what is erythromycin?

Answer 1

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What is erythromycin?
• Erythromycin is in a group of drugs called macrolide antibiotics. Erythromycin fights bacteria in the body.
• Erythromycin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria.
• Erythromycin may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.




What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking erythromycin?
• Before taking erythromycin, tell your doctor if you have liver disease. You may not be able to take erythromycin, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
• FDA pregnancy category B: This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
• Erythromycin passes into breast milk but may not be harmful to a nursing baby. Erythromycin is generally considered safe for use by breast-feeding mothers. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.




How should I take erythromycin?
• Take erythromycin exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger doses or for longer than recommended by your doctor.
• Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.
• Erythromycin can be taken on an empty stomach or with food or milk.
• Do not crush, chew, or break the extended-release or enteric-coated tablet. This includes E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, and Erythromycin Delayed-Release Capsules. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
• Take this medication for as many days as it has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Erythromycin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.
• Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.




What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.




What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
• Symptoms of an erythromycin overdose may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.




What should I avoid while taking erythromycin?
• Do not take erythromycin if you are taking any of the following medicines:
· terfenadine (Seldane, Seldane-D);
· astemizole (Hismanal);
· cisapride (Propulsid); or
· pimozide (Orap).
• Erythromycin may interact with these medicines and could cause dangerous or life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.
• Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Erythromycin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.
• Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.




What are the possible side effects of erythromycin?
• Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop using erythromycin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
· chest pain, uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed or fainting;
· nausea, stomach pain, low fever, lost appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
· diarrhea that is watery or bloody.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue taking erythromycin and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:
· mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain (taking erythromycin with food or milk may help avoid these effects);
· dizziness, headache, feeling tired;
· vaginal itching or discharge; or
· mild itching or skin rash.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.




What other drugs will affect erythromycin?
• Do not take erythromycin with terfenadine (Seldane), astemizole (Hismanal), cisapride (Propulsid), or pimozide (Orap). Erythromycin may interact with these medicines and could cause dangerous or life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.
• Before taking erythromycin, tell your doctor if you are taking
· digoxin (Lanoxin);
· disopyramide (Norpace);
· warfarin (Coumadin);
· theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theobid, and others);
· midazolam (Versed) or triazolam (Halcion);
· ergotamine (Ercaf, Cafergot, Ergostat, Ergomar) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal);
· carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakote, Depakene);
· tacrolimus (Prograf);
· cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
· lovastatin (Mevacor) or simvastatin (Zocor);
· bromocriptine (Parlodel); or
· other antibiotics.
• If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to take erythromycin, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.
• There may be other drugs not listed that can affect erythromycin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

It is a drug used in heaps of situations in stock feed for one. We had to put it in the water mixture on a chicken farm to dose all the birds against resporitory infections.
Erythromycin (also known as eryth ethylsuc) is a macrolide antibiotic which has an antimicrobial spectrum similar to or slightly wider than that of penicillin, and is often used for people who have an allergy to penicillins. For respiratory tract infections, it has better coverage of atypical organisms, including mycoplasma. It is also used to treat outbreaks of chlamydia, syphilis, acne and gonorrhea. Structurally, this macrocyclic compound contains a 14-membered lactone ring with ten asymmetric centers and two sugars (L-cladinose and D-desoamine), making it a compound very difficult to produce via synthetic methods.

Answer 5

He can too spell

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. See the wiki page.

It is available in oral and injectable formulations.

It works by entering the bacteria and binding to their protein manufacturing mechanisms (the ribosome) and inactivating it.

It is used commonly against respiratory infections and in some skin/soft tissue infections where penicillins cannot be used (or in conjunction with penicillins).

It is reknown for causing gastric upset - diarrhoea and nausea.

Answer 6

Erythromycin is an antibiotic that prevents bacteria from producing proteins, which interferes with bacterial growth and multiplication, while not affecting human cells.

Erythromycin can be used to treat Streptococcal infections of the throat (strep throat) and the skin. It can also be used in treating lung infections (pneumonias) caused by streptococcal pneumoniae, mycoplasma pneumoniae, and legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires disease). Erythromycin is used in patients who are allergic to penicillin for the prevention of recurrent rheumatic fever, and heart valve infections (endocarditis) in patients with heart valve abnormalities before undergoing dental treatments.

Answer 7

It's an antibiotic, commonly used in hospitals and prescribed by GPs for a number of infections.

Answer 8

antibiotic

Erythromycin is in a group of drugs called macrolide antibiotics.

They are used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria.

Answer 9

There is a tendency for erythromycin to decrease the rate of metabolism of diazepam, however I would not encourage anyone to continue with diazepam in general. In some controlled studies it fared no better than placebo in anxiety. Diazepam at best papers over the cracks and then rather thinly. It would be better to consider not pharmacological managements of panic attacks like relaxation therapy or psychotherapy.

Answer 10

It's an antibiotic.

Answer 11

An antibiotic obtained from a strain of the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus, effective against many gram-positive bacteria and some gram-negative bacteria.