Facts About Zithromax and Alcohol Consumption
Zithromax is one of the popular antibiotics which fight the bacterial infection. It is used for the treatment of various kinds of infection such as:
- Skin infection;
- Ear infection;
- Respiratory infection;
- Genital infection;
This medication, however, does not work on viral infection. Also, unnecessary use of medicine can reduce the effectiveness of it.
How should You Take Zithromax?
When you start taking the antibiotic, you should read the leaflet inside in thoroughly. You should follow this even when you go to get a refill. When you have any regarding the medicine, you should consult the doctor or the pharmacist. This is an oral medication. When you have an upset stomach, you can take this medication with food.
The dosage that is prescribed to the adults is based on their response to the treatment and also their medical condition. However, the dosage is prescribed on the basis of the weight. If you use the liquid from the medicine, make sure that you shake it before using it. Measure the liquid before having it. Avoid using a household spoon for measurement, as it might not give you the correct measurement. In case, your child vomits the one-day dosage within half an hour of taking it then you should call the doctor to find out if you should repeat the dosage.
The antibiotic works the best when you keep the amount of medicine in the body, constant. Also, try to take the drug for bacterial infection at the same time every day. Do not stop taking the medication until you are done with the fully prescribed medication, even if the infection is cured. If you stop taking the medication before the completion of the prescribed amount, the bacteria might continue growing to cause the infection to return.
Things to Know About Zithromax and Consumption of Alcohol
Many people might be of the opinion that consuming alcohol when you take some medication does not lead to any complication. Also, there are other people who will tell u otherwise. There are times when you have the craving to have a single drink and if you are prescribed antibiotics, you keep wondering whether it is safe to both of them together.
Consuming alcohol with any medication isn’t at all a good idea. If you carefully read the medicine leaflet of Zithromax, you will come to know about the list of side effects that you might experience. The consumption of alcohol might magnify the side effects of the drug. Thus, your body is unable to respond to the treatment normally.
Some of the side effects of the drug have been mentioned below:
- edema;
- fast or irregular heartbeat;
- diarrhea;
- syncope;
- intense fatigue;
- jaundice;
- hives.
The liver works hard in order to filter and then remove the toxic elements present in the body and this includes Zithromax and alcohol. In some case, the consumption of alcohol can cause damage to the liver and this can cause the side effects to increase. The issues like:
- abdominal pain;
- jaundice;
- fatigue.
Might cause because of a damaged liver. This is the reason experts are of the opinion that keeps away from alcohol when you take antibiotics.
Though alcohol does not interfere with the working of Zithromax, yet it might damage the liver which can lead to other problems. Drinking moderately might not cause many inconveniences but avoid drinking heavily.
Precautions to Maintain Before Taking the Medication
When you take Zithromax, you should tell the pharmacist or the doctor if you are allergic to it or not. You should also inform your doctor if you are allergic to other antibiotics. Enumerate your medical history to your doctor particularly if you have:
- muscle disease caused myasthenia gravis;
- kidney problems;
- liver problems.
The antibiotics can affect the heart rhythm which is known as QT prolongation. The problem of QR prolongation might increase if you have some medical problem or take some other medicine which might cause QT prolongation. So, before you take the medicine for bacterial infection, you should inform the doctor about all the medication that you are taking.
If you have low levels of magnesium and potassium in your blood, it can increase the risk of QT prolongation. The risk increases when you take certain kind of drugs or have conditions like:
- diarrhea;
- severe sweating;
- vomiting.
In this case, talk to your doctor to take the medication safely. If you are pregnant take this drug only when absolutely necessary. The drug passes on the breast-milk. Thus, have a talk with your doctor before breastfeeding.
Be careful not to share the medication. The antibiotics are prescribed for the current bacterial infection and you should not take it for any other infection. When you forget to take a dosage, you should take it as soon as you remember. However, if the time is close to the next dosage, then skip the missed dosage and continue with the normal dosing schedule.
Category: Healthcare
Tags: antibiotics, infection, Zithromax