ZITHROMAX

Who is Zithromax for ?

Azithromycin is an antibiotic used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia; venereal disease (VD); and ear, lung, skin, and throat infections. In acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, azithromycin is used to prevent pneumonia, called disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. this medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that is used to treat bacterial infections. It alters the chemical activity inside the bacteria, preventing the production of proteins needed by the bacteria to survive.

When should I be careful taking Zithromax ?

Before taking azithromycin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to azithromycin, clarithromycin (Biaxin), dirithromycin (Dynabac), erythromycin, or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially other antibiotics, anticoagulants ("blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin), astemizole (Hismanal), carbamazepine (Tegretol), cisapride (Propulsid), clozapine (clozaril), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), digoxin (Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), ergotamine, felodipine (Plendil), lovastatin (Mevacor), phenytoin (Dilantin), pimozide (Orap), terfenadine (Seldane), theophylline (Theo-Dur), triazolam (Halcion), and vitamins.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease, irregular heart beat, yellowing of the skin or eyes, colitis, or stomach problems.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking azithromycin, call your doctor.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking azithromycin.
• if you take antacids (Mylanta, Maalox), take them 2 hours after azithromycin.
• plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Azithromycin may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.

Side Effects

Although side effects from azithromycin are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• upset stomach
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• stomach cramps
• mild skin rash
• stomach pain

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• severe skin rash
• itching
• hives
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• wheezing
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• dark urine
• pale stools
• unusual tiredness
• vaginal infection