ERYCREAT Erythromycine (500 mg)

Indication

ERYCREAT contains erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic used as an alternative to penicillin in patients allergic to penicillins. It is indicated for respiratory tract infections (including atypical pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma and Chlamydia), skin infections, campylobacter enteritis, whooping cough, acne vulgaris, chlamydia, and Legionnaires' disease.

Ingredients

• Erythromycin 500 mg

Direction

Adults: 250–500 mg (1 tablet) every 6 hours (4 times daily) or 500 mg–1 g twice daily for 5–14 days depending on the indication. Children: 30–50 mg/kg/day in divided doses. Take on an empty stomach 30–60 minutes before meals or 2 hours after meals (unless GI intolerance).

Side effects

• Nausea
• vomiting
• and abdominal cramps (common).
• Diarrhoea.
• Elevated liver enzymes.
• Allergic skin reactions.
• QT prolongation and arrhythmia (rare but serious).
• Hearing loss with high doses (reversible).

Precautions

• Contraindicated with cisapride
• terfenadine
• or pimozide (risk of fatal arrhythmia).
• QT prolongation risk
• use with caution in patients with cardiac arrhythmia.
• Use with caution in hepatic impairment.
• Significant CYP3A4 drug interactions (warfarin
• statins
• cyclosporin
• theophylline).
• Not recommended in the first trimester of pregnancy (estolate form contraindicated in all trimesters).
• Complete the full prescribed course.