Antibiotics represent a large group of drugs derived from molds or bacteria that are used to treat bacteria-induced infections. Because of their specific purpose these drugs will not be efficient in the treatment of a fungal or viral infection. The effects of antibiotics depend on the kind of medicine you have been prescribed – but they can work either by slowing down the growth of bacteria and helping your immune system to eliminate them, or by killing the microorganisms entirely. Before the treatment is started the doctor must establish which type of bacteria is present in the body, as every kind of antibiotic is intended for a certain variety of bacteria. Certain infections, however, are caused by just one type of bacteria – so in that case additional testing is not required and the patient may just be prescribed the dosage he needs.
In case the infection may have been caused by several types of bacteria or the bacteria that caused the infection are not susceptible to the effects of antibiotics the patient may require a lab test. The bacteria found in the samples of blood or urine of such people can be tested for susceptibility to different groups of antibiotics to check how the patient will respond to the treatment – the process may take a couple of days but provides for the most efficient treatment. However, even if the antibiotic proved efficient in the laboratory, it may not work in the same way for the person taking it. There are many factors that can affect the efficiency of the treatment, including how much of the medicine is absorbed into the bloodstream and how quickly it is eliminated. This can be different for every patient and depends on their health condition, other medicines they are taking as well as their age. Therefore it’s important to talk to your health care provider before taking any drugs to make sure you will benefit from antibiotics prescribed.
Although in most cases
Zithromax or any other antibiotic can be prescribed only after the patient’s health condition is assessed, while in other cases doctors recommend certain kinds of them without waiting for tests that will identify the specific bacteria present in the body. Taking
Zithromax as directed is very important since sometimes the bacteria can develop resistance to the effects of these medicines and does not respond to the treatment in any way. With antibiotics it’s especially important to carry on with the treatment even though your condition improves significantly, as this does not mean all the bacteria have been cleared out from the body and a relapse of infection can occur if you suddenly stop the treatment. Antibiotics have certain side effects such as diarrhea, stomach discomfort, nausea and skin rash. More serious reactions may be severe allergic reaction to antibiotics.
You can take your Zithromax before or while having a meal. The missed dose should be taken as soon as possible except for the cases when it’s almost time for the next one. For instance, if you remembered about the dosage some 4 hours later it’s important that you keep on taking the antibiotic prescribed at the same time from then on for the medicine to remain in your blood stream at a constant level. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics besides Zithromax include Trimox, Cipro, Myambutol, Cleocin gel, Noroxin, Levaquin, Ethionamide, Omnicef, Flagyl ER, Erythromycin, Chloromycetin, Prograf, Stromectol, Keftab, Vantin, Zyvox, Isoniazid, Septilin, Ampicillin, Cleocin, Cefixime, Chloramphenicol, Brand Amoxil, Sumycin, Floxin, Bactrim, Cefadroxil, Ceftin, Amoxil, Augmentin, Cephalexin, Terramycin, Biaxin, Minocin, Roxithromycin, Lincocin, Tetracycline, Minocycline, and Doxycycline. They usually come in the form of tablets for oral administration but can be also injected into the vein or muscle if the bacterial infection is severe and requires immediate treatment.