Drug Database: Azithromycin

What is azithromycin?What is azithromycin?

What is azithromycin?

Azithromycin is an antibacterial prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of certain bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, including community-acquired pneumonia; pelvic inflammatory disease; genital ulcer disease; and skin infections.

Community-acquired pneumonia can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

How is azithromycin used in people with HIV?How is azithromycin used in people with HIV?

How is azithromycin used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents With HIV and/or the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children With and Exposed to HIV include recommendations on the uses of azithromycin in people with HIV to:

Treat:

• Community-acquired pneumonia
• Toxoplasma gondii encephalitis
• Disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection
• Bacterial enteric infections, including campylobacteriosis and shigellosis
• Certain Bartonella infections (also called bartonellosis), such as infections of the bloodstream (bacteremia) and bone (osteomyelitis)

Prevent:

• Bacterial enteric infections from occurring the first time
• Disseminated MAC infection from occurring the first time and from recurring

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of azithromycin. See the Adult and Pediatric Opportunistic Infection Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of azithromycin in adults and children with HIV. Azithromycin may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before using azithromycin?What should I tell my health care provider before using azithromycin?

What should I tell my health care provider before using azithromycin?

Before using azithromycin, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to azithromycin, any other macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, including the following:
  • Pneumonia
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Myasthenia gravis (a disease that causes muscle weakness)
  • A known or suspected bacteremia (bacterial infection in the blood)
  • Heart problems or an irregular heartbeat, especially a problem called "QT prolongation"
  • Low potassium or low magnesium
  • Kidney or liver problems
• About anything that could affect your ability to take medicines, such as difficulty swallowing pills, difficulty remembering to take pills, or any health conditions that may prevent your use of intravenous medicines.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the benefits and risks of using azithromycin during pregnancy. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV may include other recommendations on the use of azithromycin during pregnancy. Please refer to these guidelines for additional information.
• If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. For mothers with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. Mothers with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk. Although most medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breastfeeding.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Azithromycin may interact with other medicines or supplements. For a list of medicines and supplements that may interact with azithromycin, see the drug labels for azithromycin injection and powder (for oral suspension), tablet (film coated) or ask your health care provider or pharmacist.

How should I use azithromycin?How should I use azithromycin?

How should I use azithromycin?

Use azithromycin according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much azithromycin to use and when to use it.

It is important to complete the full prescribed course of treatment with azithromycin, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop using azithromycin too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be fully treated, and the bacteria may become harder to treat (resistant).

Before you start azithromycin and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

What side effects can azithromycin cause?What side effects can azithromycin cause?

What side effects can azithromycin cause?

Azithromycin may cause side effects that can be mild or serious. To learn about possible side effects of azithromycin, see the FDA drug labels for azithromycin injection and powder (for oral suspension), tablet (film coated) or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist. Tell your health care professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.

How should azithromycin be stored?How should azithromycin be stored?

How should azithromycin be stored?

• Store vials of azithromycin for injection at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). For instructions on the storage of reconstituted and diluted solutions for infusion, please see the drug label.
• Store azithromycin dry powder for oral suspension below 86°F (30°C). After mixing, store the oral suspension between 41°F and 86°F (5°C and 30°C) and use within 10 days. Keep the oral suspension in a tightly closed container.
• Store azithromycin tablets between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C).
• Do not use azithromycin if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away azithromycin that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine. For information on disposing of needles and other sharps, please refer to these guidelines or ask your health care provider or pharmacist.
• Keep azithromycin and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about azithromycin?Where can I find more information about azithromycin?

Where can I find more information about azithromycin?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related uses of azithromycin, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Injection (powder, lyophilized, for solution); Powder (for oral suspension), tablet (film coated). The Patient Counseling Information and Patient Information sections of the labels include information for people using azithromycin.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for azithromycin available from MedlinePlus.
• Azithromycin-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.)