Is Azithromycin for Chlamydia Safe?

Azithromycin is safe to take provided you are over 45 kg, you do not have an existing medical conditions and that you are not taking any other medicines. You should talk with your doctor before taking this medicine if you are aware of any conditions that affect your kidney, heart, and liver or are lactose intolerant or are taking other medicines.

However you may experience some side effects when taking Azithromycin (see Azithromycin side effects section). Rarely, you may be allergic to this medicine and kidney, heart and liver problems may be exasperated if you take Azithromycin because it can occasional cause inflammation of the liver, kidney and  abnormal heart function.


Taking Azithromycin with other medicines

You should not take Azithromycin if you have previously had an allergic reaction to any other macrolide antibiotic such as erythromycin or clarithromycin. You should check with your doctor whether or not you have ever experienced a reaction to antibiotics and are unsure whether or not these were macrolide antibiotics.

You should not take Azithromycin without first consulting your doctor if you are taking any medicines that are prescribed for migraines, blood clots, heart failure, allergies, indigestion, neurological disorders, HIV, TB (tuberculosis), to suppress our immune system (usually after transplant surgery), malaria or asthma. You may also find that if you experience sickness or diarrhoea after taking Azithromycin your contraceptive pill taken to prevent pregnancy may not work properly. You should use extra protection against pregnancy if and whilst you experience vomiting or diarrhea.

If you normally take indigestion remedies or any of the above medication then check with your chemist or doctor to make sure that you can safely take them along with Azithromycin. Sometimes you may still take some remedies if you take the remedy 2 hours before taking Azithromycin, otherwise you may leave a 2 hour space after taking Azithromycin before you take the remedy.

Taking Azithromycin during Pregnancy

You should talk to your doctor about taking Azithromycin during your pregnancy or if you are breast-feeding your baby because an alternative antibiotic may be recommended for you. However, no reports of malformations have been reported due to taking Azithromycin during pregnancy and it doesn’t easily cross the placenta (pass from the mother’s circulation to the baby).  Azithromycin is also safe for children to take at an adjusted dosage.

Taking Azithromycin with Alcohol

The effect of alcohol and Azithromycin has not been studied. However, many of the side effects of this medicine may be exasperated by alcohol. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking Azithromycin and alcohol.

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