Azithromycin

Azithromycin is safe if used at prescribed doses for the prescribed duration as advised by your doctor.

You should inform your doctor if you do not notice any improvement in your symptoms after 3 days of taking Azithromycin. Also, if your symptoms get worse, inform your doctor immediately.

Yes, the use of Azithromycin can cause diarrhea. It is an antibiotic which kills the harmful bacteria. However, it also affects the helpful bacteria in your stomach or intestine and causes diarrhea. If you are experiencing severe diarrhea, talk to your doctor about it.

Azithromycin is usually prescribed once daily. You can take it at any time of the day, but remember to take it at the same time each day. The medicine should be taken 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after eating food. You can take the tablet preparation with or without food. However, you must take Azithromycin exactly as advised by your doctor and ask your doctor if you have any doubts.

Usually, Azithromycin starts working soon after taking it. However, it may take some days to kill all the harmful bacteria and make you feel better.

The duration of treatment depends on the type of infection being treated and the age of the patient. Azithromycin is not necessarily given for 3 days. In most bacterial infections, a single dose of 500 mg is given for 3 days. Alternatively, it can be given as 500 mg once on day 1 and then 250 mg once from day 2 to day 5. In some cases of infection such as genital ulcer disease, it is given as a single 1 gram dose. Therefore, you must stick to the regimen advised by your doctor.

Generally, it is recommended that patients taking Azithromycin should avoid taking any antacid with this medicine as this can affect the overall effectiveness of Azithromycin. It is also recommended to avoid exposure to sunlight or tanning beds as Azithromycin increases the risk of sunburn.

Azithromycin is an effective antibiotic that is used for the treatment of many bacterial infections. Compared to other antibiotics, Azithromycin has a longer half-life which means that it stays in the body for a long time because of which it is given once a day and for a short span of time. Other antibiotics comparatively have a shorter half-life and are usually given twice, thrice, or four times a day.

Some people may get a fungal or yeast infection known as thrush after taking Azithromycin. Antibiotics such as Azithromycin can kill the normal or ‘good bacteria’ of your intestine responsible for preventing thrush. You should inform your doctor if you get a sore or vaginal itching or discharge. Also, inform your doctor if you get a white patch in the mouth or tongue after taking Azithromycin or soon after stopping it.