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Take the time to learn about the potential benefits, the health risks and the many unknowns regarding generic zithromax. It can be frightening to read a list of the side effects of Azithromycin. More than a few of my patients have immediately assumed that they would suffer from all of them. The truth is that most people will experience none of them, just the benefits of Azithromycin. Side effects vary from person to person and it is impossible to predict exactly how each individual will be affected. Some characteristics and pre-existing conditions are known to increase the risk from certain side effects. Doctors should assess these factors before advising patients on which drugs to choose. The FDA monitors reports of adverse drug reactions and has found no difference in the rates between generic and brand name drugs.

Zithromax, generic name Azithromycin, is a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic with a long half-life and excellent tissue penetration. It is primarily used for the treatment of respiratory, enteric and genitourinary infections and may be used in preference to other macrolides for some sexually transmitted and enteric infections. Azithromycin has additional immunomodulatory effects and has been used in chronic respiratory inflammatory diseases for this purpose.

Indications

Infections that may be treated with azithromycin include: community-acquired pneumonia, specific respiratory infections, including pertussis and legionellosis, sexually transmitted infections such as orchitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, bacterial enteritis due to Campylobacter and Salmonella species, cholera and travellers’ diarrhoea.

Antibacterial therapy and drug-resistance

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of azithromycin and other antibacterial drugs, azithromycin should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.

What are the side effects?

The side effects of azithromycin mostly affect the digestive system. They include diarrhea, nausea, and pain in the abdomen. Some people get very sensitive to sunlight. Others may get headaches, be dizzy or sleepy, or have some problems hearing. Very few people who take azithromycin get these side effects. However, most anti-HIV medications also cause problems in the digestive system. Azithromycin could make those problems worse. Antibiotics kill some helpful bacteria that normally live in the digestive system. You can eat yogurt or take supplements of acidophilus to replace them. It is contraindicated in patients with prior history of hypersensitive reactions to any of the macrolides and in persons with a history of cholestatic liver dysfunction associated with prior use of azithromycin.