La azithromycin It is a medicine that is mainly used for the treatment of bacterial infections. Below we will learn about its particularities and analyze some of the most notable details such as precautions, side effects, dosage and other recommendations.
What is azithromycin used for?
As we said, azithromycin is a medication that is used to treat certain bacterial infections such as those that cause sexually transmitted diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, lungs, skin, reproductive organs and throat.
It is also used for treatment and prevention of Mycobacterium avium infections, a very common infection in people with the human immunodeficiency virus.
Other common treatments for this medication are traveler's diarrhea, various gastrointestinal infections, Legionnaires' disease, whooping cough, tick-borne babesiosis, as a means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases in the case of victims of sexual abuse, and to prevent heart infection in dental procedures.
It should be noted that it is not used to treat colds, catarrhs ​​and different infections, since it is basically responsible for stopping the growth of the bacteria.
Precautions with azithromycin
It is very important to always take the medication at the same time of day, following in any case the recommendations of our doctor and the instructions for the medication.
How to take azithromycin. Dosage
This medication comes in tablets and liquid, and generally a dosage of one daily intake is established for a period of no more than five days, except in the case that it is used as a treatment against Mycobacterium avium infection, in which case One intake per week will be established.
It should be noted that this is a prolonged release medication, so it takes effect throughout the day.
In no case will a dose higher than that established by the doctor be taken, and a double dose will not be taken to compensate for a lost dose, as this may pose a significant risk to our health.
If we forget to take a dose, we will take it at the same time we remember it, as long as we have not reached the previous hours of the next dose, in which case we will proceed as indicated above, which is forgetting the missed dose and continuing the treatment. with the following.
In the event that we take azithromycin powder, before taking it we must mix it with water, with an approximate proportion of one sachet of azithromycin (1 g) with about 60 ml of water. We mix well and ingest, and then we add another 60 ml of water to that glass to stir again and drink, which will guarantee that we have completely consumed the dose.
Regarding diet, you can take the medication with or without food but, in any case, our diet should be the usual one unless our doctor tells us otherwise and establishes certain guidelines.
Side effects of azithromycin
As it is a medication, various side effects can indeed be seen that must be taken into account by both patients and the doctor. If we observe any of the symptoms that we are going to detail below, we should contact our doctor as soon as possible so that he can assess whether or not we should continue taking the medication.
Among the most common side effects we have nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and headache. As a general rule, these symptoms will disappear within a few hours, so it generally does not require us to contact the doctor. However, in the event that they are more serious than usual or do not disappear, of course we will speak with him so that he can make a decision on the matter.
However, there are also other side effects that are much less common but are more serious. If you are taking azithromycin and experience any of the side effects listed below, you should stop treatment immediately and contact your doctor immediately. In the event that we cannot speak directly with him and observe that the situation is urgent, we will contact the emergency services to receive medical attention as soon as possible.
These most dangerous side effects are a sudden increase or decrease in heart rate, as well as an irregular heartbeat. Dizziness, rashes, fainting, hives, itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing, wheezing, hoarseness, mouth sores, inflammation of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, jaundice are also common. on the skin or in the eyes, a sudden excessive tiredness, severe diarrhea with liquid stools or even blood, high fevers, stomach cramps, the appearance of bruises in an inexplicable way, bleeding also for no apparent reason, a sudden loss of energy, loss of appetite, severe pain in the upper right part of the stomach, feeling like you have caught the flu, significant darkening of urine, blistering or peeling of the skin, difficulty controlling muscles, and unusual muscle weakness.
As you can see, these are more serious side effects, so much more attention must be paid to them to prevent unnecessary risks. Of course, it should be noted that, as with any other medication, other side effects may occur in very specific cases, so, whenever there is any type of doubt, the best thing we can do is contact our doctor. trust to give us an assessment and tell us whether or not we should continue taking the medication.
How to store azithromycin
This medication should be kept at all times in its original container, tightly closed and out of the reach of children. It must be kept at room temperature at all times without excessive heat, also avoiding humidity, so its storage in bathrooms is not recommended.
The product should not be refrigerated or frozen, and if it is opened, the maximum period for its use will be 10 days, after which we will proceed to discard it.
It is also important that, once it has expired, we avoid consuming the medication, and in any case, once we have finished the treatment, we will proceed to dispose of the leftover product in the most appropriate way, for which we recommend that you contact your pharmacist on which will have a Expired medication collection system for correct management, avoiding environmental risks.
Azithromycin price
The price of azithromycin may vary depending on the country and the commercial brand, but we usually talk about a price of around €5,90 in sachets of 500 mg, with a total content of three sachets.