Zithromax_data.csv

RATING,REASON,SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZITHROMAX,COMMENTS,SEX,AGE,DURATION/DOSAGE,DATE ADDED
3,Infection in tooth,"Dry mouth, sleeplessness, stopped up, stomach cramps, hard swallowing, heart feel like beating out my chest at times, extreme tiredness, belching and gastric issues.",,F,50,5 days250mg 1X day,7/29/2023
1,Bronchitis,"I also was taking prednisone with it and couldn't figure out which one was causing me to feel, light headed, jittery, numbness in mouth, hands and feet, just over all awful. Never again",,F,65,5 days30 1X day,06/11/2023
1,Sinusitis,"Terrible side effects. Racing heartbeat, almost passed out, terrible anxiety for days...",,M,30,3 days500 1X day,5/18/2023
1,tonsilitis,"horrible anxiety, fatigue, heart palpitations, brain zaps.",i hope this goes away soon i really wanted to stop taking it mid way,F,22,5 days250 1X day,3/15/2023
1,Asthma flare up,"First 2 days feeling fine it was helping with asthma, been anxiety /panic attacks free for 9 months. Third day severe anxiety dizziness blurry vision . I finished zpack 2 days ago anxiety and other side effects still going",I took zpack last year and had no problems this is antibiotic I trusted but no more !!! Did anything been changed??,F,60,5 days 1X day,2/7/2023Email
1,Cough,Heart racing. Irregular hear beat. Stopped taking it.,Horrible drug.,F,69,5 days250 mg 1X day,12/21/2022Email
1,Sinus infection,I have taken this drug before with minor problem - went to doc for a sinus infection .. received a rocephin shot and a z pack - took on pill 2 days ago and have been so nauseated for two days that i can barely eat - maybe damage to my esophagus? It's miserable. Feel like I'm going to throw up all day long !,,F,43,1 days15 1X day,10/27/2022Email
1,sinus infection like syptoms,"Smell and taste loss, imapired hearing, anxiety, depression, dry mouth, night sweats, insomnia and many more...",Still feeling the side effects of this drug more than a month later. Maybe its still in my system. Completely ruined my life. Never ever take this drug !!!,M,30,6 days500 1X day,10/10/2022Email
1,sinus infection like syptoms,"Lost sense of smell and taste, impaired hearing, weight loss, severe depression and a lot more","Its been more than a month, and still feeling the side effects of this nasty drug. Maybe its still in my system. It ruined my life. The damage it made me is beyond the imaginable. Never ever take this !!!",M,30,6 days500 1X day,10/10/2022
1,Sinus infection and cough,About 3 hrs after first dose (2 tablets) of generic version it set off a severe panic attack (my body is super sensitive to meds and has this reaction occasionally. Had the same reaction to first Covid vaccine). Also had some mild abdominal pain. The panic attack and elevated heart rate was followed by severe diarrhea- my first trip to the bathroom I couldn't make it to the toilet before some came out. So far the 2nd and 3rd trips I have made it in time and it seems to be easing up. I will NOT continue thos drug! Yikes!,,F,57,1 days 1X day,9/12/2022Email
1,Sinusitis,Severe anxiety depression insomnia stomach pain diarrhea headache,"My symptoms kicked in on day 5 and I am now 10
Days since last dose and am still experiencing symptoms",F,62,5 days100mg 1X day,7/27/2022
3,Walking pneumonia,"Shooting face, mouth, jaw pain, headache for about 15min then it just goes aways.",I hope this gets rid of the infection as this is hell to see my child wake up in so much pain. Happened once we weren't sure what was going on but then it happened again the next day same approx. time after taking the dose. It has to be a side effect of the zithromax.,M,4,5 days3.5ml 1X day,6/6/2022Email
1,Sinus infection,"Extreme stomach cramps and diarrhea within two hours of taking first (double) dose. Unable to sleep, horrible headache all day today, nauseated, very irritable (who wouldn't be?).","Side effects are worse than the sinus infection. I'm not taking any more doses, I'd rather take my chances with a recurrence of the infection.",F,59,1 days250 mg 1X day,05/07/2022
3,Ear infection,"Horrible Anxiety, palpitations (but when i check pretty normal heart rate), cant sleep, horrible stomach pain, constantly in the restroom.. feeling like im going to puke. Body is super jittery and shaky.","Taken this multiple times. 2 other times i felt close to the same way. But never realized it was the medicine. Just figured it was my sickness. Took it for my other ear. Was perfectly fine. Took it for this ear and past 2 days have been horrible. Seems like when i eat greasy food right after taking it, it causes these horrible symptoms. Think easy meals is definitely the way to go while on this. Cannot sleep at all so im on here writing this to help the anxiety part. Lol good luck everyone. Helped my sinus infection and 1st ear infection. My now infected ear has been feeling better also. Just weird one dose i feel fine. The next one i feel like shit lol",M,25,5 days500mg 1X day,04/03/2022
1,Sinus,"Stomache pains, very dizzy, felt like I was gonna pass out. I feel out of it. Sleep all day long. I will not take the last two pills and I wrote my Doctor.",,F,51,3 days 1X day,02/04/2022
1,Strep throat,"Extreme anxiety, very fast heartrate, unable to sleep all night. Very dry mouth. This is awful. I only took the first dose, I will not take it again.",,F,43,1 days 1X day,1/19/2022Email
1,Covid,High anxiety! I have anxiety to begin with. Doctors should let patients with anxiety know about this effect. I took amoxicillin forever. No problems. I'll try to ask fir that.,,M,63,1 days30mg 1X day,1/17/2022
1,Terrible,"Splitting headache, feels like my heads gonna explode, such severe anxiety I almost passed out , hearing feels muffeled.",,F,29,3 days250mg 1X day,01/01/2022
1,Covid,"Overheated, sweaty, intense stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, insomnia",This feels worse than what I'm trying to treat. My stomach pains are so bad and last several hours. I have to get up many times to use the bathroom and can't go to sleep until 4 am. Do not recommend,F,22,5 days 1X day,10/31/2021Email
1,Pneumonia,"Horrible side effects been 17days since the last dose BP high, heart feels like its pounding out of my chest insomnia the diarrhea ended the 16th day im hoping all this anxiety ends very soon I took the generic azithtomycin for community acquired pnuemonia got rid of the pnuemonia took the z pack Horrible medication",,F,61,5 days 1X day,8/25/2021
1,Covid pneumonia,"I have no allergies to any meds and had just eaten two beef patties before I took the first two dosage as told to do so. Around 1-3hrs later I had full blow diarrhea, went to sleep because I felt sleepy couldn't keep my eyes open, then woke up basically running out of my sleeping position with a heart rate of 125, dizziness, very very high ANXIETY!!!! Horrible reaction, I thought I was going to need to goto the ER. This happened 2 more times so far.",,F,36,1 days250 2X day,8/12/2021Email
1,Pneumonia,"Abnormal dreams where I cant tell if im awake or asleep, restlessness, inability to sleep for first few hours after taking it. Only on second day and never had dreams like this prior.",I took 1000mg 1st day and followed by 3 days of 500mg once a day.,F,31,2 days500mg 1X day,08/12/2021
2,tonsilitis,"horrible anxiety; just felt really ""off"" and also insomnia.",hate it.,F,51,250 1X day,08/04/2021
1,Sinus infection,"I'm allergic to many antibiotics so this has been my go to when I do become ill. Never had an issue. This time, however, I started having severe anxiety that I couldn't shake. Along with diarrhea, bouts of nausea, dry mouth, and sleep issues. I felt off and weird in my head. I also have anxiety and adhd regularly but this was different and I couldn't control it. I stopped on day 3 once I put together what was happening.",I won't take this again unless absolutely necessary.,F,37,3 days250mg 1X day,06/04/2021
1,As Precaution due to Covid,"Severe anxiety/panic, irritability, can't sleep, stomach pain, diarrhea so severe almost couldn't make it to the bathroom.","I have taken this medication in the past and never had this reaction, not sure if it's the manufacture or what the case may be. I definitely will not ever take it again. I was prescribed the medication for precaution because I tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms. Night one, I woke up extremely hot and it felt like my blood rushing throughout my body, followed by complete feeling of fear. I had my husband take me to the ER because I wasn't sure what was going on and given I tested positive for Covid I wanted to be on the safe side. By time I got to the ER I felt a little better and of course all my test came back normal. I skipped the second day, did not take the antibiotic and felt a little better. Decided to take the antibiotic on day 3 & 4 with today being day 4 and ended up back at the ER. I felt like I could not breath because I was having an anxiety attack, my body was shaking from the inside, completely irritable and couldn't concentrate. This is horrible, definitely won't ever take the medication again.",F,43,4 days500mg 1X day,1/9/2021Email
1,Chlamydia,"Headache, Insomnia, Increased Anxiety, Low Mood","I tested positive for Chlamydia and was given a shot of Rocephin and 1000mg (4 250mg pills of Zithromax). I didn't start to feel bad until 2 or 3 days after taking the antibiotics. My anxiety began to ramp up and I also developed insomnia, I felt ""blah"" and had a constant headache for multiple days.
It has been 10 days since I have taken my 1000mg dose and I'm starting to feel better. All symptoms are on the decline although my sleep is still messed up.
I did some research and found out that antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria but also good bacteria in your gut. This happens to be where many of your neurotransmitters are produced which I think is the reason why I felt so many mental effects. I read up on probiotics and prebiotics and started taking both for the foreseeable future. I also took a trip to Whole Foods and have been eating a healthy diet of organic fruits and veggies. Hopefully, I am on the mend! I know one thing, I will never take that antibiotic again! It made me feel compeltely off.",M,41,1 days1000 1X day,12/18/2020Email
1,Bartonella,"Dizziness, severe panic attacks, heart beat intense, major nausea, constipation, difficult swallowing food","Do NOT take this medicine. Ask your doctor if there is any medicine you could take besides this. I have had severe anxiety and severe depression my whole life, but nothing will ever, end I mean EVER. Come close to how this medicine made me feel. I felt better without it.",M,21,5 days250 1X day,12/1/2020Email
1,Chlamydia,"Sweating, vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and extreme anxiety",I do not recommend this medication 100000%,F,18,1 days500 1X day,11/24/2020
1,Sinus,"Anxiety, heart palpitations, BAD stomach pain, gas, nausea and gross poop, dizziness","I have taken this before and was fine. Took it when I had covid, it helped the pneumonia. Then I took it in July and no side effects. Have a sinus infection and boy oh boy are the side effects awful. Felt fine on day one but by day two an hour after taking I was dizzy and off, stomach pain through the roof, heart palpitations, ANXIETY! I had to
Listen to anxiety songs on YouTube tk go to bed. I stopped taking it, after day two. The half life is almost 3 days. By the end of the week I should feel back
To
Myself but never again",M,28,5 days250 1X day,11/22/2020
1,Wisdom Tooth Exraction/infection,"Anxiety, Depression, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, stomach cramps, racing heart, insomnia.","Advocate for yourself. If you are experiencing any negative side effects, tell your doctor so they can switch you to another medication. You don't deserve to feel like this.",F,29,3 days250 MG 1X day,10/22/2020
3,Severe sinus infection....ear infec,So I don't like the drug. . granted it did help clear up some of my sinus infection and I do feel better than I did before. But I need sleep. This drug messes with my sleep big time. I can't get to sleep and when I do I'm in and out of sleep all night. Then I am anxious the next day because I didn't sleep. This pill also gave me awful and I mean awful diarrhea from day 1. I had to watch what I ate... Half the time I couldn't make it through dinner without a bathroom trip.. the stomach pains are horrible.,,F,39,5 days250mg 1X day,10/18/2020Email
1,Bronchitis,"Dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, headache,","if I knew what is in front of me before I took this horrible pills I would never do it ! Never again, I should of ask for Amoxicillin if I only knew how my body will react to it. You are not alone ! Take care!",F,43,5 days250 1X day,10/12/2020
3,Sinus infection,"This is one of two maybe three antibiotics I can take, and I have taken it for many years. This is the first time I have felt anxiety on it, however. I am distracting myself with TV. Reading other patients reviews makes me want to stress that you should take Zithromax with food, substantial food, not just a few chips or piece of toast. Follow up any antibiotic regime with a lot of yogurt to replenish good bacteria in the gut. Very important. Hang in there. I wish you all well.",,F,56,5 days150 mg 1X day,10/09/2020
1,I was tested positive for covid 19,Horrifying.. I was asymptomatic covid positive and still doctors prescribed me this antibiotics... Heart palpitations.. Sweating rubber and type feeling in head,Don't take this medicine... I can't able to sleep properly .. Its like.. Fast heart palpitations but when you measure it shows normal... And you do not understand what to do,F,33,5 days500 1X day,10/1/2020Email
1,Possible lung infection,"During taking the medication I only experienced mild bloating, but at the end, I started to get timing him my ears. It is 7 months later and I have official diagnosis of PERMANENT HEARING LOSS and very loud tinnitus (ringing). I will have to spend thousands on hearing aids to compensate.","There was no warning on the picking of hearing loss, though it is common. It should not be prescribed if underlying cause is unknown (viral vs bacterial).",M,39,10 days250mg 1X day,9/28/2020
2,Sinus infection,Joint pain in knee and hip severe. Heart palpitations,,F,50,5 days250 mg 1X day,9/22/2020Email
1,Sinus infection,"Horrible dizziness, lack of appetite, nausea, yellow stools, stomach pains, anxiety and depression.",Never again. I stopped taking by day 5. It's been a week since stopping and I have good days and bad days. Can't wait till it gets out of my system,F,54,7 days250mg 1X day,9/22/2020
1,Possible Sinus Infection,"Severe anxiety attack, sweats, chills, shaking, ER visit","STAY AWAY. I had to go to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack. Turned out it was this terrible pill. Gave me a serious anxiety reaction that I could not control, my heart rate was above 130 and I couldn't get it down for thirty minutes at the ER. I don't suffer from anxiety or panic attacks. Happened about four hours after I took the Zithromax.",F,33,1 days 1X day,9/16/2020
1,Sinus infection,Anxiety extreme nausea dizziness shakiness,This has always been my go to antibiotic but this time was different. I got a generic I never took before and by the fourth pill I knew I could not continue.,F,36,5 days250mg 1X day,09/04/2020
1,Pharyngitis,"Insomnia, anxiety, stomach pain",DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! IM 21 & its been 5 days since I finished my last dose I cant eat big without getting bloated with aches major insomia at night To take this you have to be a soldier. GUYS WRITE ME BACK IF YOU FEEL BETTER thank you,M,21,5 days500 1X day,8/15/2020Email
3,COVID - 19,"Anxiety, Panic Attack, Loss of Appetite","Azithromycin helped with my respiratory symptoms related to covid-19, however while taking this antibiotic I have experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks - I had palpitation, high blood pressure, sweating in my feet, and excessive worry. I almost went to ER a few times because of fear of heart attack and stroke while having these symptoms. My anxiety was controlled for 3 consecutive days after taking the last dose of Azithromycin but on the fourth night, I had another episode of panic attack which lasted for 4 hours. I am thankful for this site and to all who posted their review because it help me understand that the anxiety and panic attack that I am suffering from maybe related to Azithromycin since I was doing fine before I got sick. Prayers and support from my family - talking about my symptoms, help me manage my symptoms but the anxiety and panic attack is still overwhelming sometimes. I hope that we all get better soon and please e-mail me what works with your anxiety and panic attack. Thank you so much.",M,45,5 days 1X day,8/1/2020Email
3,Throat infection,"2 hours after taking it, my tummy started rumbling and became very bloated. Unreal feeling as if I was high. 2nd day nausea and no appetite. Seems to have worked as a treatment but side effects are not pleasant. Luckily only did it for 3 days.",,M,42,3 days500mg 1X day,7/24/2020
5,Tonsillitis; pre-surgery,A little loose stool. Otherwise no problems.,"Usually start to feel better within 2 days, bounce back really fast. This time tonsils shrinking nicely, less scarlet, still white patches; and ears hurt, but just exhausted, not bouncing back. Oh well, getting older. Ultimately had to cancel surgery anyway.",F,65,4 days250mg,6/15/2020
1,Sinus infection/bronchitis/pneumoni,"Heart palpitations (134 bpm) for 2 wks, extreme anxiety, Heart pain, acid reflux, depression, crying spells, muscle twitching, foggy and blurry vision. After 4 months I still have anxiety yet more mild then extreme. Did the side effect wear off? For how long did it last?",,F,37,5 days,6/5/2020Email
1,flu,"Please dont take this drug.This is pure evil.Im in such a dark place and its been 3 weeks since i finished the last dose.This drug puts me in a deep depression i dont know if im going to be the same anymore.
