medicines. If you think you may have developed another infection while taking Zithromax report it as soon as possible to your doctor. The effects of Zithromax on the health of unborn baby has not been established, so to make sure your baby is safe it’s important that you inform your health care provider about a pregnancy or breastfeeding before starting the treatment. If you are pregnant and still need this kind of treatment talk about all the possible risks and benefits of such treatment with your health care provider before using it. Zithromax can pass into breast milk and is therefore not supposed to be taken by breastfeeding women.

Zithromax is well-tolerated and only rarely displays mild side effects, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain being the most commonly reported ones. There are also other side effects that are quite uncommon but should be mentioned for you to be aware. They include headache, sleepiness, joint pain, allergic skin reactions, seizures, inflammation of the vagina, dizziness and loss of appetite. If you have these or develop any other side effects that seem bothersome and do not go away for a long time it’s best to talk to your health care provider and discuss the possibility of a dose adjustment or switching to some other medicine.

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