Erythromycin
About
Erythromycin belongs to a group of medicines known as macrolide antibiotics. It's widely used to treat chest infections (pneumonia), skin conditions (acne and rosacea), dental abscesses (A pocket of pus in a tooth caused by an infection), and sexually transmitted infections. On the other hand, in children, Erythromycin is generally used to treat ear or chest infections. Bacterial infection is a condition in which bacteria grow in the body and cause infection. It can target any body part and multiple very quickly.
Erythromycin comprises Erythromycin, which works by slowing the growth or killing the harmful bacteria by preventing the production of proteins required by the bacteria for its survival. As a result, it effectively treats various bacterial infections.
Erythromycin should only be taken if advised by your doctor. It can be taken with or without food but should be consumed at a fixed time for the best results. Erythromycin should not be consumed more than the recommended dose to avoid unpleasant side effects. And also, the course should be completed even if you feel better as it is an antibiotic. Some common side effects of Erythromycin are diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion. Allergic reactions such as rashes, itching, swelling, and shortness of breath can occur in rare cases. Please consult your doctor if an allergic reaction becomes severe.
Do not take Erythromycin if you are allergic to Erythromycin or other macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin, azithromycin, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine. Tell your doctor if you have liver problems, muscle problems (myasthenia gravis), heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia), porphyria (rare genetic blood disorder), and electrolyte imbalance (low potassium or magnesium level). In rare cases, the use of Erythromycin can cause diarrhoea, so if you have watery or bloody diarrhoea, stop taking Erythromycin and call your d ctor. However, do not take any anti-diarrheal medicine until your doctor tells you. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, suspect you may be pregnant or plan to have a baby, consult your doctor before taking this medica ion. Women should onlyErythromycinmycin during pregnancy and lactation if absolutely necessary.
Uses of Erythromycin
Medicinal Benefits
Erythromycin comprises Erythromycin, is a macrolide antibiotic. Erythromycin kills the harmful bacteria by preventing the protein production required for bacteria to survive. Thereby it prevents and treats bacterial infections like throat and sinus infections, chest infections (like bronchitis and pneumonia), ear infections, mouth and dental infections, eye infections, skin and tissue infections (like acne), and stomach and intestinal infections. Besides this, it also helps prevent infection following burns, surgery or dental procedure, sexually transmitted infections, bone infections or scarlet fever (bacterial illness with strep throat).
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Erythromycin
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or nausea
- Being sick or vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Loss of appetite
- Bloating
- Indigestion
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Do not take it if you are allergic to Erythromycin or other macrolide antibiotics. Even if you feel better, do not stop taking your medication. If you discontinue treatment too soon, your condition may reoccur. Inform your doctor if you have liver problems, myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness), a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia), or an electrolyte imbalance (low potassium or magnesium level). In rare situations, using Erythromycin might induce diarrhoea; thus, if you have watery or bloody diarrhoea, stop taking Erythromycin and consult your doctor. However, do not take anti-diarrheal medication until your doctor tells you to. Before using Erythromycin, consult your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. It is advisable to avoid alcohol to prevent the chance of adverse effects such as dizziness. Before taking the Erythromycin, inform your doctor about your medical history and other medications you are now taking to rule out any potential adverse effects or interactions.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Erythromycin have interactions with anti-allergic medicines (e.g. astemizole, terfenadine, mizolastine), anti-nausea pills (e.g. domperidone), mental health pills (e.g. pimozide, amisulpride), anti-migraine medicines (e.g. ergotamine, dihydroergotamine), anti-cholesterol pills (e.g. simvastatin), bladder weakness medicine (e.g. tolterodine) and anti-gout/arthritis medicine (e.g. colchicine). Taking these drugs with Erythromycin may cause serious side effects.
