Here is the full drug overview for:
💊 Azithromycin Tablet 250 mg
📘 Description:
Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic available in oral tablet form. Each tablet contains 250 mg of azithromycin as the dihydrate salt. It is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections.
💊 Prescription / Indications:
Used to treat infections caused by susceptible bacteria, including:
- Upper respiratory tract infections (e.g., pharyngitis, sinusitis)
- Lower respiratory tract infections (e.g., bronchitis, pneumonia)
- Skin and soft tissue infections
- Ear infections (otitis media)
- Urethritis and cervicitis (caused by Chlamydia trachomatis)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Traveler’s diarrhea (off-label)
- Typhoid fever (mild to moderate cases)
🩺 Uses:
- Convenient once-daily dosing
- Commonly prescribed in short-course therapies (e.g., 3–5 days)
- Often used in patients allergic to penicillins
- Useful in community-acquired infections
🌿 Nature / Drug Class:
- Class: Macrolide antibiotic
- Bacteriostatic (inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to 50S ribosomal subunit)
- Broad-spectrum: Active against Gram-positive, some Gram-negative, and atypical bacteria (e.g., Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Legionella)
✅ Advantages:
- Long half-life – allows once-daily dosing
- Short treatment duration – improves compliance
- Safe for use in children and the elderly
- Good tissue penetration
- Fewer drug interactions compared to erythromycin
- Can be taken with or without food
⚠️ Precautions:
- Avoid in patients with known macrolide allergy
- Caution in:
- Liver dysfunction (hepatic metabolism)
- Prolonged QT interval or arrhythmias
- Myasthenia gravis (may worsen symptoms)
- Possible side effects:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
- Headache, dizziness
- Rare: Liver enzyme elevation, allergic rash
- Do not use with antacids simultaneously (reduce absorption)
📦 Common Packaging:
- Blister packs of 3, 6, or 10 tablets
- Each tablet usually marked with dosage
- Also available as 500 mg tablets and oral suspensions
❄️ Storage:
- Store below 30°C
- Keep in a dry place, protected from moisture
- Keep out of reach of children