Please someone tell me how long this drug will stay in my system because im still thinking i have some lufe treating disease.
i have done lungs x ray bcs i thought i have lung cancer.after that i thought i have endocryne tumor.
i did all the test came clear.
Now im obsessed withmy head i think i have something.
I have only dark thought also about my kids.
What bothers me more than everything is pin and needles in all body.
Its driving me crazy.Please if anybody here also sufer from pins and needless and where did they finay go away .
Im desperate.",,F,34,3 days,5/30/2020
5,Major Sinus Infection,Feeling slightly hyper.,"I had a very bad sinus infection for a month, with congestion, fatigue, and sweats. Within a day the medication took care of 50% of the symptoms. By the 3rd day I felt great. Yes, I felt a bit hyper but I take Klonopin for anxiety. No known GI issues.",F,55,1 days500 1X day,5/27/2020
1,Pharyngitis,"Horrible Anxiety, Insomnia, Yellow watery diarrhea, complete loss of appetite, confusion, racing heart and heart palpitations, sores in mouth, extreme paranoia and hypochondia.","I was in and out of the ER 3 times two days after discontinuing this medication due to an allergic reaction/adverse affects from this drug. I also tested negative for COVID-19. It took 3 injections of Ativan for me to feel normal again. I was instructed to admit myself to the psychiatric ER due to the distress this medication put me through. Thankfully, I did not admit myself and I am starting to feel better 17 days after discontinuing this medication. The doctor should have told me to discontinue the medication after I told them I had trouble sleeping after taking it the second night and my throat was not improving. Unfortunately, I had taken the medication 4 days allowing it to slowly build in my system. The worst of the adverse effects will be felt midway through taking this medication due to the slow half life and reabsorption. Once I was switched to Augmentin my fever dropped and swelling in throat started to reduce. Avoid at all costs unless you are allergic to penicillin.",M,31,5 days250 1X day,5/24/2020
1,,Dizziness dryness to throat barely can sleep it's been 12 days since I had my last dose and the I'm still having the symptoms I know it takes 15 days to get out of your system and I really hope that I feel back to my normal self after day 15 I don't recommend nobody to take this drug at all it's horrible I can't do my fully routine each day because I'm worried about the symptoms if anybody has took this drug and not having symptoms anymore please email me so I can know how many days it took for you,I'm still having the symptoms I know it takes 15 days to get out of your system and I really hope that I feel back to my normal self after day 15,,34,5 days250,5/14/2020Email
5,Pneumonia,"Anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, accelerated heart rate, fatigue, chest flutters, and negative thoughts",PLEASE DO NOT USE!!! It's been eight days since my last dose and the side effects are still present. The anxiety and panic attacks are overwhelming. I am averaging about a solid 3 hours of sleep. I've taken magnesium and chamomile which allow me to get to sleep but it hits hard at night. I spend my day avoiding activities because of fear of an attack. How can this medication still be issued???? I hope this comes to an end soon because each day brings about more negative thoughts.,M,55,3 days100mg,4/25/2020Email
1,Walking pneumonia,"(See my post below from 1/21/20)..continued but lessened anxiety, doom & gloom thoughts and dread.","Just wanted to follow up on my post from January 21st below. I would say for the most part my negative symptoms have subsided including the nausea, heart issues and loss of appetite. The psychological turmoil has lessened to a degree but does keep coming back on occasion. Again, this is all unprecedented for me. I have no history to mental illness personally nor in my family, but after this Zpack experience it feels like my brain has re-wired itself. I will go weeks at a time with no issue and then a weekend or several days where the dread and anxiety sneak back up on me. As others have mentioned, this could still all be related to my gut flora not being where it should be, but I have no idea. If anyone is still experiences this even months after their last dose, reach out to me.",M,33,5 days250 mg,4/19/2020Email
1,Double ear infections and sinus infection,"Anxiety, panic attacks, hyperventilating, tingling and numbness and chills and etc",I have one more dose left and will deal with the side effects until they are out of my system. I will not be taking this antibiotic again.,F,25,5 days250,4/17/2020Email
1,Respiratory infection,"Loss of appetite, nausea, bloating, constipation and diarrhea, EXTREME PANIC AND ANXIETY attacks. Loss of sleep, fungal infection.","What a mess, I'll never take this again. A day after the first double dose I had a 2 hour long panic attack out of nowhere. 2 days after I started I lost my appetite and started the gastro issues that lasted a week. 12 days after last dose I still have uneasy stomach sometimes, insane anxiety all the time, can't sleep through the night no matter what I do. 5 days after last dose I got Oral thrush and am taking clotrimazole lozenges. I'm also now taking tums as needed, Xanax as needed, and Zoloft. The longer I have these issues the longer I have been off my Rheumatoid meds and I hurt. Just stay away from this nightmare drug!",F,45,5 days,04/05/2020
3,Bronchitis,"Anxiety, insomnia, jittery, dizziness, stomach cramps, chest pressure","I had the double dose on day 1 and within 30 minutes had intense stomach cramps. Now horrible anxiety, insomnia and jittery feeling.",F,21,5 days250,3/26/2020Email
1,Otitis Media,"Suicidal Thoughts, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Fog, Crying Spells, Joint pains, LOSS OF APPETITE, CONSTIPATION, YELLOW COLOURED STOOL, Nightmares","I took Azomax, Azithromycin 500 on Sat with food which gave me severe pain and heartburn which I thought is some ulcer. Took 250 on Sunday. Gave me joint pain which I attributed to being tired. Monday took 250 and it hurt my kidneys as if they've been blown by bomb.
I had no sleep Sunday will Wednesday with continously thinking about ways of suicide. I had other symptoms too. But what bothered me most was lack of appetite and constipation Took ispaghol for constipation and got yellow coloured stool which continues to this day. Day 4 but getting better. What helped me quickly was a product Liv.52. My friend has used it for his alcohol related liver problems. It's hepatoprotective and removes toxins from liver.
So I took it yesterday night and within 3 hours, my insomnia was gone, my mental fog was clear, I was hungry again in the morning. In fact improved everything except yellow coloured stool. Which is getting better. Has been a life saver for me. Yesterday night I went to bed with fogged mind depression and anxiety and today I'm eating, laughing, singing.
My recovery has been a swift miracle seeing the long term effects on other writers here although my symptoms were much more severe.",,29,3 days500then250,3/6/2020Email
1,Upper Respiratory,"Extreme anxiety, always sleeping, crazy dreams, depression, even after finishing about 7 -10 days ago. Makes you feel panic anxiety. Glad I am not the only one feeling this. Will NEVER TAKE AGAIN!",,F,58,4 days500mg,03/02/2020
1,Sinus infection,"Anxiety, paranoia, depression, blurred vision, stomach pain, weakness in arms, twitching, RLS, fatigue. Legs feel weak and twitchy.","Stay away from it! It�s been 13 days since taking this. I only did the double dose of 500mg and it was enough to stop me that night I woke up feeling awful.
My recommendation is to look into amino acid therapy to replenish the nutrients destroyed/lost from this death pill. Google amino acid therapy on YouTube. It�ll help with the mental rehabilitation and also the physical. Magnesium is important so are the B vitamins.. and taking probiotics to rebuild that gut flora.
I�m still feeling it the mental has calmed down a bit but the physical seems to have grown but it�s only been 13 days and it�s supposedly in us for about 15-17",M,33,2 days500,2/27/2020Email
1,Bronchitis,An hour after taking first dose had bad panic attack and dead legs feel very stressed and uncomfortable was in pretty relaxed good form all day till tablets taken .,,F,22,1 days,1/28/2020
1,Pneumonia,Absolutely ruthless anxiety/panic as well as severe loss of appetite and intense nausea; Intense heart pounding,"I already posted my review on the AZYTHROMICIN askapatient page but this one seems to receive more activity.
I took two z-packs 12 days apart. The first Z-pack I finished but the second I only got 3 days into before getting hit with vomiting, nausea and anxiety/panic like I could never fathom. Today is DAY 17 after my lose dose of the 2nd z-pack and while I do think things have gotten better, I am still experiencing considerable anxiety and negative intrusive thoughts as well as minimal appetite if any. I don't remember what it feels like to be hungry and devour a meal. It also seems like the nausea, loss of appetite and anxiety are all interconnected. When one is present they're all present. When one gets worse they call get worse.
I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I can't recall having anxiety or panic issues EVER. Aside from stage fright for public speaking situations, I have always been easy-going and cool as a cucumber.
If you have had identical symptoms (incessant anxiety, gloomy thoughts, loss of appetite, nausea) please E-mail me and let me know how things played out for you and if you did anything to alleviate the side effects.
Technically the drug should be out of my system by now but it sure does not feel like it.",M,33,250 mg 1X day,1/21/2020Email
1,Respiratory Infection,"First day- extreme dizzy episodes...felt very agitated.
But have been told to finish, so I did. Each day was anxiety, blurry vision, dry throat, and dizzy spells. I had a few heart palpitations but not enough to be alarmed. My last pill was 7 days ago, but I am still dealing with headache/ pressure mainly on the tight side and extreme anxiety! Pretty sure I had a panic attack last night...I hope it leaves my system very soon!
I have taken this before and don�t recall any symptoms , but I WILL NEVER take this again.",,,43,5 days,1/14/2020Email
1,Cold,Nervous shakey not can't eat short of breath.,,F,55,2 days250mg,1/11/2020Email
1,Upper Respiratory infection,"Panic attacks, rapid heart rate, loss of appetite, diarrhea, depression, feelings of disparity, face and throat tightness, fatigue.",Never again will I take this medicine. I have taken it in the past but it has been 10 years and i do not recall ever having side effects like this. It's been 4 days since my last dose and I had a panic attack earlier this afternoon. This medicine can't get out of my system soon enough!,,41,5 days,1/3/2020Email
1,Sinus Infection,"15 min after taking my first 2 doses, I had massive stomach cramps. That was at 9pm. It is now 9am and I still have them. I had night and cold sweats, loose stool and nausea With dizziness. Same with my daughter. (She has a sinus infection as well)",I do not recommend this at all.,F,27,1 days,12/12/2019Email
2,Pneumonia,"ANXIETY, diarrhea, dry mouth","I am prone to anxiety and have had it under control for a few months, this caused it to start all over again. I have two more pills I will not take",F,56,5 days250 mg,11/07/2019
1,Sore throat,"HORRIBLE side effects: SEVERE PANIC and ANXIETY, depression, diarrhea, stomach pains, nausea, extreme dry mouth and throat, bad neck/jaw pain, insomnia, fatigue, dizziness DO NOT TAKE THIS!",I took the generic and maybe that�s the problem as I�ve taken this antibiotic before with no problem 5 years ago,F,51,4 days,10/15/2019
1,Ear Infection,"Diarrhea after 3 days of taking the medication
Anxiety- rapid heartbeat , nervousness,
Panic attacks, heart palpitations
I�ve taken it before and never had the anxiety or chest pain but I have had the diarrhea when taking it before for another illness.",I don�t understand why medicine like doesn�t get improved for people. Usually if we take Zithromax we cannot take Augmentin. Running out of options.,F,41,3 days250 mg,9/19/2019
3,sinus infection,For everybody asking zithromax stay in system for like 17 days my doctor said it builds for 10 days so even after you last dose on day 5 it still keeps going,,F,32,5 days250,8/22/2019Email
1,acute bronchitis,"Took prescribed dose of 2 pills the first day and 1 pill for the next 4 days. Have taken this drug a few years back with no side effects. However, after finishing the last dose began experiencing SEVERE ABDOMINAL CRAMPING, SEVERE ANXIETY, loose stools, constipation, low back pain, fatigue, and sleeping problems. It is now 7 weeks since I finished these meds and I am still experiencing these side effects. They are definitely lessening but by baby steps each day. Has anyone experienced these lingering side effects and for how long?",This was a generic and I truly believe these generics are full of unknown garbage fillers that are harming us.,F,75,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/20/2019Email
1,Pneumonia,"I�ve been on this drug for three days and after day two, I started to feel very high levels of anxiety and depression. My mind seems so confused and gloomy. I will stop taking it and find another option for me. I also felt a very very dried throat.",,F,32,3 days250mg,07/12/2019
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Extreme Dry coughing fits sleeping all the time some sort of weird pain in my throat and abdomen like the pill is stuck nausea. I feel like my brain is in a fog and when I�m sleeping I have weird dreams.
