Zithromax |
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Zithromax, Sumamed (generic name: azithromycin) is a semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic chemically related to erythromycin and clarithromycin (Biaxin). It is effective against a wide variety of bacteria organisms, such as Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and mycobacterium avium, and many others. It is unusual in that it stays in the body for quite a while, allowing for once a day dosing and for shorter treatment courses for most infections. Azithromycin, like all macrolide antibiotics, prevents bacteria from growing by interfering with their ability to make proteins. Due to the differences in the way proteins are made in bacteria and humans, the macrolide antibiotics do not interfere with humans' ability to make proteins.
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| Dosage |
Packing |
Price |
Add to basket |
| 250 mg |
6 caps |
USD 37.00 |
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| 500 mg |
3 caps ($12.3 per caps) |
USD 37.00 |
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| 500 mg |
6 caps ($11.5 per caps) |
USD 69.00 |
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| 500 mg |
12 caps ($10.75 per caps) |
USD 129.00 |
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Zithromax generic (generic - what is it?)
| Dosage |
Packing |
Price |
Add to basket |
| 250 mg |
12 tab ($2.0 per tab) |
USD 24.00 |
|
| 250 mg |
24 tab ($1.6 per tab) |
USD 38.00 |
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| 250 mg |
48 tab ($1.3 per tab) |
USD 63.00 |
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Zithromax: Medications and Prescriptions
Generic name: Azithromycin
Product Brand Name: Zithromax, Sumamed
Zithromax description
Why is this drug prescribed?
Zithromax is an antibiotic related to erythromycin. It is prescribed for adults to treat certain mild to moderate skin infections; upper and lower respiratory tract infections, including pharyngitis (strep throat), tonsillitis, worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia; sexually transmitted infections of the cervix or urinary tract; and genital ulcer disease in men. In children, Zithromax is used to treat middle ear infection, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and strep throat.
Most important fact about this drug:
There is a possibility of rare but very serious reactions to Zithromax, including angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, and neck that impedes speaking, swallowing, and breathing), anaphylaxis (a violent, even fatal allergic reaction), and serious skin diseases. If you develop these symptoms, stop taking Zithromax and call your doctor immediately.
How should you take this medication?
Take Zithromax capsules at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Zithromax tablets and oral suspension can be taken with or without food. Do not take any form with an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium, such as Di-Gel, Gelusil, Maalox, and others.
If you are using single-dose packets of Zithromax powder for oral suspension, mix the entire contents of each packet with 2 ounces of water, drink immediately, then add an additional 2 ounces of water, mix again, and drink to make sure you've taken the entire dose. When giving the pediatric suspension, shake the bottle thoroughly before each use and measure the dose with the supplied calibrated dropper. Use the pediatric suspension within 10 days and throw out any that remains. Be sure to take all the drug prescribed. If you stop taking Zithromax too soon, some germs may survive and the illness may return.
If you miss a dose
Take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. If you don't remember until the next day, skip the dose and go back to your regular schedule. Never try to "catch up" by doubling the dose.
Storage instructions
Zithromax should be stored at room temperature.
What side effects may occur?
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Zithromax.
- More common side effects may include:
Abdominal pain, diarrhea or loose stools, nausea or vomiting
- Less common side effects may include:
Blood in the stools, chest pain, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, gas, headache, heart palpitations, indigestion, itching, jaundice yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), kidney infection, light sensitivity, rash, severe allergic reaction including swelling (as in hives), vaginal inflammation, vertigo, yeast infection
- Other uncommon side effects sometimes seen in children include:
Agitation, constipation, cough, facial swelling, feeling of illness, fever, fungal infection, insomnia, loss of appetite, nervousness, overactivity, pinkeye, runny nose, shortness of breath, sore throat, stomach inflammation, sweating
The single large dose of Zithromax that is prescribed to treat sexually transmitted infection of the cervix or urinary tract is more likely to cause stomach and bowel side effects than the smaller doses prescribed for a skin or respiratory tract infection.
Why should this drug not be prescribed?
Do not take Zithromax if you have ever had an allergic reaction to it or to similar antibiotics such as erythromycin (E.E.S., PCE, and others).
Special warnings about this medication:
Like certain other antibiotics, Zithromax may cause a potentially life-threatening form of diarrhea called pseudomembranous colitis. Pseudomembranous colitis may clear up spontaneously when the drug is stopped; if it doesn't, hospital treatment may be required. If you develop diarrhea, check with your doctor immediately.
If you have a liver problem, your doctor should monitor you very carefully while you are taking Zithromax.
Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication:
Do not take Zithromax with antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, such as Maalox and Mylanta. If Zithromax is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Zithromax with the following:
Nelfinavir (Viracept)
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps)
Ergot-containing drugs such as Cafergot and D.H.E.
