What is Azithromycin?

Azithromycin is a drug that one can get over-prescription. It tackles bacterial infections that affect the lungs, sinuses, ears, throat, skin and reproductive systems as well as STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).

The drug is additionally employed to treat and stop the spread of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. People with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) are frequently affected by this lung infection. It comes in the class of medications known as Macrolide Antibiotics and stops bacterial growth.

The drug comes in the following forms–

• An oral tablet
• An oral suspension
• An intravenous (IV) form
• An eye drops

The oral medicine is also available as a generic drug along with the brand-name drug, which is Zithromax. The generic drug will cost less than the version of brand-name. In some cases, this may only be available in some of the forms or strengths as the brand name drug.

Use of Azithromycin 500

The drug is used to treat illnesses brought on by specific bacteria. The medication should not be used to treat viral infections, such as the common cold. When it can be used to treat the illness, such as Mycobacterium avium complex and some STIs, you can also combine it with other antibiotics.

Single-dose of Azithromycin 500 is used to treat certain infections, including genital infections, and also works by stopping bacteria growth. For viral infections like the common cold or the flu, the medication might not be effective. However, if you use the medicine unnecessarily, that might lead to a decrease in effectiveness, and this form may not be intended for use.

How does Azithromycin work?

Azithromycin is a medication that works by stopping the spread of bacteria or making more bacteria. The action kills the bacteria and also helps in treating infection. Once you start taking the oral dose of Azithromycin, it will start working soon, just after the first dose.

The medicine will require 2 or 3 hours to reach the body’s concentration. However, the effects which it shows are might noticeable. You may start feeling better after taking medicine.

How to take Azithromycin?

To be taken by mouth, azithromycin is a medication that is available as a tablet, extended-release (long-acting), suspension, and liquid. The tablet and suspension will be taken usually with or without the food once a day for about 1 to 5 days.

When you use it to spread MAC Infection, it will prevent it. The tablet is typically taken once a week with or without food. ZMax is typically given as a single dose on an empty stomach one hour prior to and two hours after eating.

One should take medicine as the doctor prescribes it. One should follow the prescription on the label and ask your doctor or pharmacist, which will explain to you any part which one has not understood. Ensure that you avoid taking more medication than your doctor has prescribed.

If you have got Azithromycin in powder form, you need to take a 1-gram packet that you can mix with water before taking the medication. It would help if you opened the bottle by pressing the cap down, twisting it, and measuring about ¼ cup of 6Ml of water in the glass. To measure and get the dose, you must pour a cup of water (60 mL) into the same glass, mix it, and then drink the full contents.

If you are vomiting after an hour of taking Azithromycin, then it becomes important to call your doctor or visit them. If you need to take another dose of the medication, they will advise you. One should only take another dose of medicine if their doctor has told them so.

It would help if you did not stop taking this medicine unless you experience serious side effects. If you take medicine too soon and skip the doses, the infection will not be treated properly, and bacteria will become more resistant to the antibiotics.

Azithromycin side effects

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea

Serious side effects

• The liver problem causes loss of appetite, dark urine, pain in the abdomen, tiredness or weakness, and yellowing of the skin.
• QT prolongation may cause an irregular or fast rhythm. Some symptoms may include gasping while sleeping, chest fluttering, and fainting.
• Allergic reactions include trouble breathing, hives, and lips, tongue, or throat swelling.
• Diarrhea that bacteria cause includes the symptoms of fever, nausea, reduced appetite, and abdominal pain.
• Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis symptoms such as irritability with feeding, vomiting after eating, and lack of weight gain.

If you face any allergic reaction, then you must call your doctor or local poison center. You should not take the drug if there is any allergic reaction because that may lead to the person’s death.

Azithromycin warnings

There can be several allergic reactions that a person can experience, which include trouble breathing, hives, swelling of the tongue or throat, and severe skin reactions that cause redness of the skin, blistering skin, or sloughing of skin.

There are a few cautions for those with specific medical conditions, including-

• People with myasthenia gravis should not take this drug because that may make things worse and you need to make sure you are consulting this with your doctor first.
• Even if you have any heart disease, you should also have a heart rhythm, which includes the conditions known as QT prolongation. When you take this drug then, that can increase the risk of arrhythmia, which can be fatal.

It is also a warning for other groups of people which include-

• If a woman is pregnant or planning to become one, that will increase the risk of pregnancy loss, congenital disabilities, and many other problems, so it will be better to talk with the doctor about this and get clear details.
• Azithromycin may contaminate breast milk in nursing mothers. With this drug, you may encounter side effects in the child, such as vomiting, rash, and diarrhea.

Before taking this medicine

Prior to using azithromycin, there are a few things to think about.

• You should tell your doctor or pharmacist about this if you are allergic to clarithromycin, telithromycin, Azithromycin, or any other medicine or ingredient of Azithromycin.
• One must tell their doctor about any other prescription medication, nutritional supplements, Vitamins, and other herbal products you are taking.
• Allow some time to pass between taking a dose of any of these antacids and a dose of liquid or tablet Azithromycin if you take antacids that include aluminum or magnesium.
• If you ever had jaundice or any other liver problem with the use of Azithromycin, then you must tell your doctor about it.
• You must let your doctor know if you are currently breastfeeding, planning a pregnancy, or both.

FAQs:

What if I forget to take a dose?

Take the missing dose of Azithromycin when you remember it if you have missed it. But if you remember just a few hours before the next schedule, it will be better to use something other than that and take only one dose according to your schedule. It would help if you never tried to catch up by taking two doses because that may cause side effects.

What happens if I overdose?

If you take too much azithromycin, your body may become dangerously high in the drug. It may even cause a liver problem and an irregular heart rate. If you have taken too much of the drug, it will be better to call your doctor or an emergency number.

Azithromycin vs Amoxicillin

Though both drugs work by killing bacteria, they have their way of doing so. Another difference that it includes is the drug class and what condition they are used to treat.

Both azithromycin and amoxicillin are classified as beta-lactam antibiotics, and azithromycin is a member of the macrolide antibiotic class. It belongs to a sizable class called penicillin.

Both of these medications are used to treat most of the same conditions, which include strep throat, pneumonia, skin infection, ear infection, and other lower respiratory infection. However, there will be some differences.

You can also use Azithromycin to treat mycobacterium avium complex, gonorrhea, and pelvic inflammatory disease. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections that cause stomach ulcers.

What other drugs will affect Azithromycin?

Drug interactions alter how a medication functions and raise the possibility of major side effects. The document may include all the possible drug interactions in all possible drugs. Keep a list of all the medications you can take, and give it to your doctor and chemist.

Without a doctor’s consent, you shouldn’t start, stop, or modify the dosage of your prescription. Many drugs besides Azithromycin may affect the heart’s rhythm, including chloroquine, disopyramide, dofetilide, hydroxychloroquine, pimozide, ibutilide, quinidine, sotalol, and many others.

How long does Azithromycin stay in your system?

After the last dose, azithromycin will remain in your system for 15.5 days. Azithromycin is extensively absorbed and released from tissue, giving it an elimination half-life of roughly 68 hours.

Does azithromycin cure chlamydia: How much / how long?

You can take Azithromycin to cure chlamydia, and the most prescribed antibiotics are doxycycline which you should take every day for about a week. The second one is Azithromycin which is one dose of 1g followed by 500mg once a day for two days.

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