Diohrreah loss of appetite depression and jaw pain",Do not take this if you can avoid it,F,36,5 days250 mg,5/25/2019
1,Clamidia,"Tinnitus,V�rtigo,blurried vision,diarrea",,M,29,1 days1000,4/29/2019
1,Throat infection,"My side effects started after 4 dose of completion of dose. Side effects were diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, sleepy all the time, No appetite because of which i experienced weight loss. Do the side effects of zithromax start after 4 days of completion of dose? I'm worried and very much depressed. Need help. Anyone who had the same issue please email me and let me know. Its a humble request.",,M,30,2 days,4/18/2019Email
1,Strep Throat,"This is after first dose. I had very vivid, gory bad dreams. I work up once in the night with bad dreams and thoughts and went back to sleep. I woke up a second time with a completely different vivid and violent night mare. I�m sensitive to drugs like Benadryl and did not realize this had a side effect like this for me. I am going to call my doctor today to see what they recommend.",,F,24,5 days250 MG,04/11/2019
1,Strep throat,"So i was prescribed by my GP to take this antibiotic. 500mg twice a day for 2 and half days. i.e 2500mg in 2 and half days. It did work on me but left me major side effects. After 4 days of completion of the course i started having lose stools. i would just rush to the washroom if i ate something or even had a glass of water. Frequent urination, anxiety, fear, depression. I used to sleep atleast 14-16 hours in the day. I have had panic attacks, shortness of breath. loss of appetite. i lost 3kgs in 1 week. have had a very bad experience. Now 2 weeks after the completion of dose i am still having drowsiness and fatigue. I dont understand whats happening with me. is there out anyone facing the same thing as i am? Pls get in touch!",Do not take this medicine. there are better AB available!,M,28,2 days500mg X 2,9/29/2018Email
4,Sinus turned bronchitis,By day 2 nauseous. By day 4-5 nasty neck and wrist pain with stiffness..finally finished but still cant eat much and still in alot of pain with wrist and neck.wasnt eating the best prior to taking medicine because was so sick...going to give a few days and see whats what before complaining to my dr...bronchitis is better but sinus not so much...,,F,48,5 days,7/9/2018Email
2,Broncitis,"I can't feel my skin, I cannot smell things and taste them either. I feel as I could go out at Anytime. This is horrible!",,F,44,5 days,6/27/2018Email
4,Bronchial infection,"One week after first dose: extreme GERD, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, stomach pain, weakness, brain fog.","Received a Zpak from an Urgent Care doctor for a bronchial infection. I do not use antibiotics often - when I do, they work immediately. This Zpak knocked out the infection quickly. I didn�t experience side effects until one week later. They were very severe. I could not keep food down (even low acid, alkaline foods) without having terrible acid reflux. Water and ice chips also caused acid backup. Dizziness kept me lying still in bed. Stomach pains were a constant. Muscle weakness throughout. I�ve never had an adverse reaction to other antibiotics other than mild D a few days after starting. Never anything at this level of discomfort. Poison! Will never take it again.",F,61,5 days500mg 1X day,6/15/2018
2,Strep throat,"Ichy, burning, tingling on skin. Nauseous, very irritable. Muscle spasms. Feel like I can scratch my skin off. Hard to breathe",Helped my throat but u have to play for it. Can't sleep.,F,32,2 days,06/11/2018
1,Ear infection,Severe ringing in the ears nauseousness possible inner ear damage. This medication is pure poison,,M,42,5 days,05/02/2018
1,Pneumonia,"Insomnia,anxiety,panic attacks,paranoia,headache","Day 1....slept 16 hours,day 2....slept 18 hours,day 3 had to make myself get out of bed,Day 4 ....Well lets just say if I would of told anyone what i was thinking they would of had me committed then came the horrible headache then the thoughts of doom and gloom and what ifs? Then i couldnt sleep I had maybe an hours worth of rest,Day 5 repetitive thoughts anxiety panic attack and yet again NO sleep maybe 2 hours. Now im done with the zpac and this is Day 1 of no antibiotics still having doom and gloom thoughts anxiety and again no sleep. Hopefully this medication will be out of my system soon. NEVER AGAIN WILL I TAKE THIS MEDICATION!",F,50,5 days,4/29/2018Email
1,Sinus infection,"Turbo bad anxiety
Not feeling like myself
Constant worring
Depression symptoms",I am a person who is always on the go and is generally happy and making the best of every situation.. that�s all changed for the last couple of weeks after taking this medication... I feel horrible no motivation I have become worried about everything getting anxiety attacks throughout the day/constant fear of normal tasks. I have become extremely emotional.. I Pray that this soon wears off as it is Affecting my daily existence ..... please please please Beware and do your research before taking a drug like this,M,32,5 days,4/16/2018Email
1,Upper respiratory tract infection,"Severe Anxiety, Depression, Crying Spells , weakness in the arms and legs. Muscle tension , Brain Fog , Lack of concentration.","POISON !!! That�s the only way I can label this drug. PURE POISON AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT PURE HATE FOR THE DOCTORS THAT HAND OUT THE DRUG AS IF IT WAS CANDY !!! I am currently on Day 28 and while some of the side effects have gone away , I am still left with a crippling anxiety that lasts for most of the early part of the day and goes away around the afternoon. This medicine has ruined my life for this past month. Unable to live my normal life. Have been off work for two weeks and I am clinging to the Lord and my Faith that this will go away soon. I did several tests at the doctor and I seem to be ok with the exception of this poison that is trapped in my system. Some have said it could take months to get back to normal. I hope my post can be the warning to any future victims. DO NOT TAKE THIS POISON. I�m currently working on a lawsuit towards the company that made this medicine !",M,32,5 days,4/8/2018Email
1,Bronchitis,"Shortness of Breath, Severe Anxiety, Chest Tightness, Weakness in Arms and Legs.",I was prescribed the 5 day Z-Pack and had to stop after day 4. 5 days later and still having all the side effects.,F,45,0 days250,3/26/2018Email
1,Sinus infection,"Extreme fatigue, weakness, dulled appetite, dulled taste, dizziness.","Zithromax makes me want to sleep about 16 hours a day, and my entire body feels week and heavy. This is not good for my ability to function. I have been eating active culture yogurt to provide a probiotic, but it's not helping. Also, the zithromax has not helped my sinus infection.",F,38,10 days30 1X day,03/12/2018
1,Bronchitis,"This drug ruined my life. That was back in 2008. It wasn't until 2010 that I was able to get some sort of relief from the terrible effects of this drug. It caused anxiety, but in the beginning, it was a feeling of Doom and Gloom that I couldn't explain. The anxiety was crippling. I was on so much klonopin, Zyprexa, you name it, I was on it... It wasn't until I did amino acid therapy that this went away. I did not believe in amino acid therapy at the time, but my parents were so adamant on me trying it, and it works despite my beliefs! It really does work! Look in your area for a homeopath that uses amino acids as opposed to medication. I'm telling you, you will not be disappointed. I couldn't believe it worked for me. This drug truly took everything away from me. I couldn't go into grad school, nor could I hold down a job. It was awful. Amino acids were the light at the end of the tunnel. If you need to get in touch with me, please email me. Good luck to all of you!","This is the devil's drug, and it ruins lives. For an antibiotic to do all of this, it must be evil. I can't believe how crippling the anxiety was. I couldn't believe that I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and I would heave on food, or if pepper was cooking, Etc. Horrible.",F,38,5 days,2/24/2018Email
1,Infection,"Dizziness, depressed, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, crying spells, headaches, fatigue, confusion, foggy brain, heart palpitations",Was given this is the ER. It's been 10 days now and I'm still feeling side effects. I read that some people take weeks or months to recover!! Horrible drug. I am pissed and worried beyond belief that this is handed like candy to patients..do not take this drug!! It will make you crazy,M,30,1 days1 gram,01/01/2018
1,Sinus infection,Horrible pain in right side and nausea. (Had gallbladder out 2 months ago). Feel awful like gallbladder symptoms again and will not be taking this drug again.,,F,43,4 days250,12/30/2017
4,Upper respiratory,"Stomach
Lower back pain",,F,67,5 days,12/18/2017Email
1,For sinusitis,"Dizziness, felt like fainting, muscle pain/cramping, trouble sleeping, a bit of a brain fog, nervousness and anxieties",I need to know if I can get well from all those side effects? Please let me know!,M,65,1 days250mg,12/18/2017Email
1,Exposed to pertussis-preventative,"Days 1-5 caused stomach upset, decreased appetite and metallic taste. 2 days after finishing the generic Z-pack, accelerated heart rate, nausea, dizziness and episodes of significant anxiety started. I will not take this medicine again.",,F,45,5 days250mg,11/27/2017
3,"Throat infection, Cough, Cold","Severe insomnia, Severe diarrhoea, little anxiety",Did help control my throat infection but nor without above side effects,M,32,3 days500MG,11/25/2017
1,Sinus infection,"Severe nausea, fatigue, weakness, constipation, tinnitus, foggy brain","I didn't develop any symptoms until after taking all the pills. First day I felt a little lightheaded & dizzy. Two days later it hit me like a ton of bricks. So nauseous I thought I was going to vomit.I broke out in a sweat, like a bucket of water had been poured on me. Felt very weak & stayed in bed all day. Since then, I have pretty much been in bed for a month. Severe nausea, constipation, tinnitus, and don't sleep well. I force myself to eat, but nothing tastes good. Am getting very depressed because don't know how long this is going to last. Started taking probiotics & eating foods that help with getting the many different good bacterias back into your body like yogurt, sauerkraut, etc. Then there are the prebiotics you should eat, to feed the probiotics. I'm becoming an expect on this, because what else am I going to do while lying in bed. Don't EVER take this medication & it should be taken off of the market! After reading a lot of the horror stories of other people, have no idea how much longer I will have these terrible symptoms. Have never felt so bad in my life!!!",F,66,0 days,10/1/2017Email
1,Sinus infection,"After taking this I became very nauseous, no energy & developed tinnitus. It has been a month and I still fell very nauseous and stay in bed most of the day. I also became very constipated. Started taking probiotics, yogurt, sauerkraut & any other foods I have read about that might help. Some mornings I think I am feeling better and get up and start doing something, but then have to go back to bed because I feel bad again. This is very depressing & I can't work & have barely left the house. If I do, it's to go to the doctor, the pharmacy or race to the grocery. I eat, but nothing sounds or tastes good. I will never take this again & will be very cautious taking any antibiotics from now on. DO NOT TAKE THESE PILLS!",,F,66,5 days200,9/30/2017Email
1,Ear infection,Extreme fatigue/weakness/light headed with exertion/ hearing loss,Ear infection cleared but hearing loss was severe and gradually got better after 6 weeks - extreme fatigue lasted about 10 days,F,69,5 days250 mg,8/30/2017
5,Chlamydia Epididymitis,I took 1000mg first day with 200mg Doxycycline then 500mg Zithromax and 200mg Doxycycline each day for 8 days. The drugs together made me feel very tired and I was sweating heavily and had a higher temperature . No other problems and all symptoms went away before the end of the 8 days. In total over the 8 days I took 8.5 grams of Zithromax and 2.8 grams of Doxycycline. My partner took the same and she complained of stomach problems and cramps. She weighs 47Kg and I weigh 94kg so that is why it affected her more.,My partner took the same and she complained of stomach problems and cramps. She weighs 47Kg and I weigh 94kg so that is why it affected her more possibly?,M,63,8 days500 2X day,8/19/2017
5,Chlamydia,"Nausea
Abdominal Pain
Headache
Diarrhea",I do very well with medications and my stomach is pretty strong so I didn't have any severe issues with this medicine . I've looked up many reviews and I was so scared to take Zithromax. Before taking it eat a starchy food like pasta . Drink lots and lots of water before and after the pill . Get some ginger ale and crackers as well. You will feel so sick if you do not eat prior to taking this medication.,F,18,1 days1000MG,08/10/2017
1,Sinusitis,"Bad diarrhea, thought I was gonna die on the toilet y'all. Pulling a mf Elvis n shit. I have COMPLETELY lost my sense of smell and taste. You'll feel light-headed immediately after taking this cesspool of a medicine, and you'll get bad headaches. You'll genuinely feel like crap. That's my experience. And NONE of it is worth it. This shit does NOT help whatsoever, but Mucinex helped the fuck outta me when I took it. That's good shit right there. Okay so y'all hear me out, if your mfing doctor prescribes you zepack, you ain't even be polite. You uppercut da bish and tell em to go fuck they selves and walk THE F**K outta there cuz they ain't no good doctor. Dat bitch want you to suffer.",NEVER TAKE IT!!!! As I write this I am ON THE TOILET SHOOTING FIRE OUT MY ASS!!!!!,F,17,5 days250mg 1X day,6/25/2017
1,Cellulitis,"Profuse sweating, nausea with vomiting, moderate to severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, bloating.","My body is extremely insensitive. 99% of people taking a medication could get a side effect, and I will be the 1% that has no issues. This medication was awful even for me. I will list this as an allergy from now on. I am an RN and give this drug IV in the hospital all the time, I never knew the PO version was so awful.",F,33,2 days500mg,5/30/2017
1,Travelers diarrhea,"Severe gastrointestinal issues - bloating, diarrhea, burning in stomach, pounding heart, horrible anxiety, insomnia, anorexia, overall feeling of flu like symptoms.","I took 1000 mg in one dose with food, as recommended. I felt terrible the next day, with all of the symptoms described above. It has been 2 weeks, and the symptoms are beginning to decrease, but I am still not feeling well. I would never take this medication again. I think it wiped out my entire digestive tract, and I take probiotics. Nor sure what it did to my central nervous system, but I have never experienced anxiety like this. Still dealing with some anxiety and anorexia, but it is improving. Take this medication at your own risk. It should be taken off the market!",F,65,1 days1000 mg 1X day,5/14/2017
3,Throat infection,"Dizzy, stomach cramps",My equilibrium is way off! I feel drunk and I have been having stomach cramps. Strangest thing ever!,F,36,2 days250 1X day,05/12/2017
1,Sinus infection,"Worst anxiety I have ever experienced in my life. Will never take again. Potentially ruined my career as it caused me to have panic attacks right before an important test. Heart rate was jacked up for days on end, and latched on to my upcoming test and could not get it out of my mind thinking I was going to fail. The physical and psychological disaster this drug caused far outweighed the curative benefits.",,M,28,4 daysForgot,4/26/2017Email
1,Slight congestion and cough,"Heart palpitations (like how I feel when I'm about to take off on plane ride or rollercoaster), anxiety, slight diarrhea","Dr prescribed z pack after I had a congestion and cough for almost two weeks. It wasn't getting worse but wasn't getting better. I took the first days dose, 2 of the 250mg pills. A few hours later I had to use the bathroom but I was driving on the road. Almost pooped my pants. And then my heart felt like when you're about to drop from a high roller coaster ride. All night. And into the next day. Trying to just manage my stress and anxiety so I don't make my heart worse. Didn't take the second dose and will stop taking it and won't ever take it again. I'd rather cough for a month than feel like my heart is gonna drop at any time. I read the warnings on the leaflet it comes with and thought maybe I had an unknown heart problem that I was reacting this way to the antibiotic and am sure to die from it. Don't ever wanna take this again. I wanna flush this out of my system already (the two pills I took on the first day will be in my body for 17 days, wth). Nope never again!",F,26,5 days250mg,4/13/2017
1,For sinus infection,Heart palpitations high blood pressure and heart rate severe anxiety and hallucinations thought I was losing my mind couldn't eat as much as I wanted too crying spells slight depression. I couldn't take care of my little girl it was horrible these side effects lasted six months before I'm back to normal will never take again can't function normal life,Side effects may last a long time but you will get back to normal eventually but definitely scariest thing I've ever experienced never will take this again never!,F,29,5 days150 mg,04/11/2017
4,Stomach Infection,"Extreme hunger, mental clarity was foggy, extremely bad insomnia, paranoia, visual disturbances, irritable, exhausted, horrible taste in mouth and loss of taste to food days after finishing last dose, skin on face puffy, red, and stingy. I also itched in vaginal area, throat, and mouth as well. I did experience severe stomach pain, bloating and diarreah first couple of days but it subsided after 3rd day.It did sibstantially get rid of my stomach infection however now i have these other horrible side effects that have compromised my life significcantly. Ugh. I will not take thia again. I want my sleep back, my taste back and my good health back to normal again.","I guess I will try taking more water, allergy pills, working out to sweat it out and a probiotic. I have got to get this out of my system. I do not recommend unless you must do it because you have to do it.
