General information about Azithromycin

Azithromycin is an antibiotic. That means it is only effective to treat and cure an infection caused by bacteria. Not just any bacteria. Only the bacteria in a limited class. So, it is necessary for a physician to examine you and diagnose the most likely cause of your sickness. If you take Azithromycin and you have an infection caused by a different bacterium, you will not get better. Similarly, if you have a viral infection, any antibiotic will be a complete failure. Worse, taking an antibiotic when you do not have an infection caused by a susceptible bacterium will help the bacteria in your body to build up an immunity to this antibiotic so that, if you fall sick with a susceptible bacterium in the future, the normally reliable Azithromycin will be less effective.

So if you take this antibiotic and you feel no improvement or your condition gets worse, this is clear evidence that the diagnosis was wrong. You should go back to your physician so that further tests an be carried out to determine what the cause of your infection is.

How to use Azithromycin

For most purposes, you will be given Azithromycin in tablet form. As with any prescription drug, you should follow the instructions given by your physician or pharmacist to get the best results. it is quite common to feel better quite soon after starting a course of treatment. Do not be deceived. You are not "better". You should continue taking the antibiotic until the end of the course of treatment prescribed to prevent reinfection.

This drug can be taken with or without food but there tend to be better outcomes with fewer problems in the digestive system if you take the tablets with food. Always drink a full glass of water to wash the tablet down. One of the more common side effects of taking an antibiotic is diarrhea which, occasionally, can occur up to three months after the course of treatment. The risk of this problem is reduced if you take the drug with food.

As with most drugs, store this medication out of the reach of children in a cool dry place. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.

How does Azithromycin work?

All antibiotics are designed to fight an infection caused by one or more specific bacteria. They work either by killing the bacteria (bactericidal) or by preventing their reproduction (bacteristatic) so that, as they die, the source of infection gradually fades away. This antibiotic is one of the class called macrolide, and it tends to concentrate with the leukocytes. That means it is carried to the site of the infection where the body's immune system is already at work in trying to beat the infection. Azithromycin itself in smaller doses is bacteristatic. In high concentrations, it is bactericidal. This means it works slightly more slowly in low rather than high doses.