Home > Community Treatment Reports and Side Effects > Erythromycin

What is the most important information I should know about erythromycin?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to erythromycin, or if you are also taking astemizole (Hismanal), cisapride (Propulsid), pimozide (Orap), or terfenadine (Seldane). Erythromycin may interact with these medicines and could cause dangerous or life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.

Before taking erythromycin, tell your doctor if you have liver disease or myasthenia gravis. You may not be able to take erythromycin, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

Do not crush, chew, break, or open an enteric-coated or delayed-release pill. Swallow the pill whole. The enteric-coated pill has a special coating to protect your stomach. Breaking the pill could damage this coating. The delayed-release pill is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Erythromycin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

Take this medication for as many days as it has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Erythromycin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Back to Treatment Report

What is erythromycin?

Erythromycin is in a group of drugs called macrolide antibiotics. Erythromycin fights bacteria in the body.

Erythromycin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria.

Erythromycin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to erythromycin, or if you are taking any of the following medicines:

  • astemizole (Hismanal);
  • cisapride (Propulsid);
  • pimozide (Orap); or
  • terfenadine (Seldane).

Erythromycin may interact with these medicines and could cause dangerous or life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.

If you have liver disease or myasthenia gravis, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take erythromycin.

FDA pregnancy category B: This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Erythromycin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Erythromycin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

Back to top

Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or hearing loss.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Back to top

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • chest pain, uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed or fainting;
  • nausea, stomach pain, low fever, lost appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
  • diarrhea that is watery or bloody.

Less serious side effects may include:

  • mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain;
  • dizziness, headache, feeling tired;
  • vaginal itching or discharge; or
  • mild itching or skin rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Back to top

Interactions

Many drugs can interact with erythromycin. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

  • bromocriptine (Parlodel);
  • cilostazol (Pletal);
  • cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
  • digoxin (Lanoxin);
  • disopyramide (Norpace);
  • quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex);
  • sildenafil (Viagra);
  • tacrolimus (Prograf);
  • theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theobid, and others);
  • verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);
  • vinblastine (Velban);
  • alprazolam (Xanax) or triazolam (Halcion);
  • a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
  • carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakote, Depakene);
  • a cholesterol-lowering medication such as lovastatin (Mevacor) or simvastatin (Zocor);
  • ergotamine (Ercaf, Cafergot, Ergostat, Ergomar) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal); or
  • any other antibiotics.

This list is not complete and there are many other drugs that can interact with erythromycin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Back to top

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04