If lose my sense of tast permanently i may sue this company. Are you with me?",F,39,7 days250,4/7/2017Email
1,Strep Throat/Mono,"Sever Headache, redding of skin especially on the face and ears, also skin feels like its burning.",,F,40,6 days500,04/06/2017
1,Bronchitis,Severe abdominal pain - I only took meds 2 days and 2 days later I am still in awful pain. I had taken this before but not for probably 2 years. I have never had this bad of symptoms. I don't want to go to ER. . .,,F,62,2 days 1X day,04/02/2017
1,Ear infection,"Extreme dizziness, headache and diarrhea.
After getting over the flu I went to the dr with what felt like a terrible hangover. I was dizzy and felt unwell all together. He prescribed the z pack because my ears
were exremenly fluid filled. I already suffer from anxiety and at the time wasn't thinking about anything but getting rid of the head pressure. I came home and took the double dose and within hours I was extremely dizzy, light sensitive and had diarrhea. Chalked that episode up to the double dose so I took the next dose the next day. Same exact effect. Never ever again will I take this medication. I feel worse now than I did when I had the flu. My anxiety is out of the roof and I'm still dizzy and foggy feeling!",,F,39,2 days,3/31/2017
5,Bronchitis,It worked for me many yrs ago. I'm getting now for the current bronchitis. I make sure to drink tons of water.,Sorry for the allergies to others. I realized now everybody is totally different.,F,50,1 weeks30,3/23/2017Email
1,Sinusitis/Bronchitis,"I had taken it for years with no problems, suddenly in october I was put on it and my World came crashing down. Severe anxiety, depression, confusion, insomnia, muscle spasms, calf pain, chest pain, tingling in hands and feet, weakness, fatigue, and I felt like I was going crazy. I literally had to go to a psychiatrist because of these effects and thinkin I was going insane. It's March now and I still experience some of the effects.",Please do NOT take it,F,38,10 days,3/21/2017
1,Sinusitis,Extreme pain in both legs around the calf.,"My son has taken this antibiotic before with no problem. Fast forward to 2 years later, he was put on it last month (February 2017) for sinusitis. After 2 doses he could not walk. His pain was terrible around his calf in both legs. His Doctor took him off of it and within a day, he was back to normal.",M,6,2 days5 ML,3/20/2017
1,Misdiagnosed strept throat,"Horrible vomiting, dizziness, anxiety, fatigue, genreal weird feeling. I only took three pills.","I will never take this again, ever.",F,48,2 days250,3/19/2017Email
1,Infection in sinuses/ears,"A few hours after taking this I experienced severe stomach and abdominal pain, diarrhea/loose stool, and nausea. I couldn't sleep well that night, or the other nights, because of sweating and anxiety. I am so exhausted. I am also starving, but can't eat much and have a weird taste in my mouth. I thought I was going crazy, but I'm happy it's not just me.",Do not take this!,F,24,3 days250mg,3/16/2017
1,Sinus infection,"Racing heart, very very confused/out of it, rash all over stomach and legs, bad anxiety attacks, feels like my throat is closing, upper back pain, joints hurt, bruising very easily so now have bruises all over, feels like I got hit by a car.",Definitely do not take this! Try something else! Causes you to have a horrible panic attack!,,22,2 days300,03/09/2017
1,Sore Throat,"Diarrhea, paranoia, jitters, insomnia, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, ""bad trip""","One of the worst nights of my life. Felt like a bad hallucinogen trip. Could not think straight at all, dark intrusive thoughts (like cutting my abdomen open with a knife) and paranoia which caused a panic attack. The next morning I felt like my IQ was a lot lower and could only do things very slowly. Thankfully by the next day I feel mostly better again. I am hoping I don't have any more ongoing issues with it, I would never take this again.",M,39,1 days500mg 1X day,03/08/2017
1,Asthma,Pelvic pain dizziness tired ear infection weak headache fluid retention in body swollen face hands legs,,F,55,6 days30 mg,2/28/2017
2,Was sick,heart flutters,"I had taken it a while back, until this day I have heart flutters everyday and no one can tell me why. (Lawsuit) I believe this drug has a life long side effect of heart flutters!",F,40,1 daysIn questio,2/27/2017Email
1,Inner ear infection,"Burning in the chest, and stomach, abdominal pains, nauseous, diarrhea, no appetite, ringing in the ears, dizzy and weak and headaches.",I will never take this medication again.,F,47,5 days,2/17/2017
5,sinus infection/upper respiratory,slight loose stool,"Works well for me and have never had a problem. Sometimes have needed a second 5 day pack to kick out the remains of sinus infection.
Have always taken with food at same time each of the days, and kept hydrated and have never had a problem with this drug. It has worked for me when tetracycline, doxycycline and amoxicillin have not.",F,55,5 days250 mg 1X day,2/16/2017
3,Upper respiratory infection,"It has caused a nervous stomach, and not sure, but have been having anxiety. I took my last dose 2 days ago and I will never take this again.",,F,70,5 days250,2/16/2017Email
1,Upper respiratory Infection,"Horrible anxiety and nervous stomach. I feel like I'm loosing my mind. I cry, no appetite. I just finished my last dose 2 days ago & can hardly wait for this terrible stuff to get out of my body.",I will never take this again.,F,70,5 days250 5X day,2/16/2017Email
2,Bronchitis,Pain gas diarehha,,F,72,2 days,1/31/2017
5,"pneumonia and sinusitis, plus skin",I have had no negative side effects,"My chest was congested, I had a very bad cough of long duration,and my nose was running constantly. I could not breathe. After 4 days, I am much improved. Additionally, for the past 46 years I have had a hospital acquired skin infection (from the hand sanitizer in the pediatric ICU) that appeared to be untreatable--it is almost clear. Makes me wonder why no one ever prescribed this drug for me before. I am very thankful for the Zpak.",F,76,4 days,1/15/2017
1,Prolonged inus confestion and cough,"DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG.
I felt excruciating abdominal pains, severe diarhhea, insomnia, intense migraines, severe joint stiffness all within a few hrs of taking this absolutely worthless drug. I only took the first two pills and quit taking it. Its NOT worth it at all!!!!",,M,29,1 days500,12/31/2016
1,Tooth surgery,"This drug is terrifying and shouldn't be prescribed . Severe flatluence(gas) and diarrhea, trembling, night sweats, exhausted, no energy, chills, no apetite etc . A whole list of symptoms that would take forever to list. If you want to put your health in jeopardy than take this other than that .. DONT !!",Terrible . Take this off the market,F,20,1 days,12/11/2016
1,Possible bronchitis,"Horrible anxiety attacks, dull headaches, excruciating stomach pains, heart palpitations, black stool, felling out of it, eye sensitivity, hypochondria, loss of appetite, dizziness, night sweats, can't focus and loads of others.","NEVER TAKING THIS DRUG AGAIN!! Went to urgent care for shortness of breath and a slight cough. They prescribed me the z pack but after looking at my X-rays said my lungs and heart was normal. I decided to take it anyway just in case it might've been there. Worst mistake I've ever made. It's been a week now since my last pill and I'm still having side effects. Can't wait to feel normal again. Glad I ran across this site, thought I was loosing my mind. You're gonna feel like everything in the world is wrong with you but it's just the meds.",F,34,5 days,10/10/2016
1,THROAT INFECCTION,"INSOMNIA, ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS, TREMORS, DEPRESSION, ANOREXIA, METAL TASTE.,ETC.","THE WORSE! IM TAKING XANAX, AND SEE A PSYQ. DOCTOR BECAUSE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS. BEFORE I HAVE SAME SIDE EFFECTS WITH CIPRO, NOW THIS ONE. I TOOK THIS IN JULY 19, 20016. UNTIL NOW I HAVE THOSE HORRIBLE EFFECTS. PLEASE EMAIL ME statesecuritee@yahoo.com if you want. How long this horrible side effects will last? anybody have any idea? Im taking florastore and magnesium, I hope I get better soon. PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS POISON IF YOU HAVE ALLERGY TO CIPRO OR HAVE ANXIETY BEFORE!!!!!",F,44,5 days250 1X day,9/23/2016Email
3,,,,,,1 days,9/17/2016
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Upset stomach, nausea, dizzy spells, severe heartburn even at night despite going to be 3 hours after a light meal (on all 5 days), weakness and mid to upper level back pain.",Doctors say that despite the side effects the long term benefit is that the bacteria is eradicated from your system - what they don't tell you is that it practically kills the healthy cells that remain - for them to regenerate is a painful process. I strongly recommend taking something different.,M,32,5 days250 MG,9/14/2016Email
1,Strep,I had the same exact side effects I thought I was completely losing my mind and going insane by the fourth day of taking this my thoughts and my body reactions are starting to level out again since I stopped taking it I will never take this again,,,46,1 days,09/09/2016
1,Bronchitis and sinus infection,I took this medicine with pseudoephedrine. Bad idea.about the fourth day taking both medicines I developed severe anxiety to the point I thought I was dying. Heart rate went up jitter in my chest felt sureal felt impending doom had fear of everything even of weather it was horrible thought I was losing my mind. And I already have existing anxiety so it was 100 times worse but every second of everyday for two months straight! This was on June 17 I took it and now it's august and at times I still can't handle a little stress but has gotten better this drug is evil stays in the tissues too long and the liver. My bilibrium was elevated and never had previous problems before also thyroid levels a little elevated too probably because of too much cortisol in my system from this drug with the panic attacks ugh I was fine and normal before my whole summer was ruined I felt like a crazy person went to many doctors and they said it was not antibiotics but yes it was I had a bad reaction like most people here and funny everyone has same side effects as me so this is a bad drug never ever would take again as long as I live!!!,Poisonous drug will mess up your whole body system.,F,29,5 days250 mg,8/25/2016Email
3,STD,"Nausea, Stomach Pains, drowsiness and definitely a lot of diarrhea. And one panic attack","Everyones body is different, I noticed women have it worst off from this medicine and idk why. But for me I took this around 2pm today after eating Popeyes and 15-20 minutes later I felt like I got the stomach bug with severe stomach pains and nausea, running to the toilet to go number 2. After that I had a panic attack because I wasn't expecting this feeling. However as the day has been going on I continue to get a bit of sour stomach and nausea before each episode of needing to go to the bathroom. I feel like eating before is a must and drink water or it would have been worse!! It's 5:23 pm and things seem to be settling with very minor stomach pains here and there. I hate the doctors and medicine in general, they'll give you anything to charge your insurance, there's better alternatives then this ""fu*k you now you feel sick as hell"" Zithromax pill. As long as this works I'll be happy but never again. Lesson learned.",M,20,1 days1000MG,08/05/2016
1,STD,"Stomach pains, diarrhea, anxiety, lost of appetite.",The worst diarrhea of my life and with no appetite lost a lot of weight. Won't take this crap ever again.,M,34,1 days1000mg,7/16/2016
1,Bronchitis,"Severe stomach pains, anxiety, anger, depression, insomnia, diarrhea, massive headache, vomiting",I just started this today not even 24 hrs ago and I'm have many side effects. I took this antibiotic before and it was all fine but now i can barely stay out of the bathroom because of constant throwing up/diarrhea. And when I'm talking to someone I seem to snap out of nothing! I don't have an history with anxiety or depression but I am very sure I had a panic attack and I couldn't slip crying and feeling just awful. I felt better without this drug. Don't take it. It has far to many side effects that happen way to often,F,17,1 days,7/14/2016Email
1,Some sort of bacterial infection,"I took two pills the first day, one pill the second day as directed. After about 30 hours of taking pills 1&2, the side effects started. Right ear plugged up, vertigo began. within 4-6 hours, panic, sweats, vomiting. All bad. I did not take the day 3 dose. I went to the doctor instead. Got a different antibiotic. It's been approximately 6 days since my first dose and I'm still not right. Fatigue is harsh, still a wee bit disoriented. This drug can't get out of my system fast enough. The side effects seemed to be waning yesterday to the point i declared myself nearly 100%, but last night i felt like i had a vertigo/insomnia relapse. Mild, but still kept me up for hours.",take at your own risk.,M,42,2 days500mg 1X day,6/16/2016Email
1,Bronchitis,"First, you feel a little ""off"" with some weird depression. It feels like doom and gloom. Then you can't eat a thing. Then you develop SEVERE anxiety and panic attacks (heart palpitations, nausea, chest pressure, etc) for no apparent reason. This is how this drug affected me. I was dry heaving all the time. If there was pepper cooking, I would feel it in my throat and heave. I would vomit from the panic and then panic because I'm vomiting. I had a great job--a math teacher. I took this drug for bronchitis (which ended up being viral) all because my mom wanted me to. She was worried that it would get worse. And I took this evil drug. I couldn't work. I was teaching using post it notes. It was insane. After stopping this drug, the symptoms of anxiety got worse. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't breathe. I totally isolated myself because even TALKING would make me heave if I breathed funny. For an entire year, I barely spoke. All I did was read and play jigsaw puzzles while watchi","Some people just need time (a LOT of time) and their symptoms will subside. I wasn't that lucky. I try to post this on here from time to time (although it's been a few years at this point), but someone emailed me about this and I decided to post again, PLEASE email me if you have any questions. There is hope. You are not alone. You can get through this. Good luck to all of you.",F,36,5 days500mg 1X day,6/12/2016Email
1,Congestion nasal and cough,"Even if taking prednisone, never had some bad taste onyx mouth like that to metal!!",,F,56,3 days,5/26/2016
1,Strep/pneumonia,"Blurred vision, severe diarrhea, pounding rapid heart, headache that lasted the whole time, itchy vagina, nausea, dizzyness. Worst experience with this medicine. I know not everyone can take it and I'm one of them !! Dr ended up putting me on augmentin 875mg twice a day and it works like a charm!",Not for everyone. Don' work for 1 in 5 people,F,25,5 days250,5/25/2016Email
1,Respiratory infection,"Headache, heart racing, skin rash, itching, anxiety, not feeling like myself, sore joints and muscles, stiff neck and shoulder pain, severe acid reflux, horrible anxiety, swollen lymph nodes in neck, insomnia you name it I had it","I took the 1000mg in one dose, after the 4th day I felt like my throat was closing. I began to itch all over my body. I had a migraine that wouldn't go away even with sleep. I went to the ER, Doctor told me to take benadryl, because I was experiencing an allergic reaction. A week after that I was still experiencing sore joints and back pain, acid reflux so I went back to the hospital, Doctor ran test said I was dehydrated and said I had an uti. They gave me fluids and prescribed bactrim, however I was scared to take the medication that was prescribed because of what I was experiencing. Bought probiotics for acid reflux and the belching subsided. I will never take this drug again",F,24,5 days1g,5/24/2016
1,Sinus Infection,"First two doses was horrible. I got shortness of breathe , Bad taste in my mouth, severe diarrhea and I felt completely insane. Unable to go to sleep . Cold feet and hands",Definitely would not recommend at all!!!,F,23,5 days250 MG,5/15/2016Email
1,sinus infection,"COMPLETE LOSS OF SMELL, severely decreased sense of taste, stomach cramps, foggy/blurred vision","Less than an hour after taking first dose starting having severe abdominal cramps, the next day my sense of smell was COMPLETELY gone. It's been 4 days since first dose and no improvement in smell. Super scary thought that it may be permanent.",F,32,3 days250mg,5/13/2016
5,Bacterial throat/ear infection,None...perhaps a bit of gas,Take natural yogourt and acidophilus pills and you should be fine!,F,62,5 days250 mg X 6 1X day,4/24/2016
3,,,,,,1 days,4/24/2016
5,Uraplasma,Nausea and loose stools,"I am 3 months and 2 weeks pregnant, and was prescribed a 1000mg dose of this medication. Had no problems other than some nausea and diareah",F,23,1 days1000mg,4/23/2016
1,Bronchitis,"Severe headache, body aches, irritability, constipation, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, neck pain.","I was recently put on this poison for bronchitis which didn't really help me but instead just cause bad side effects. After being on two doses, it caused me a lot of problems, problems that the doctor said don't usually occur after a few doses. I was told that it should be out of my body by now but it is not. I do not trust doctors words so much and I will never take antibiotics like this again. All it did was make me feel worse. Never take this drug.",F,22,1 days250 mg,4/23/2016
1,Bronchitis,"I took this drug about eight years ago. After two pills I became very ill, I thought I had a very bad case of the flu. But no I wasn't that lucky... after 5 trips to the ER, I was sent to an allergist specialist. She new right away that I was having a sever allergic reaction to Z-pack. She also told me that it would take up to 3 months for it to be out of my system, because it also can be absorbed in your tissues.She was right I had to take steroids for three months, every time they tried to lower the dosage I would break out in hives again....",Evil Evil drug....,F,57,2 days 1X day,4/19/2016
1,Sinus infection,Lost 80% of sense of smell directly after using. It's been over 9 months and it never returned. Life won't be the same again wish I never took this. I went to ENT and she gave me a stroid spray but it helps very little.,,M,40,5 days,4/17/2016
1,Sinus cold,Loss /distorted sense of smell and taste,Don't take this drug,M,55,5 days,4/8/2016Email
1,Sinusitis,"THE WORST DRUG EVER!! I wish that I would have listened to my gut feeling and not taken this drug. After 1st dose, palpitations, chest pain, severe dizziness, overall bad feeling. Day 2, sweaty red palms/feet, chest/face got red and flushed and hot, terrible pain in the center of my back, rash on my arms and legs, ended up in the ER. Insomnia tonight, mind racing, severe anxiety, weird visual effects when I close my eyes! Like swirling or spinning....so awful AND it takes days after stopping for it to get out of your system!