Cyclosporine (Neoral and Sandimmune)
Hexobarbital
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding:
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. You should take Zithromax during pregnancy only if it is clearly needed. It is not known whether Zithromax can make its way into breast milk. If the drug is essential to your health, your doctor may advise you to stop breastfeeding until your treatment is finished.
Recommended dosage
ADULTS
Respiratory Diseases, Tonsillitis, Strep Throat, and Skin Infections
The usual dose of Zithromax is 500 milligrams in a single dose the first day. This is followed by 250 milligrams once daily for the next 4 days. Alternatively, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be prescribed 500 milligrams a day for 3 days.
Genital Ulcer Disease
The usual dose is a single gram (1,000 milligrams) one time only.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The usual dose is a single 2-gram (2,000 milligrams) dose.
CHILDREN
Middle Ear Infection
For children aged 6 months and up, treatment may be given three ways. One option is a single dose of 30 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of body weight. Another option is a dose of 10 milligrams per 2.2 pounds given each day for 3 days. Zithromax can also be given over a period of 5 days, starting with a dose of 10 milligrams per 2.2 pounds on the first day and continuing with daily doses of 5 milligrams per 2.2 pounds for the next 4 days.
Pneumonia
For children aged 6 months and up, the usual dose is 10 milligrams of Zithromax suspension per 2.2 pounds of body weight in a single dose the first day, followed by 5 milligrams per 2.2 pounds for the next 4 days.
Strep Throat and Tonsillitis
For children aged 2 years and up, the usual dose is 12 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of body weight once daily for 5 days.
Overdosage:
Although no specific information on Zithromax overdose is available, any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately.
Caution! Before starting to take this medicine, it is vital that you should consult your doctor! Do not use it on your own initiative, without medical advice.
Zithromax notes:
Zithromax generic equivalent Azithromycin is use to treat infections caused by bacteria, such as respiratory infections, skin infections, ear infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. In children, it is use to treat middle ear infection, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and strep throat. Zithromax is a macrolide antibiotic related to erythromycin. Zithromax is often used off-label for many other mild to moderate Pediatric infections that are caused by susceptible bacteria, including sinus infections (sinusitis), Cat Scratch Disease, chronic bronchitis with a secondary bacterial infection, walking pneumonia and pertussis. Zithromax side effects include diarrhoea, headache, loose stools, nausea, stomach pain, upset stomach and vomiting. Severe allergic reactions like rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, unusual hoarseness, changes in hearing or hearing loss,eye or vision problems, irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, pounding in the chest, red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin, ringing in the ears, seizure, severe diarrhea, stomach cramps/pain, trouble speaking or swallowing, yellowing of the skin or eyes may occur. It is recommended to consult doctor immediately if any of the side effects gets worsened.
The recommended zithromax dose is 250 mg or as prescribed by doctor .Zithromax capsules must be taken on an empty stomach. Take the capsule at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating a meal. The tablets or powder oral suspension may be taken without food, take it along with food if the medicine upsets stomach. To use the oral suspension single dose packet, open the packet and pour the medicine into 2 ounces of water. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away. If certain drugs like Digoxin,Warfarin or Nelfinavir also taken, Zithromax effects could be decreased. Sumamed a brand name medication which suppresses fomation of protein by bacteria. Recommended dose of Sumamed is 500 mg for adults.
Zithromax and alcohol can be dangerous for life. So alcohol consumption should be avoided.
Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Zithromax passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. If a dose is missed, it is advised to consume it as soon as it is remembered. If it is near the time of the next dose, the missed one should be skip and the usual dosing schedule should be resume and strictly not to double the dose to catch up. Store this medication at room temperature (41 to 86 degrees F or 5 to 30 degrees C) away from moisture and heat.
Zithromax Cost:
Dosage Packing Price
250 mg 6 caps USD 37.00
500 mg 3 caps USD 37.00
500 mg 6 caps USD 69.00
500 mg 12 caps USD 129.00
Zithromax news:
Azithromycin has been available in the United States since 1992 under the tradename zithromax. In the 44th annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Washington, three studies were presented on new investigational microsphere formulation of azithromycin, which as a one time oral dosage is comparable to other frequently prescribed treatments for some of the most common respiratory tract infections in adult patients. Pfizer had sponsored the studies and submitted the data for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the company was in the process of approval of this medicine in treatment of adult respiratory tract infections, chronic bronchitis , acute bacterial sinusitis and community acquired pneumonia.
The studies showed that single dosage of zithromax microspheres provides a complete course of treatmentfor the above mention diseases. It was compared to a seven-day regimen of clarithromycin XL for the treatment of community acquired pneumonia and to seven- and ten-day courses of levofloxacin for the treatment of chronic bronchitis and acute bacterial sinusitis.
Michael Niederman, M.D. chairman of the Department of Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y had said that efficiency of zithromax as a single dosage for such treatments can be useful to minimize the antibiotic resistance which is one of the growing problem in the treatment of community respiratory tract infections. One of the factors that contributes to its development is patients taking an incomplete course of therapy.
