What you should Know about Erythromycin
Erythromycin FYI
Erythromycin tablets
There are very few antibiotics as popular as erythromycin and as frequently prescribed by health care providers for different ailments. Perhaps, it is the 2nd most frequently prescribed drug after penicillin, and like penicillin, it is also used for the treatment of bacterial infections. Erythromycins are a group of antibiotics that are classified under macrolides and are used as medicines to kill bacteria or at least inhibit their growth. Macrolides contain many other drugs such as Clindamycin, Lincomycin, Azithromycin, etc. These medications have similar formulae but depending upon their effects, they are used for different purposes.
To be frank, doctors prefer penicillin to treat bacterial infections and use erythromycin mostly in cases where patients suffer from allergies to penicillin. In fact, penicillin kills bacteria whereas erythromycin only has the ability to slow down the growth of harmful bacteria and relies upon the capability of the patient’s own immune system to ward off the infection. Penicillin is also gentler as many patients report upset stomach after taking in erythromycin. However, in some instances, E-Mycin scores over penicillin as it has the potential to kill some bacteria that penicillin cannot. In cases of respiratory tract infection, Clindamycin and Lincomycin are preferred by health care providers over erythromycin as they are more effective in killing anaerobic bacteria that can live without oxygen.
The drug is easily available in the market under several brand names such EryPed (used especially by pediatrics), E-Mycin, E.E.S, Ery-Tab, Robimycin, and some more. Some are in the form of pills and capsules while the drug can be administered through injection also.
The bacterial infections in which this drug is administered tend to show improvement in symptoms within a few days. However, if there is no improvement or symptoms become worse, it is prudent to tell your doctor about this phenomenon. One side effect that is commonly associated with this antibiotic is the tendency of the patients to show symptoms of diarrhea. Mild diarrhea goes away in a few days and there is nothing to worry about. However, there are cases where patients start to suffer from severe diarrhea that is a cause of serious concern for the doctor.
Some of the common side effects experienced by a majority of patients with erythromycin are nausea and vomiting. Some report abdominal cramps while others talk about upset stomach. All these symptoms are a result of the body trying to adjust to the presence of a foreign body and need no prescription by the doctor. Sometimes lady patients complain of vaginal discharge and itching. This is because of yeast infections that show up because of use of the drug. Unless these symptoms persist or become worse, there is no need to take any medications to make them go away.
One thing that is commonly found with many antibiotics is their ability to interfere or interact with other medications. If you are on prescriptive drugs for treatment of kidney or liver problems, it is better to tell about them to your health care provider.
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