What is in this poison?? I would never, ever take this again!",Worst experience ever taking an antibiotic! Horrible side effects after just two days of taking this!,F,45,2 days250 mg,04/03/2016
1,bronchitis,"Dizziness, chest pains,nasuea,vision problems,headaches fatigue, lack of concentration.",,,,5 days,3/23/2016
3,I got the flu,I had head aches as well as feeling off balance tired all the time and have like a shaky nervous feeling..although it has helped me with my flu it has created new symptoms..,,M,33,4 days250 mg,3/19/2016
3,Upper respiratory sore throat,"Ulcers on gums and tongue.extreme bloating and gas cramps, strange after taste in mouth,nausea,chest pain that is still bothering me after 2 days off. It sped me up. I was sick and up cleaning bc of the med. Every side effect I experienced is on the rare list which just blows my mind.",I have read articles on this medicine and the potential for death by heart attack is scary. Especially since my chest has bothered me since I started it. I'm a healthy 40 yr old female but the fact that my chest bothered me is the reason I sought out info. I workout daily but something is wrong. My husband just finished same dose. He was sick too but worse and it did nothing. We just got back from Dr and he's now on doxycycline. I've never had so many side-effects from an antibiotic. I wouldn't take it again. Too miserable.,F,40,5 days250 mg,3/18/2016
5,Chronic Sinus Infection,None,I have suffered chronic sinus infections for years and this seems to be the first antibiotic that has ever really helped me to feel better. I have to agree that the negative comments left on this antibiotic seem to be more symptoms of an illness and not this antibiotic.. It seems to work great for me.,F,35,10 days250 mg 1X day,3/15/2016Email
1,sinus infection,"Irregular heart beat,anxiety,headache,gas,bloating,always hungry,loss of taste and smell,sensitive skin,tingling in hands,depression ,burning sensation in my mouth just to name a few!",I finally stopped taking them after I took 4,F,53,4 days??? 1X day,03/12/2016
1,Sinus Infection,Worst medical experience of my life,"I was given Zithromax for a severe sinus infection. I am pregnant, and this was recommended to be best for pregnant women. I was prescribed to take 2, 250 MG pills on the first day, but at the advice of my pharmacist, only took one the first day. I took the first pill around 3 PM, after a late lunch. Picked up my son and drove home and felt completely fine. I sat down and realized i couldn't read the words on the TV, so i took out my phone and did the same, with the same results. The words were blurred and i had a sudden terrible headache behind my eyes .. i laid down for about 20 minutes thinking i was having a migraine (never had one before-but knew symptoms) .. i thought i was better so i stood up, only to realize that my hands were completely numb and my arms were tingling. After this my mouth/tongue/neck all became tingly and i couldn't get my words out! I was having what i thought was a stroke! My husband was completely freaked out and drove me to the ER, as i had never experienced anything like this before and i wasn't thinking it could be from a z-pak! Levels were fine, tests were ran and lots of money were spent .... all because of this medicine. No one in my family will ever be prescribed this drug again! I also suffer from mild anxiety, and like a lot of others have said, this is absolutely not a drug for people who already suffer from this ... my heart was beating so fast and i had never had a reaction like this before. BEWARE.",F,27,1 days250MG 1X day,03/03/2016
1,Mouth surgery,"I was given this med about 10 years ago. I have had problems digesting gluten foods since. I look pregnant after eating breads, pasta, fried and worst if I drink wine.
It was stating that bloating could be a side effect. Correct, a life long problem.",Maybe the z pack is why so many people have bloating issues.,F,61,5 days?,03/03/2016
4,Sinus infection,"*skin sensitivity, dry skin/dry mouth, mild headache different from original sinus headache* I'm only on day 3, but my skin feels irritated and is easily chafed by clothing.","I'm on this antibiotic after suffering through two weeks of sinus infection and unresolved cough and fever. The skin sensitivity is very unlpeasant, but being sick was worse. I do have my energy back and brain fog went away.",F,40,5 days250mg,2/26/2016
1,pelvic imfamatory disease,"Severe headache that won't go away and I was given the medication 3 days ago , horrible stomach pains , night sweats , rapid heart rate , feeling extremely sleepy and off balance and my skin won't stop itching ,","This is the absolute worst medication I've ever had to take , my sickness wasn't even this bad , this medication is absolutely horrible , I wouldn't recommend it to anyone or anything ...",F,33,1 days1000,2/24/2016
1,upper respiratory infection,Horrible. I have the worst diarrhea ever. Severe pain in kidney and liver. Stopped after first dose. Have anxiety scared to death this will kill me. Just horrible.,Do not take this poison. It could kill you,F,43,1 days250mg,2/23/2016Email
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Stomach, cramping, diarrhea, lack if sleep, anxiety, extremely exhausted, and tingling and numbness in legs.",I will never take this again.,F,34,5 days,2/20/2016Email
4,Sinus infection,"My son can't stop talking....like crazy chatter talk. It's 6:30, and he has been talking non stop since 4pm. It's entertaining, but wowzers. He's a fun and great kid...He actually got in trouble at school today for being a little too silly. 100% a side effect of this medication. He teacher wrote me just as shocked.",I do like the fact it is once a day medication for only 5 days. Life is so busy that trying to set alarms for medication for 10 days is just a set up for failure. Haha.,M,12,5 days5ml,2/10/2016Email
1,Sinus infection,"Given 5 day course of this medication for a sinus infection. Started with 2/250 mg tabs first day. Within 3 hrs had dry heaves, headache ect. Second 2 days felt like worst case of flu ever, pounding heart, headache, dizziness. Not taking last 2 days of med as not worth it.",,F,69,5 days250mg,02/04/2016
4,Sinusitis,"Took with probiotics and had no stomach upset, but it gave me a massive headache that ibuprofen wouldn't touch.","I'm allergic to amoxicillin and penicillin, so this is one of the few antibiotics I can take. I will tell the doctor about this unfortunate side effect next time, though. I've taken Zithromax at least 10 times and have never had this happen.",F,36,5 days500 MG,1/31/2016
1,Broncial infection,"At rest, BP155/110,Pulse rate will not go below 100.Short of breath and heart and head feel like they are trying to explode! Arms and legs started itching on day 3. I will not finish this Med.",I will never take this garbage again- Its worse then the sickness!,M,54,4 days250mg,1/24/2016Email
1,viral infection,My entire digestive system shut down.my stools became chalk colored...I feel very weak...TERRIBLE drug.,,M,59,1 days250,1/22/2016Email
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Stomach pains, diarrhea, drowsy all the time",Never take this piece of crap. It's hell in the form of a pill and I feel WAY worse than before taking the pill and it's been a week,M,20,3 days,1/20/2016
3,Tonselitis,"Night Sweats! On day 1,2,3,4 and we'll see what happens tonight. So bad I've had to change my clothes 3x per night.","It isn't working all that great, my fever finally curbed on day 3 and throat is still not healed on day 5.",M,28,5 days40 mg 1X day,1/19/2016
1,infected bronchial tubes,I broke out in hives all over my body. Itchy itchy ITCHY hives! Also I'll be resting and suddenly my heart rate increases with a very abnormal beat. So that means also high blood pressure.,This is aweful. Too risky.,F,22,1 days250,1/17/2016
1,Atypical respiratory infection,"Only had minor GI upset but psychological effect is almost unliveable. I have no history of mood or anxiety disorders but this drug gave me MAJOR anxiety, worry, fear, depression, panic. like a lot of other posts I had almost constant feelings of impending doom and dread. Constant vivid nightmares about death and dying. Extreme paranoia and hypochondria made worse by the amount of aches and pains it causes. At one point I counted up 12 different life threatening illnesses I was convinced I had. My life would have to literally depend on it for me to take this drug again. Last 2 months have been hell, and I still need to wait for drug to wash out my system.",Think very carefully before taking. Especially if you have any anxiety or mood disorders.,M,38,2 months250 1X day,01/12/2016
1,bronchitis,Pain in abodomen. Had to have endoscope exam and pint of blood. Month after taking pills. Still sick,Not sure it was pills. Just suspicious.,,85,3 days500,01/08/2016
1,Bronchitis,"Shortness of breath, nausea, accelerated heart rate, SEVERE panic attacks, stomach upset, irritated colon, SEVERE depression, cold feet and hands, fatigue, brain fog, muscle/bone pain, red chest, strange taste in mouth, and vision problems.","Shortly after I took the first two doses, I became very short of breath. Then came all of the other symptoms that are listed above. I took the medicine the following day and became worse after taking it. The panic attacks were terrible.
I only had 3 pills, and was sick for over a week. It has been almost 2 weeks; since I took the last pill, and I am still at times feeling side effects.
Conducted research as I thought I was going nuts; found out that there are 2 forms of Zithromax, Pfizer and PLIVA, I had the PLIVA (white) pills; not the Pfizer (pink) pills. I do not know if this was the major difference as I have taken Z Pack many times before and never had a problem.