Drug-Food Interactions: No relevant drug-food interaction found with Erythromycin. As a precautionary measure, consumption of alcoholic beverages should be avoided as it may lead to drowsiness and dizziness.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Erythromycin may interact with disease conditions, including colitis (inflammation of the intestine), liver disease, QT prolongation, rhythm disorder (arrhythmia), electrolyte imbalance (low potassium or magnesium level), prematurity (Underweight in Infancy), and myasthenia gravis (muscle problems).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionDrinking alcohol with Erythromycin may potentiate symptoms of liver damage. So, Avoid or limit the consumption of alcohol.
Pregnancy
cautionErythromycin should be used by women during pregnancy only if needed. If you think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking the Erythromycin.
Breast Feeding
cautionErythromycin should be used by women during breastfeeding only if needed. If breastfeeding, ask your doctor for advice before taking the Erythromycin.
Driving
safe if prescribedNo data is available about the influence of Erythromycin on the ability to drive or operate machines. However, Erythromycin may cause dizziness and seizures, so ensure you are not affected before driving or operating machinery.
Liver
cautionA person dealing with Liver problems should take Erythromycin only after consulting with a doctor. Your doctor will prescribe only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Kidney
cautionIf you have or have a history or evidence of kidney-related diseases, please consult the doctor before taking medicine. The doctor may need to alter the normal dose.
Children
safe if prescribedIt should be taken by the children only if the doctor has prescribed it.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- You should take probiotics after taking the full course of Erythromycin to restore some healthy bacteria in the intestines that may have been killed. Taking probiotics after antibiotic treatment can reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Certain fermented foods like yoghurt, cheese, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi can help restore the intestine's good bacteria.
- Include more fibre-enriched food in your diet, as it can be easily digested by your gut bacteria, which helps stimulate their growth. Thus, fibre foods may help restore healthy gut bacteria after a course of antibiotics. Whole grains like whole-grain bread and brown rice should be included in your diet.
- Avoid taking too much calcium, iron-enriched foods and drinks as it might affect the working of Erythromycin.
- Avoid intake of alcoholic beverages with Erythromycin as it can make you dehydrated and affect your sleep. This can make it harder for your body to aid the Erythromycin in fighting off infections.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
A bacterial infection is a condition in which harmful bacteria enter, multiply, and infect our body. It can target any body part and multiple very quickly. When you get infected with bacteria, you can experience generalized symptoms like fevers, chills, and fatigue. Bacteria are of various forms comprising commonly spherical, rod, and spiral-shaped. Bacterial infections vary from minor illnesses like sore throat and ear infections to severe brain infections like meningitis and encephalitis. Few harmful bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E.coli. Anyone can become infected with a bacterial infection. But, people with weak immune systems or taking immunosuppressive medicine can make you more prone to bacterial infection.
FAQs
Erythromycin contains Erythromycin, which belongs to a class of drugs known as macrolide antibiotics. Macrolide antibiotics kill the bacterium that is causing the infection.
No, Erythromycin should not be taken with food as it might effect its absorption. So, Erythromycin should be taken one hour before meal or two hours after taking meal.
Do not use anti diarrhoeal until the doctor has prescribed you. You can drink plenty of fluids (electrolytes) to avoid dehydration. Besides this, you can also take prebiotics or probiotics to manage diarrhoea as it may help in increasing the number of good bacteria in the intestine which aids in digestion.
In some cases, people using Erythromycin may have a fungal infection called thrush after taking its full course. It happens because antibiotics also kills the harmless bacteria that protect against thrush.
No. You should complete the full course of Erythromycin as prescribed by your doctor. After completing the full course of Erythromycin will work. It is important that you take Erythromycin at the right dose, right times and for the right numbers of days.
No. Erythromycin is an antibacterial medicine that acts only against bacterial infections and not viral infections like cough, cold and flu. You should not take Erythromycin without prior consulting your doctor. Self medication is dangerous and can lower the efficacy of Erythromycin leading to antibiotic resistance.
Yes. Your doctor might recommend diagnostics test like Electrocardiogram (EKG) test for heart, WBC test (blood test), chest X-ray (in case of pneumonia), and culture test. Besides this, you need to monitor your body temperature regularly while taking Erythromycin?
Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhoea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have watery or bloody diarrhoea, call your doctor before using anti-diarrhoea medicine.