Zithromax derived from erythromycin is used to treat or prevent certain bacterial infections which includes middle ear infections, tonsillitis, throat infections, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, typhoid and sinusitis. Although derived from erythromycin, it differs chemically as in erythromycin methyl-substituted nitrogen atom is incorporated into the lactone ring, thus making the lactone ring 15-membered. In recent years it has primarily been used to prevent bacterial infections in infants and those with weaker immune systems. It is also effective against certain urinary tract infections and venereal diseases such as non-gonococcal urethritis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and cervicitis.
In a two-way crossover study, 12 adult healthy volunteers (6 males, 6 females) received 1,500 mg of azithromycin administered in single daily doses over either 5 days (two 250 mg tablets on day 1, followed by one 250 mg tablet on days 2-5) or 3 days (500 mg per day for days 1-3). Due to limited serum samples on day 2 (3-day regimen) and days 2-4 (5-day regimen), the serum concentration-time profile of each subject was fit to a 3-compartment model and the AUC(0-∞) for the fitted concentration profile was comparable between the 5-day and 3-day regimens. Median azithromycin exposure (AUC0-288) in mononuclear (MN) and polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes following either the 5-day or 3-day regimen was more than a 1000-fold and 800-fold greater than in serum respectively. Administration of the same total dose with either the 5-day or 3-day regimen may be expected to provide comparable concentrations of azithromycin within MN and PMN leukocytes.
The serum protein binding of zithromax is variable in the concentration range approximating human exposure, decreasing from 51% at 0.02 µg/mL to 7% at 2 µg/mL. Following oral administration, it is widely distributed throughout the body with an apparent steady-state volume of distribution of 31.1 L/kg. High tissue concentrations should not be interpreted to be quantitatively related to clinical efficacy. The antimicrobial activity of zithromax is pH related and appears to be reduced with decreasing pH. However, the extensive distribution of drug to tissues may be relevant to clinical activity. Plasma concentrations of zithromax following single 500 mg oral and i.v. doses declined in a polyphasic pattern with a mean apparent plasma clearance of 630 mL/min and terminal elimination half-life of 68 hours. The prolonged terminal half-life is thought to be due to extensive uptake and subsequent release of drug from tissues.
In a double-blind, controlled clinical study of acute otitis media performed in the United States, zithromax (10 mg/kg on day 1 followed by 5 mg/kg on days 2-5) was compared to amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium (4:1). For the 553 patients who were evaluated for clinical efficacy, the clinical success rate at the day 11 visit was 88% for zithromax and 88% for the control agent. For the 521 patients who were evaluated at the day 30 visit, the clinical success rate was 73% for zithromax and 71% for the control agent. In the safety analysis of the above study, the incidence of treatment-related adverse events, primarily gastrointestinal, in all patients treated was 9% with zithromax and 31% with the control agent. The most common side effects were diarrhea/loose stools (4% zithromax vs. 20% control), vomiting (2% zithromax vs. 7% control) and abdominal pain (2% zithromax vs. 5% control).
A study was conducted to elaborate the impact of routine prophylaxis with zithromax in a single-dose therapy at two gestational windows in an attempt to decrease the incidence of preterm birth. 2,297 pregnant women attending three rural and one peri-urban health centres in Southern Malawi and who are on placebo-controlled trial of oral zithromax (1 g) given at 16-24 and 28-32 wk gestation were enrolled for this study. Gestational age was determined by ultrasound before 24 week. Women and their infants were followed up until 6 week post delivery. The primary outcome was incidence of preterm delivery defined as <37 week. Secondary outcomes were mean gestational age at delivery, perinatal mortality, birthweight, maternal malaria and anaemia. The analysis showed that there were no significant differences in outcome between the zithromax group and the placebo group, in respect of preterm birth (16.8% versus 17.4%), odds ratio (OR) 0.96, 95% confidence interval (0.76-1.21), mean gestational age at delivery (38.5 versus 38.4 weeks), mean difference 0.16 (-0.08 to 0.40), mean birthweight (3.03 versus 2.99 kg), mean difference 0.04 (-0.005 to 0.08), perinatal deaths (4.3% versus 5.0%), OR 0.85 (0.53-1.38) or maternal malarial parasitaemia (11.5% versus 10.1%), OR 1.11 (0.84-1.49) and anaemia (44.1% versus 41.3%) at 28-32 weeks, OR 1.07 (0.88-1.30). Meta-analysis of the primary outcome results with seven other studies of routine antibiotic prophylaxis in pregnancy (>6,200 pregnancies) shows no effect on preterm birth (relative risk 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.86-1.22). This study carried out on pregnant women provides no support for the use of antibiotics as routine prophylaxis to prevent preterm birth in high risk populations and prevention of preterm birth requires alternative strategies.
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Drug category:Antibacterial and antiviral agent
 Zithromax
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