This is the worse medicine. I asked the Pharmacist if they had changed the formula she indicated to me that there were no changes. Something has changed. I have had many allergic reactions to medicines, but never a reaction like I had with this medicine.",F,52,2 days250 1X day,12/29/2015Email
1,URI,"Horrible diarrhea, abdominal pain, arm weakness, extreme fatigue, constant feeling of hunger but nauseous too. Drug worse than illness.never again.",Yuck!,F,40,5 days6 pack,12/22/2015Email
1,strep throat,WTF!?!? I just got over my strep throat and fever and i havent been to work and i havent been myself and then my doctor hands me this prescription which i take on my break at work and all of a sudden i get the worst cramps and nausea of my life and i had no idea that would happen i was completley upset because I've already been in pain for the past 3 days WHY AM I IN EVEN MORE PAIN!?!?! Would not recommend but i think i dint have a choice its either this or strep throat 😭😭,It sucks and should not even be sold if it doesnt come with night quil and pamprin,F,21,1 days250mg,12/14/2015Email
1,Bronchitis- Sinus Infecfion,"Horrible drug. Thank god I found this site or else I would have thought I was drying from something else. Horrible nausea, diarrhea (bright yellow), shooting abdominal pain, gut pain, ANXIETY, depression, loss of appetite (lost 6 pounds in 3 days), low sex drive, anger, outbursts, mental thoughts.","I hate this medication and wish I never took it. After 4 days I'd had enough. I took with with Probiotics Udos Super plus- I think that was too much for my gut so I switched to Florostor (as someone suggested on here). Pharmacist said that this drug is hard on the system and may take a couple of weeks to make its way out. I've been fighting with my spouse, my anxiety is through the roof. I'm in Tecta for GERD however don't even know if that's working anymore because my stomach is so messed up from this drug. Hate it.",F,38,4 days5 day pack,12/12/2015Email
4,Possible STI,"Mild headache and nausea, with some stomach pain. Came here to see about the side effects: seems pretty normal. Honestly, even though I have an anxiety disorder that also flared a bit with this dose, it's worth it to prevent the std.",,F,25,1 days250 MG,11/24/2015
3,Chanceroid,"Nausea, G.I., Anxiety, Headache.",If you are having severe anxiety on this medicine then you are having a herxheimer reaction. Please google it. You may also be experiencing your intestinal flora aka good bacteria inside your gut dying off. Saccharomyces Boulardii is the answer.,M,45,3 days1000mg 1X day,11/19/2015
1,bronchitis,Nausea. Horrible drug.,,F,29,1 days500,11/13/2015
5,Pneumonia,"Bloating to the point my jeans are very tight all over, loss of appetite, dry mouth with constant thirst, reduced urination, tinny taste in mouth, some stomach discomfort but not all that bad.","After suffering through 5 days of 103-104 fevers, extreme literally uncontrollable chills, body aches, fatigue prior to a Dx of pneumonia (thought I had the worst flu in recorded history), all I can say is thank God for this antibiotic. I'll take this drug any day rather than die a slow, painful death from pneumonia or sepsis. For the all the folks on this board whining about the side effects of this antibiotic, you have obviously never taken Flagyl. Let's keep the side effects in context. Folks, otherwise healthy people (many of them children) used to drop dead from a wide variety of disease on a daily basis. Count your blessings that you live in this age.",F,46,5 days250,11/12/2015Email
1,Suspected chlamydia,"Stomach ache, strange aches in gut, burning sensation in stomach, dizziness when hungry and otherwise, palpitation, extreme anxiety & fear of terminal illnesses, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, bloating, fatigue, light sensitivity, constant buzzing sensation inside right ear, acid reflux, extreme urticaria or hives, burning urine sensation .. It was an endless torturous experience. Didn't link all of this with Zithromax and so wasted loads of money on Upper GI endoscopy, X-rays, MRI scan, ear tests, CT scan of abdomen, Ultrasound, blood work which in turn resulted in ridiculous prescriptions like Nexium, Ganaton and further antibiotics. Blood work also found elevated levels of liver enzymes and cholesterol levels.","After a protracted period of heartache, frustration and depression, I gave up all those medications that arose from an array of misdiagnoses and by sheer luck, read up about the effects of antibiotics on the web and as per suggestions from some people with similar experience, started out with a strong probiotics brand called VSL3 which has 100 billion strains of live cultures. The impact was almost miraculous I must say - after a tantalizing 9 months, I felt human once again. After almost a year on probiotics, I am still recovering from the horrible damage it did to my gut flora. MY ADVISE - STAY AWAY FROM THIS LIKE PLAGUE.",M,40,4 days500 2X day,11/8/2015Email
1,sinus cold,Lost sense of smell. June 2015,Take it off the market.,F,59,7 days500mg 1X day,11/8/2015Email
3,Pneumonia,"Fatigue, some nausea, bad jitters/tremors, and some dizziness","This medication certainly cleared up the infection, but I think I'd prefer a few extra days in a slower antibiotic than to deal with these side effects.",F,33,1 days,10/26/2015
2,Bronchiolitis,My son was administered one full dose of Zithromax (azithromycin) and promptly began vomiting as a rash appeared all over his body. The vomiting would occur after each dose and the rash would worsen. His ped advised this was an allergic reaction and the Zithromax was discontinued.,,M,2,1 days,10/22/2015
1,Sinusitis,Very weak and anxious. Sweating and massive headaches. I was afraid I was going to pass out a few times because the weakness and trembling got so bad! Pain in abdomen and foul taste in mouth. By the third dose I was feeling horrible. Massive fatigue from this drug. I will never take it again.,I took 750 mg and stopped taking it after the third dose. I just can't handle the crazy side effects. It is AWFUL! Steer clear of this poison!,F,45,3 days250 mg,10/19/2015
2,Bronchitis,"Just as others, I was on the 2 first day, 1 subsequent days. I have general anxiety disorder and this has made it flare up like you wouldn't believe. Also having gastrointestinal issues, agitation and cold sweats.",Still coughing up phlegm and feel sick. Never taking this again!!!,M,34,5 days500/250day,10/13/2015
1,std,Nausea dizziness diarrhea abdominal pain,Please dont take this drug i feel like it actually can kill you!!!,F,45,3 days250,9/19/2015Email
1,inner ear (water),"I had a hell of a time! A hour after the first dose I got extreme dizziness and abdominal pain. These symptoms subsided in the morning, me loving cruel and usual punishment,toke another pill that day! Big mistake....i puked my guts out and couldn't get out of bed. Walking was hazardous and I missed a week of work. I had feelings of deep sorrow, nervousness, no sleep and anger!","The next day I didn't take the medicine! Not worth it!! I couldn't go to the ER because I literally couldn't sit up! Finally I toke Pepto Bismal and a Benadryl! I was able to so up in bed...next I was able to eat a few hours later. I'm still under the weather but, I see a bit of light by the end of tomorrow!PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!!! You will spend a lot of time trying to fix something that really isn't broken. Your pain could never be that bad!!!",F,46,2 daystoo much,9/16/2015
4,Bronchitis and sinusitis,Bad stomach cramps and diareaha with gas.,,F,24,5 days,09/11/2015
1,Sinus infection and bronchitis,"Dry pasty mouth, itchy skin,headache, I have hepatitis C and it made my liver swollen",DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG IT'S HORRIBLE,F,60,4 days250,9/7/2015Email
1,strep,"extreme agitation, inability to stay asleep",definitely will not take this drug again,F,47,5 days250 1X day,8/31/2015
1,sinus infection,"Overwhelming anxiety and depression, racing heart, short of breath, hot flashes and chills, nausea, loose stools, no appetite. Lost 3 pounds in 3 days. Shakey, feelings of dread. Endedup in the ER",Worst 5 days of my life! Stopped the med 4 days ago and still miserable. Just a very marginal improvement. I took it before with no issues but NEVER again.,F,56,3 days,8/27/2015Email
1,"Cough, swollen lymph glands","I took the first 500mg dose of Zithromax then followed with 250mg the next 4 days. On the third day my skin started getting a little itchy but continued taking because I saw no rash. The next week my symptoms hadn't gone away and my eyes starting yellowing. Went into the doctor and my liver enzymes were all too high. Doctors tested for everything and couldn't figure it out; I was sent to a liver specialist (after an ultrasound, CAT scan and countless blood tests) who determined I had drug-induced hepatitis from the zpack. It's almost 2 months later and my enzymes are still high. Wishing this would go away, I have extremely intense pruritus, constipation, jaundice, lost 15 pounds and severe fatigue",Will not EVER take again,F,19,"5 days500, 250mg",8/11/2015Email
3,precautionary,One mega-dose because my boyfriend has a uti that won't go away and they were worried that we might have some urethritis. I never felt sick and they didn't test me for ureaplasma or mycoplasma. I wish they had tested me before just prescribing this huge dose to a 107 pound woman. I already suffer from anxiety and my worst phobia is vomiting. So I take this drug and I feel like I'm going to throw up and I'm having panic attacks like I haven't had in years. I don't recommend this drug for people with clinical anxiety. I took the one mega-dose on a Sunday and still felt like throwing-up after supper on Tuesday. I'm relieved to read the posts here because it sounds like that is a normal side-effect and I'm not dying after all - lol.,,F,57,1 days2000 1X day,7/22/2015
1,Strep,"My 6 year old daughter was prescribed this medicine for strep throat since she is allergic to amoxicillin (facial swelling) . Poor thing, she has had anxiety, major panic attacks, hallucinations, acting out dreams, sleep walking and talking, weird hunger waves and diarrhea. My personal conclusion is that she is allergic to this medication as well.",Big pharmaceutical companies need to provide more detailed side effects and allergy warnings. DO NOT TAKE.,,6,2 days,6/27/2015
1,Bronchitis,took drug march 11 and had severe diarhea after first dose of 2. It is now June and I still have loose stools and 2-5 bowel movements each day. The drug was actually Azithromycin,I will never take this drug again.,F,73,2 days250mg 1X day,6/15/2015
4,sinus infection,"I had diahrea, sweating & felt weak after I took the first 2 doses. I am hoping I feel better by the time I take the next dose.",Make sure you eat or you will feel sick to your stomach.,F,59,6 days250 mg,6/12/2015Email
1,sinus infection,"I took zithromax for the prescribed time , 5 days. My cold got better but in two weeks I started to experience a funny metal taste in my mouth . I started to feel sick with nausea daily. I got really hungry but at the same time felt sick to my stomach. I would eat and then after a while got nausea again. I had a dream someone was feeding me horrible food that was poison . I woke up feeling sick. I started to eat yogurt and drink ginger ale but still felt sick.. I am going to the doctors to see if I have an infection in my intestinal tract . I will never take this drug again. I believe it messed up my system.",,F,66,5 days 1X day,06/06/2015
3,upper respiratory infection,Anxious..depressed.loss of appetite.. The worse case of diaharria.. Stomach cramps from hell couldn't sleep..body really sore but it cleared up majority of the infection.. Been finish with the 5 day pack now for 4 days..still ain't back to normal..oh yeah n it definitely made my heart beat really crazey...,I don't know what to say about it becuz I was originally on amoxilcillan..10 days didn't work..first day of zithromycin is what I took n I could breath again..but I got the horrible side effects...man n wen I say horrible that's nicely putting it,F,31,5 days2000,5/24/2015
1,Bronchitis,"The first dose was horrible!!! Diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea, fatigue and just feeling shitty. I took the second dose against my better judgement which brought me to this sight. The same the over and over. I'm skipping the last dose. I just can't take it!!",Save yourself the trouble and demand another medication.,F,30,3 days500mg,5/22/2015
1,Ear infection,Well as I sit here on the shitter with the shits from from the bows of hell that have been going on since I took my first double dose I think to myself what was worse the sickeness of the cure.,Going to try traditional next time,M,31,5 days500,5/19/2015Email
5,Sinus infection,"After first ""double dose"" (2; 250 mg tabs) I had diarrhea about 30 minutes later. But not after that one time. Night sweats - had to change my tshirt out in the middle of the night but I was also taking Nyquil so I could get some sleep, so that could be it.
Also, from coughing and hacking so much, severe back ache.","This is the only stuff that ever works. Every year I get a cold, and it turns into a sinus infection. Drips into my lungs, and kicks up my asthma. I take this zPack and it kills it fast.",M,48,5 days250 1X day,05/10/2015
3,Sinus infection,Severe gastrointestinal problems day 4 of a 5 day regimen. I have had this drug several times and it seems only marginally effective. About half the time infections rebound after the 5 day dosing regimen is complete.,,M,61,5 days250 1X day,05/04/2015
1,Sinus infection,"The day after I took the first double dose I ended up in bed for the entire day and night. I could not function. It completely wiped me out. I slept for over 24 hours. I took 3 more single doses after that and felt like crap. I skipped the last dose because I need this med out of my system asap. It caused stomach pain, extreme fatigue, weakness to the point I could barely sit up, dizziness, panic attacks, large hard acne, fesling of dying or passing out...it's hard to even explain, lOSS of appetite, diarrhea, gurgling guts, loss of smell and taste, and moodiness.",Will never take this med again. I think the sinus infection would have been easier to deal with than these side effects.,F,35,4 days250,5/4/2015Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Please save yourself the trouble and stay FAR away from this.
During my first two days on the zithromax i felt excruciating stomach pains, and loose stools. - That was no where near as bad as the anxiety, depression, and mood swings I experienced the remaining 2 days. I skipped the final dose of this medication due to my horrifying anxiety. I was high strung, jittery.",I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.,F,24,4 days250 MG 1X day,05/04/2015
1,bronchitis,Hideous ringing in my ears that lasted and is still lasting. Would NEVER recommend this to anyone. Penicillin is something I would've preferred. I didn't need the antibiotics anyway. Doctor over-treated. No good. No good. :(,This shouldn't be on the market.,F,27,1 days500 mg,4/25/2015
1,bronchitis,Never again! I experienced major stomach cramps and diarrhea after 2nd dose; insomnia; anxiety; pending doom; exhaustion; terrible nausea; coated tongue for days; its 3 days after last dose and still feel horrible. I didn't even take last dose - not worth the feeling. hope I feel back to myself soon but never again.,,F,58,4 days500 mg 1X day,4/17/2015
1,Sinuitis and ear infections,"(Sorry for my English- I am a Scandinavian, doing my best!). Side effects: First: abdominal pain and a weird feeling of hunger all the time. After the course the pain disappeared, but now I was going to discover the worst side effects: anxiety, pounding heart, pins and needles on my upper arms, tingling feeling in my mouth and lips. Strange metal-like taste in my mouth. A feeling of 'not being myself '. Last night severe tinnitus and heavy breathing. Was soooo tired, but didn't dare to go to sleep.... This morning severe nausea- and the day has just begun....","I have taken Zithromax twice before without any problems (beside abdominal pain) this time I was prescribed azirhromycin... Probably the same, but I wonder.�",F,50,3 days500,4/15/2015
1,Sinus infection,"Sinus infection had moved to lungs, lots of coughing. On second day of Z-Pak I woke up at 2 in the morning with stomach cramps, not your usual gas type of cramps, totally debilitating cramps, followed by diarrhea, which lasted for over an hour. Profuse sweating, felt that I may pass out. Then I remembered Z-Pak was prescribed a few years ago, I had the same symptoms, I thought back then it was part of what was ailing me. Realized it was because I am allergic to this medicine. I am now on Levofloxacin for a week, feeling a bit dizzy, bit of blurry vision and forgetfulness. Not sure if it is from the new pills, (as they both have side effects), or the residual Z-Pak left in my system. I have a busy teaching schedule, but this will not keep me down. Definitely will not take again. I think I will do more checking next time something is prescribed and check out the side effects. I do prefer natural methods, but this strain of infection was not going away.",,F,63,1 days500MG 1X day,4/9/2015Email
1,Bronchitis,"Sickness subsided quickly. Followed by: insomnia, anxiety, foggy brain, vision slightly blurred, strange appetite waves, sweats...",,M,31,3 days250,4/7/2015Email
3,walking pneumonia,"Sweats, horrible stomach issues, Diarrhea then constipation, Headache, neck and back pain",The pneumonia is a dull cough but my stomach hurts so bad I want to remove it! NOW,F,55,5 days 1X day,04/03/2015
3,BV infection of cervix,"Mild nausea and stomach cramps the first night after taking it. Every day since ( has been 4 days) anxiety and nightly insomnia, hot flashes, rapid heart rate, chills and shaking. Went to the ER where I had a normal EKG and they gave me Benadryl and Ativan to help me sleep. Slept 10 hours the next day, but all symptoms were back that night and the next. Antihistamines don't help at all.
The only consolation is that my infection seems to be cleared up as those symptoms have gone.",The GI symptoms were mild and expectable. The hot flashes/chills/rapid HR/shaking are severe and scary!,F,33,1 days1000mg,3/30/2015
1,sinus infection chest congestion,"Within an hour of taking the first dose, the two pills, I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, crying for no reason, then anxiety, feeling like I was trembling. Stomach pain that morphed into back spasms, did not sleep for 48 hours due to gut pain. I felt as if I wanted to die, really felt poisoned.",It cleared up the infection with great efficiency. It was not worth it. It's a week after full 5 day course and I still feel sick depressed.,F,59,5 days,3/30/2015
2,Sinusitis and Bronchitis,#NAME?,"My adventures with ZPak began on a Monday with the 500MG megadose. I took it with a meal, as directed by PCP. After 1/2 hour, I began to feel some stomach upset. It was like indigestion, but with a feeling of hunger. It was like there was an emptiness in my stomach. Then the cramps began. They were like major gas pains and I could only find comfort when lying on my side and staying very still. I didn't get much sleep the first night. I was awake just about every hour. I had a sense anxiety that something bad was going to happen. I have never suffered from anxiety or depression, and if this is what they feel like, I now sympathize with those who suffer from them!
