It seems such a simple task to discuss the various features of a drug medication such as azithromycin, and yet the story is never complete when a full coverage of the precautionary measures and interactions with other medications is left untouched. It would be an injustice to leave them out so we’ll discuss them in this article. Read on and find out what these features of azithromycin are all about.

The very first thing to do

If you are allergic to something, say some type of food, or drink or pet animal, it’s reasonable to expect that you would make it known to anyone offering them to you and of course you wouldn’t eat or drink them.

You’d also make it known to your family that you are allergic to the fur of the family pet cat and they’d understand.

It’s the same for drug medications so the very first thing you should do is inform your doctor or pharmacist that you have an allergic reaction to say azithromycin 500 mg! They would certainly appreciate the information for your own good as well as theirs.

The precautions needed for azithromycin 500 mg

You are now aware that your healthcare experts need to know whether or not you are allergic to azithromycin 500 mg but it doesn’t end there.

You also need to inform them about other antibiotics that you may be allergic to such as telithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, and any other allergies you may have.

This drug medication may also contain ingredients that are not active which can be responsible for causing your allergic reactions or perhaps other issues.

You should consult with your pharmacist to find out more details about this issue.

It’s also important that before you start using azithromycin 500 mg, you should inform your doctor or pharmacist about your medical background.

This mainly concerns the list of conditions you’ve suffered such as: kidney disease, liver disease and certain muscle disease (myasthenia gravis)

QT prolongation

It’s also possible that azithromycin 500 mg may cause a certain type of condition which can affect the rhythm of your heart beat, known as QT prolongation.

QT prolongation is rarely fatal and its occurrence is very rare and it mainly involves the palpitation of the heart causing it to beat at an irregular pace including other symptoms such as severe dizziness and fainting, conditions that require prompt medical attention.

The debilitating effects of QT prolongation can be exacerbated if you suffer from other health conditions or you are consuming other kinds ofdrugs that can actually cause QT prolongation.

It’s clear then from what has been discussed that informing your doctor and pharmacist about all the drugs that you took or are taking is very important before you actually start taking azithromycin 500 mg.

Before taking this medication, you should also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you suffer from certain heart conditions such as:

• heart failure
• slow heartbeat
• QT prolongation in the EKG (this can cause sudden cardiac death)
• History of suffering from some heart problems

Levels of potassium or magnesium

Low levels of potassium or magnesium in the blood can also increase your risk of getting QT prolongation.

The risk of QT prolongation will increase if you take certain drugs such as diuretics or “water pills” or if you suffer from chronic sweating, diarrhea or even vomiting.

Naturally, the best approach in making sure you are using azithromycin 500 mg safely is to discuss things with your doctor or pharmacist

Surgery

Before you have surgery, you should also inform your doctor or dentist about all the drugs you are taking that can include herbal products, non-prescribed drugs and prescription drugs.

You should also know that more senior adults can display more sensitivity to the effects of azithromycin 500 mg particularly QT prolongation.

Pregnancy

For women, it’s important to note that this medication should only be used during pregnancy when it’s absolutely necessary. You should discuss the benefits and risks of the medication with your doctor.

You should also know that this drug medication can pass into breast milkafter being taken by the mother so you should discuss the matter with your doctor before you breast feed your child.

Drug interactions

Drug interactions usually occur when two medications are used together at the same time for certain necessary medical reasons.

When medications interact, the way a medication normally works can be changed and you can also increase your risk of getting serious side effects.

There are so many drug interactions it’s not possible to discuss them all here but hopefully you will benefit from what is discussed here.

Keep a list

You should list down all the drug medications that your use which should include prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs as well as herbal remedies. Share all these with your doctor and pharmacist.

Starting your treatment

When you decide to use azithromycin for your medication, the normal thing to do as with other drug treatments, is that you shouldn’t begin, stop or change the dose of any of medications that has been prescribed for you without the approval of your doctor.

One of the known products that can interact with azithromycin 500 mg includes the use of live bacterial vaccines.

Birth control medications

It’s been suggested that most antibiotics may not affect hormonal birth controlproducts such as ring, pills or patch. However, some antibiotics may actually reduce their effective performance.

The most likely result is that even if you use these products, they can still cause you to become pregnant.

Examples of antibiotics that can reduce the effectiveness of birth control medications from interaction are rifamycins such as rifampin or rifabutin.

Because of this you should consult your doctor or pharmacist if you should use more reliable birth control methodswhen you use these antibiotics.

Many other drug medications besides azithromycin 500 mg may also affect heart rhythm (QT prolongation).

These antibiotics include amiodrone, disoyramide, dofetilide, dronedarone, ibutilide, pimozide,procainamide,quinidine,sotalol and others.

Conclusion

When you decide to use a drug medication such as azithromycin, the best thing to do before you actually start using it is to consult your doctor or pharmacist about your intentions so that you can use it in the most effective way possible. This involves not only in knowing the side effects that the drug can cause but also knowing the precautions and interactions so you can effectively guard against them.