Day 2, I reluctantly took the 2nd dosage because my congestion was beginning to thin and coughing much less frequently. I felt weak and zombie-like, and I still had the stomach pain, but was able to push through and function for most of the day. At times I felt lightheaded, words didn't seem to come easily when I spoke; slight ringing in my ears; my face was itchy, and I wondered if the effectiveness of the drug was really worth the side effects I was encountering.
After googling the side effects of Zithromax, late in the day, I ate some yogurt, drank some ginger ale and took an acidopholus supplement. Wow, I began to feel better within about an hour!
Day 3 I took the ZPak with yogurt and ginger ale, followed by an acidopholus tab about an hour later. The drug definitely is working at this point. I felt pretty go",M,52,5 days250MG 1X day,3/27/2015Email
1,bronchitis,Vomiting,Didn't take with food. Perhaps that was my problem. Ate half a sandwich an hour later and a half hour after that threw up. Not sure if the medicine ended up doing anything as my doctor proscribed me amoxicillin instead hopefully I have better luck with that,F,33,5 days,3/26/2015
1,Sinus infection,"This drug is TOXIC. As soon as I took it (the loading dose so two pills) I felt not myself. I felt out of touch with reality, weak, dizzy, felt like the ground was sucking me in, heavy, uncomfortable, anxious, paranoid, and hyper at the same time. I also experienced chest pains like a stabbing feeling in my chest. I am now on amoxicillin because I think I am allergic to it, but I am STILL feeling the effects of this terrible drug. I can't wait to feel like me again. Oh and the half life is about 2.5 days or 68 hours so I really don't know how long it's going to be before I feel like me again. I hope soon.","DONT TAKE THIS DRUG. Needs to be off market not safe. Do not take if you have heart problems, or anxiety. GOOD LUCK!",F,23,1 days500 MG,3/25/2015
1,Chronic bronchitis,"After first dose, side effects kicked in; Severe chest pain, violent coughing, shortness of breath, pounding heart, irregular heart beat, vomiting, dry heaves and diarrhea. I went to emergency and was hospitalized for 3 days.","Doc should never have prescribed. Heart issues run in my family. Also, I had 33 sessions of radiation on my left breast 7 months ago, which can weaken the heart. FDA needs stronger warnings and doctors need to check potential dangers before handing out serious drugs.",F,53,1 days250,3/25/2015
1,Sinusitis and Ear Infection,I started taking this drug as prescribed by my PA for my sinusitis and ear infection in March of 2014. After about day three I lost nearly all smell and nearly all taste. It has been a year and I still can not smell or taste much at all and everything has a metal taste and everything has a nasty smell. Pretty bad when you can't smell a skunk and boy do they ever stink. I guess that is the only perk of taking this drug.,"I am VERY unhappy. I took this drug on the recommendation of my PA and will NEVER take this again, After one year and still I cannot taste or smell, well it is upsetting. Other than that I was not bothered with any other complications. Thank God for that. But will I ever get my full taste and smell back? ENT doctor is clueless, that was a waste of MONEY and my time.",F,62,5 days 1X day,3/22/2015Email
4,Bronchitis,"Diarrhea on the 5th day, discharge, ear pain","Minor side effects, I couldn't feel it working until the last day and my cough started to disappear at that point. It seems to have less effects the younger you are.",F,16,5 days500mg,3/21/2015
5,Had problems with throat and allergy,"I took z pack and on second day got diarrhea, fourth day got diarrhea again. Second day after finishing cycle got diarrhea again. Loose stool ever since. Stomach acting up. Day 8 after cycle finnishing (diarrhea). Still stomach acting up. When will i get back to normal?",The ZPACK COMPANY LOST A CONSUMER... NEVER AGAIN...,M,38,5 days,3/16/2015
3,lung infection,It's been a week since I finished my z pack. I am very dizzy from it. Weird feeling. Hope it doesn't last much longer. Also getting cramps in my legs.,Not again,F,52,5 days250,3/13/2015
3,sore throat,,,,,1X day,03/12/2015
1,sinus bacterial/ viral infection,"I just finished taking the z pac and had a bad experience as my Doctor says i had a very sensative reaction to the drug , i had diarrhea, horrible nausea, stomach cramps, i felt so bad well hopefully it has done the job still early days but i would not want to experience this again.",,F,41,5 days30 mg,3/8/2015Email
1,Strep Throat and Ear Infection,I had the exact side effects because I never took a full course only the first 2 pills and 3rd.,,F,26,5 days250 MG,2/25/2015Email
1,Upper Respiratory Infection,"Before taking this drug I was as clear headed as could be. Now i have horrifying anxiety, insomnia, and paranoia. My vision has become horrible. Also I have debilitating back and neck pain accompanied with sharp pains all over, heart racing and palpitations. It is interfering with my life, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how long they experienced these problems? I took the Z-pak about eight weeks ago. I need to know there is an end in sight, please anyone ?!",,F,20,5 days 1X day,2/23/2015Email
1,Chest Congestion,"First, I know that my experiences are anecdotal and not hard data, that most people with no reaction don�t post and I may fall in the 1% reaction group in published studies. I can only report my astonishing negative experience with this drug. Day 1, 500mg, late afternoon. Day 2, 250 mg at same dose time, noticed intense irritability driving home from work. Day 3, 250 mg taken at same time, could tell the drug was working on chest congestion problem but felt very odd, vision seemed diminished, very tired. Day 4, before afternoon 250 mg dose, extreme lightheadedness and almost �out of body� feeling. Did not feel safe once I started driving. Went to grocery to buy lunch and did not feel comfortable around people, had to walk out (first time ever for something like this). Took 250 mg dose at same afternoon time. Day 5, Awoke feeling �poisoned� for lack of a better description, could not drive, intense light headedness and disconnect from reality fe","No other new variable introduced to my body. Had no idea these symptoms were possible or the drug can stay in the body for 15 days. What a mistake to take it. No idea when or if this is going to resolve, just want to be normal again.",M,54,4 days500-250 MG 1X day,2/5/2015Email
1,Sinus infection,two hours after taking first dose I developed very lose stools and have them a couple of times a day. Never had this before. It's been a month and I still have loose stools and pretty much live on Immodium AD.,Fist time taking this medication and I'm pretty sure I won't ever take it again.,F,43,5 days30 mg,02/04/2015
1,sinus infection,"Headache, watery stool every 30-1hr. Nausea which produced vomitting. Loss of appetite and fever of 101.3 that I didn't have before. Insomnia, lethargic, and dizziness...my coworkers swear by this but because I'm allergic to sulfa and penicillin so dr scripted this one! I'll take the sinus infection any day over these side effects!!!",,F,47,2 days250 mg,1/31/2015
1,sinus infection,"Headache,anxiety,restlsness,insomnia,Muscle and joint pain,severe stomach pain",I'm currently writing this at 2:49 am in the morning. This drug is awful!! Its only the first day of my pills and I'm dreading it. I can't sleep and I constantly toss and turn trying to get comfortable in my bed. My legs keep cramping and it feels like they want to move but they can't. I'm expecting my next 3 nights to be just as worse..the only good thing about this medicine is that it does seem to be relatively effective. But as someone posted earlier...I don't know why doctors prescribe this if it has these negative side effects.,F,19,4 days,1/29/2015
1,Strep,DEEP DEPRESSION!!!!! 48 hours of non stop diarrhea day & night. Couldn't sleep.,This drug sucks!!! Yes it helped my strep but I'd rather deal with strep instead of being depressed & pooping my pants 24/7,M,38,3 days500,1/27/2015Email
1,"Acne, pimples","Iching skin all over the body, redness of the skin, eye swelling.
headacne, vivid nightmares, finding yourself just stone in the air quite often , not having energy, fatigue, tired, anxious. hungry in a strange way.","It's been a week since I took third dose and the side effect is still there. I dont want to contiune on this. I'm very afraid to go to sleep, and will try to stay awake :( , because of the nightmares. and itching skin all over the body is very irritating, and your eyes is swelling :(
I just hope my side effects will soon dissapear.
Maybe other people can take this medicine just fine, but I think I'm a person who can't take very well such stuff.",F,20,6 weeks500 mg 1X W,1/26/2015Email
3,Cold,"Constipated, foggy brain, can't think of words, ravenous appetite, drained energy and the worst ... Massive cystic pimples on chin.",My diet is clean and I never take meds. I lift weights / exercise regularly and do all remedies holistically . I got talked into going to urgent care by my bf who kept insisting it would help to take antibiotics. Wrong. I still have sinus draining . The dr prescribed the generic z pack. I feel mildly better but the side effects are not worth it. I should've listened to myself and stayed with my holistic treatments. I had the flu in dec and it went away on its own. I have a cystic pimple the size of my entire chin and i rarely get pimples or acne ever. It's very painful. I feel very foggy headed and I have no energy.,F,31,3 days,1/22/2015
2,Sinus Infection,"Insomnia/trouble staying asleep, crazy dreams, major brain fog (at times I can't recall simple words), increased ringing in the ears, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, hypochondria, chills or sweating, lowered body temp, intertrigo yeast rash/candida, ravenous appetite, odd shooting pains (gas?), increased dryness of the eye",I finished my z-pack three weeks ago and am still experiencing all side effects.,F,54,5 days250 1X day,1/20/2015Email
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Pins needles in face, arms, chest, extreme stomach pain cramps, loss appetite, extreme muscle weakness, dry mouth, throat tighting, brain fog, blurry eye sight",I felt worse on the azithromycin then before. Ended up having to go back to the doctor for possible stomach issues because of the meds. I would tell people do not take this.,F,27,5 days250 mg,1/16/2015
1,For cold symptoms,"Broke out in ran within 1-2 hours. Lasted about 12 -14 hours. They subsided when i got to the doctor. When i left, they reappeared. Severe stomach pains.",,,42,1 days250 mg,1/13/2015
1,sinus infection,"Bad anxiety, depression, couldn't sleep, lost appetite, bad taste in mouth-much worse than the sinus infection",,F,62,3 days,1/4/2015Email
1,Because the Doctor prescribed -iPneumonia,"After taking this z pak for 3 days and not being able to sleep, i can only attribute the insomnia and restlessness to this med.
My legs are uneasy like they are trying to run but can't. I can't sleep. Hard to breathe, full of anxiety and can't seem to focus.
This med is terrible for the body and nervous system it seems. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest and I have some abnormal rage.","After seeing so many negative comments like this, how can Doctors so carelessly prescribe this?",M,34,5 days,1/3/2015Email
4,strep,"Painful urination after 2nd day, increased heart rate, extreme irritability, sore stomach, loose stools","I was originally on amoxicillin which didn't help. Went back to the Dr and they gave me zpack, overall can't complain because it did it's job & I'm better now. Side effects weren't anything unbearable.",F,29,5 days250 mg,01/01/2015
3,sinus infection,"I pooped my self two hours after taking the medication. when people say it loosens stool dont take it lightly, this stuff really cleans you out.","It really does stop bacterial infections quickly, but at the same time has a very powerful effect on your body so be prepared.",M,22,4 days250mg 1X day,12/28/2014
5,Acute bronchitis,No real side effects. Slightly softer stools but with culturelle probiotic The gastric upset is mild.,"After day two I felt so much better . Coughing became more productive and i was able to expel the phlegm easily ,before that my head would feel like exploding from coughing without producing anything but major cough spasms. By day three even more gunk coming out. This drug works well . Last yr. i fought it for a month. This time I went to the dr. Immediately and what a difference. Try it it is relief!!",F,58,5 days250mg,12/20/2014Email
1,Cough,"Heart palpitations and fast heart rate, anxiety attacks (which I never had before) heaviness on chest, light headedness, tingling feeling on arms and legs, loose bowel movement. Had to go to ER, thought I'm having a heart attack. Doctor said low potassium level and recommended potassium supplement. I'm on Day 3 since I took the last dose. Anxiety attacks is lesser but still feels disoriented and weak. Foggy feeling. will never take this med again. Side effects are mind crippling.",,F,43,3 days500mg 1X day,12/20/2014
1,Low grade Fever sweating,Bad rash - hives on chest - under breast on day three. Very hard to sleep. Low grade fever 99.6 and sweating which I had before starting drug which did not go away. Took this drug twice before and it worked without notiable side effects (year and half ago & two years before that as I became allergic to penicillin at around age 40. Rash mostly going away after one week but still itchy arms & face. I am a super healthy 67 year old ski - run - swim and look 40 . It seems to make you scared and hard to sleep and fever 99.6 and sweating doesn't stop. Drinking tons of water seems to help with horrible rash.,Drug is obviously not worth it. If you are sick with flu like symptoms just wait it out. Let your body heal itself. If you are already allergic to antibiotics DON'T take this.,F,67,2 days250 mg,12/20/2014Email
1,Dental work,"diarrhea stomach pains, nausea, loose, smelly stools, foggy vision that comes and goes","I had no symptoms until 3 weeks after medication was finished. Severe stomach pains, coupled with loose, smelly stools with an urgency to go each time. I also developed slight occasional blurry vision.
I wish I read the warnings before allowing my dentist to prescribe it to me as a ""precaution"". Doctor advised me to take pro biotics. 8 days in and the horrible symptoms have not let up.
Pharmacy gave me the generic ""azithromax"". Not sure if that matters. I strongly urge people to reconsider taking medication ""just cause""",M,39,5 days 1X day,12/16/2014
4,Chlamydia,"On the Zithromax, I felt severely nauseous after the single powerful dosing. I got dizzy, and felt like I was going to throw up. The next few days I had a dull stomach ache, minor headache, and a little ear ache. I think it just makes you feel drained!! Supposedly normal though.",Clears up STI which is excellent.,F,22,1 days1000 mg 1X day,12/13/2014
1,Cough,"Mild gastro upset the first 3 days, then BAM! On day 4 as I was going to bed I had terrible stomach pains, which started an almost 24-hour battle with diarrhea, and one episode of vomiting. I spent all of that time sleeping when I wasn't in the bathroom It has been almost 48 hours and I am still nauseous, weak, and have hardly any appetite. I guess the good news is that my cough went away, but I will never take this again.",,F,42,1 days,12/13/2014
2,tonsilitis,"Aftertaste that lingered. Nausea, extreme headache.",,F,30,5 days250,12/06/2014
4,chlamydia,"I experienced some muscle aches and a bruised kind of sorness in the muscles. Otherwise, I got retested twice and since taking the med I am STI free so I'm happy.",,F,22,1 days1000mg,11/29/2014
1,Upper respiratory infection,"First day after taking double dose had horrible diarrhea. By third day feeling worse. Super tired with body aches and felt feverish. Called my dad to take me to ER, by the time he arrived tremors originating in my lower back and spreading out to legs and arms started. I asked him to call 911. Rapid heart rate, tremors and extreme lethargy made in impossible for me to walk. Had to be transported by ambulance to hospital. Of course hospital said I was fine, said I had flu and sent me home. Next day slept for about 14 hrs over the course of the day. Took last dose today. More tremors and extreme feelings of anxiety. I will never take this again. My cough must be caused by virus because it still has not gone away.",,F,37,5 days250mg,11/29/2014
2,Strep throat,"I've taken this medicine for 2 days now and needless to say I feel horrible. Nausea within a hour after taking the first dose and it has only got worse. Unable to sleep, heart beating really fast to the point I can hear it thumping in my left ear. It's also making me feel really weird, dizzy, severe headache whenever standing up.",,M,24,2 days120,11/27/2014Email
1,Pneumonia,"No side effects just didn't work at all,wasted. 5 days had to go back to be seen again",,M,50,5 days250,11/24/2014
1,Sinus Infection,"I noticed not ""feeling like myself"" or ""thinking like myself"" the first afternoon after taking it. I felt very dizzy and weak. It wasn't until Day 4, that I developed severe, hard abdominal and intestinal pains, followed by diarrhea. The only thing that eliminated the pain was the diarrhea. The following day my intestines, colon, and abdomen were still sore and I felt nauseated. I also noticed that shortly after taking the Azithromycin that I lost my appetite completely. Foods that I would normally eat I could not tolerate. I also feel as though I am losing moments of time and my concentration is off.",DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG.,F,54,5 days250mg 1X day,11/21/2014Email
3,teeth extractions with bone infection,"Candida growth on tongue, vagina and lower colon. Constipation with rectal bleeding which cleared up after several days of super strength candida destroyer, fiber pills with softening agent, sipping water all day. I had some coldness of fingers and toes, so I walked alot, sipped on water & some unflavored yogurt without sugar.",I would advise lots of caution in prescribing this to the elderly or prescribe another type of antibiotic.,F,35,5 days 1X day,11/18/2014
4,Double pneumonia pleurisy bronchiti,Bad cystic acne breakout after completing treatment for pneumonia. Saved my life but screwed up my period and cannot get rid of this cystic acne now,,F,34,5 days,10/26/2014
1,sinus infection,I was taking the generic brand and where do I began. First I had diarrhea it made my rectum sore. My fingers and toes feel itchy. Headache dizziness. I had crazy dreams. My chest is ache Where my breast are. Unpleasant taste in my mouth. Lost of appetite and lets not forget the the horrible anxiety. It had crying and scared thinking everything was wrong with me im going to die. Shortness of breath. Its just to much for a sinus infection also it gave me neck back and shoulder pain. I stop taking it on the 3rd day I cant handle it,,F,2,5 days250 mg,10/20/2014Email
1,Sinus/ ear infection,Got rid of the ear infection not the sinus infection. Caused a thousand more problems then originally had. It's been two and a half months and I'm still not fully back to myself. This drug is evil I would not recommend it at all,,F,23,1 days,10/01/2014
1,Bronchitis,My breathing has been MUCH worse since taking it,,M,69,6 days 1X day,9/29/2014Email
1,Upper respertory infection,3 second black out twice within 10 minutes. 2 hour sleep per night. Strange feeling in my chest. Just felt awful the entire time I was on this medication,,M,78,6 days30,9/24/2014
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Racing, pounding heartbeat 120 resting. Then developed UTI.",,F,55,5 days,9/21/2014
1,strep throat,"Yesterday i took the first day dose of two pills out of the pack of six.. almost exactly one hour later my heart was pounding and racing, and i had a severe anxiety attack that lasted for hours. I woke up in the middle of the night, went to the hospital, and they prescribed me something else. Still waiting for my heart to calm down.",,F,28,1 days,09/09/2014
1,doctor shoved it down my throat.,Headache burning stomach extreme fatigue and depression.,,M,31,1 days2000mg,9/3/2014Email
1,MISTAKE,headache gastrointestinal anxiety depression fear nightmares felt like i was going to die fatigue,life is not fun anymore 2 months since the 2g dose recovered from all effects but im still not myself .,M,31,1 days2000 1X day,09/01/2014
1,Ear infection,"Within 24 hours of taking my first pill, I knew something wrong was going to happen with my body. I'm a fit, athletic, in shape 27 year old. All of a sudden, I found myself short of breath, almost gasping for air at times. Anxiety has never been an issue for me. While on this medication, I began to ponder every bump, ache, and feeling on my body as if it was a life threatening one. I couldn't focus on a single thing, my mind essentially raced 24/7. Negative thoughts were all that got into my head, nothing helped, even exercise. Trouble sleeping, stomach issues (I knew that would happen) among other things. I just felt disconnected from everything. I had taken a lower dosage (250mg for 5 days) a year before with no issues. Maybe it was a higher dosage and the red dye? Either way, been a month and I'm still not fully ""there"". The only thing that has honestly helped has been chamomile tea. Within a half hour of drinking my first cup, it was the best I felt since I took that firs","Seriously consider the mental/physical side effects listed on here. I feel like I lost a month of my life due to this medication. Can't remember parts of it, which is very scary to me. Had to go with natural anxiety remedies since I've never had that problem in my life. Chamomile tea has saved me, at least with the sleeping part. I still have anxiety throughout the day, but to a lesser degree. Don't worry you aren't crazy if you feel odd on this stuff.",M,27,8 days500 1X day,8/14/2014Email
1,"Severe ear, sinus infection, strep","We were on vacation when I got ill and went to urgent care. I was given the option of a shot since we had 5 days left, but turned it down (I had bad effects previously). It cleared things up the first day, but the headache I had ( and continue to) are indescribable. The most intense, stabbing, it feels like a vessel is going to explode in my brain, ache. It was worse when I would lay down. Tylenol exacerbated it. That was followed by muscle tightening in my back and my ass, along with extreme neck pain. Stopped taking it after day 4. (5 day dose). I now have extreme anger and rage - it wouldn't take much to get me to fight someone. I feel like yelling ""god damn motherfucker, fuck fuck!!"" For no reason. Oh yeah, also feels like I'm trapped in someone else's body, and the first few days my face felt like it was melting. I zone out, feel detached from life. I hope this ends soon.",,F,44,4 days250,8/10/2014Email
4,dyshidrotic Eczema,"Dizzy, no appetite and severe back pain.",,F,31,5 days250,08/07/2014
2,Throat red inflamed,I took zpack for five days. It was the two dose the first day . One the rest of the week for four days. Well I didn't notice any symptoms at first except headaches. But about almost through them I started getting constipated. Now almost a month after taking it about three weeks my throat didn't clear up and my stomach is constipated and bloated and I'm gassy and feel like I'm almost pregnant!! Even though I had my period on time. This is terrible!,,F,23,5 days,08/05/2014
1,sore throat,"severe shoulder, back and leg pain. Had to take Tylenol to help with the pain. Will never take this drug again.","This drug has some serious warnings, and Dr's should be aware of them before prescribing this drug. Wish I had read them before I took it. I'd rather have my sore throat back, than deal with this shoulder, back and leg pain. It's horrible, can't sleep or relax at all,",F,63,5 days250 1X day,8/5/2014Email
1,ringworm,"I hate when they prescribed this medicine for me. The first day was the double does and I thought I was going to die. I read that yogurt and drinking lots of water would counter it. It did for the next 2 days. Day 4 feels like Day 1. I'd rather be shot. Seriously, I'm in pain right now. It feels like contractions-- gawd damn contractions!!!
A simple ringworm shouldn't equal severe stomach pains, BLACK-colored diarrhea, dizziness, gas, and body aches.
To hell with Day 5. I'd rather use what works: bleach to the ringworm.","For now on, I'm putting on my medical forms that I'm allergic to Zithromax. I'm never putting that in my body again.",F,35,5 days250 1X day,7/31/2014Email
1,Gengivits,"I was perscribed a 3 day course of Zithromax by my dentist to fight off a moderate case of gengivitis. On the fourth day, right after completing the 3 day course, I started having severe abdominal pain on my left side, the descending colon.
The pain came and went for a few days, then one morning, I ran to the bathroom and had diahrrea with blood. I freaked out. That same morning I went to a doctor and he said I was reacting to the antibiotic and gave me a week of pro-biotics and Spasmomen for intestinal spasms. Symptoms continued for over 3 weeks and went to see another doctor who said that recovery in a situation like this can take months, since the drug wreaked havoc on the gut flora. It�s been almost 2 months now, and recovery has been slow and painfull. Hopefully I'll never have to take this drug or any antibiotic again...ever!",This drug should be re-evaluated. From what I've read on this site the benefits DO NOT outweigh the side-effects.,M,,3 days 1X day,7/29/2014Email
1,bronchitis,"At first everything was fine. I finished the meds with no noticeable symptoms, bronchitis cleared up fine and then about a month later this bullshit started..Cloudy judgement, SEVERE back and shoulder pain, watery running stools in several colors, headaches, metallic taste, loss of appetite, loss of weight, loss of interest in everything! Insomnia, FEAR, anxiety, SEVERE Mood swings and depression.. on top of all that i have had the most horrible thoughts about what was happening to me. I've went to the ER twice since taking this evil ass medicine, doctors could find anything wrong ,even after performing multiple test like a colonoscopy any HIV test because of my monht in a half long episode of fucking runny diarreah! I wouldn't wish these side effects on my worse enemy. It took at least 2 months of suffering amd wondering wtf was happening to me before i researched an realized the symptoms were from the Z pack medicine. At first I thought god was punishing me for something bad i had done in my past... 3 months have past an im still not back to normal... i pray this evil ass medicine leaves my body soon... it should b illegal to prescribe shit like this to peolpe... Please BE smart. . STAY AWAY FORM Z PACS...AND DONT EVER PUT THAT MEDICINE IN YOUR BODY",,M,31,6 days30,7/26/2014
1,Sinus infection,"I took it five days, but it's showing up one day. Exhaustion, weak, speedy heart, and once you stop taking it you don't recover from side effects. You feel like you are dying . This better let up, been 2 wks since I finished it . Horrible drug!!",,F,60,1 days5 day pack,6/23/2014
1,sinus infecton,i was given this vile drug WARNING do not take ive had bout of insomia panic attacks felt i was dying heart racing i only lasted taking them 3days never again this drug should banned,WARNING DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG IVE NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE I JUST WISH THIS DREADED DRUG WOULD LEAVE MY BODY FOR GOOD DRINK PLENTY OF WATER FLUSH IT OUT YOUR BODY,M,48,7 days250mg 2X day,5/31/2014Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Diarrhea, nausea, stomach aches, back pain (could be unrelated, but was intensified), pain between groin area, sluggishness-general lack of energy, unable to sleep, loss of appetite,","I don't recall ever experiencing these side effects before because I have taken this medication at least twice in the past. However, in the past, it was the brand name Zithromax and not azithromycin as I have just taken. Taking this medication did cure my sinus infection, however, I would have coped with it for the duration of the time had I known I would have worse side effects by taking this medication. I think that my doctor just over prescribed this medication. I was debating on taking it or just letting it go. But I decided to take it at the last minute because I had picked it up from the pharmacy. If given the choice, I will never take this again. However, since I am allergic to penicillin, this does not leave me with many options.",M,36,5 days250 MG 1X day,5/29/2014Email
2,sinusitis,I took 2 the first day than 1 each day only took it for 3 days. Start getting bloated than 3 day had running stools. No more still having issues from the meds.,,M,30,3 days200,5/22/2014
1,Strep Throat,"I was diagnosed with strep throat 3 days ago and immediately started taking the ""zpack"". There has not been any improvement. In fact, I feel worse than I did when I first started. Ask for a shot when diagnosed with strep. I have learned my lesson the hard way. The side effects were nausea and diarrhea.",,F,36,5 days250mg,5/16/2014
1,Bronchitis,"Relentless nausea, mid-upper abdomen ache, weakness, loss of appetite, weird sense of smell. I hope it gets out of my system soon and doesn't come back to bite me later on. Had taken it once before two years ago for sinusitis and had no problems.","If I'd only been to this website first! I'll never take this drug again, especially after reading reports by TV news channel that it can cause serious heart arrhythmias. Elderly (such as myself) should never take it nor should people with a history of any type of liver disease or jaundice.",F,77,5 days 1X day,5/15/2014
5,sinus infection,Headache for 5 days but all other systoms cleared.,,F,34,5 days,05/09/2014
1,Sinus infection,"Get this crap off the market it's toxic. What the hell is wrong with you people? I have had side effects from this drug for over 8 months. Same ones that all the others are complaining about, I have been sick only a few times this drug is horrible!!! Wake up people you know how dangerous it is.",,F,47,4 days,05/08/2014
1,Typhoid,"Muscle cramps, feeling hot around my neck. Stomach pains, tingling, occasional itching, insomnia, pains in my neck and my ears, dryness of throat. In fact, the side effects is indescribable.",,M,39,10 days500mg,5/4/2014Email
1,Ear infection,"I was on amoxicillin at first for my right ear infection that was already causing me dizziness. The amoxicillin cause more dizziness and bad side effects so I called my dr. and had him change it to a z-pack. I didn't think both medicines could cause such bad side effects. The z-pack caused bad anxiety, depression, irritability, vertigo/dizziness, upset stomach, and just an overwhelming feeling of stuff going wrong. I did not take the final 5th day pill as I had been on antibiotics for 12 days. Ear infection is cleared up but still feel a lot of the symptoms. Though I've only been off them for 2 days. I think I have a long road ahead to get this CRAP out of my system. Even set up an appointment with and expert in dizziness to just confirm nothing it worse than it already was before this medication.",,M,30,5 days500,4/27/2014
1,acute bronchitis,"My symptoms started at day 3 of taking this antibiotic...I felt absolutely horrible!..loss of appetite, nausea, severe weakness throughout entire body, confusion, disoriented, metallic taste in mouth, black tarry stool, and anxiety...I hate I even started this medication... Would not recommend this to a dead person...DISCONTINUE THIS DRUG IMMEDIATELY!",,F,31,5 days250mg,4/17/2014
3,sinus infection,"for people sensitive to meds: try this...
okay, I have tried every antibiotic to the exact same effect: anxiety, heart racing, dizziness, disorientation, odd feeling in legs, etc., - to the point where I can not even drive to work. I have spoken to many, many doctors about this and they always are totally surprised and say they have never heard this before, so.... I have come to realize that there is a minority of people who are very very sensitive to antibiotics. If you are on this site, you are probably one of them. I keep taking this drug because it's ""only"" 5 days (which can seem like a lifetime). Here is my plan,... completely against the advise of doctors... this med is prescribed for some ailments to be taken every other day over a long period of time. which means that it stays in the system. NOT at the high levels of taking it every day, but it's still there. so, for us sensitive people whom doctors are always surprised that we have this effect from the med,",,F,,5 days250mg 1X day,04/10/2014
1,Tooth infection,"It's been 2 months since I've taken this drug. I was a healthy 31 year old who loved life. I took one dose of this poison and now I cant sleep, heart goes crazy, bad depression, severe anxiety, dry eyes, etc. I've been in and out of the hospital. I could sleep 8+hrs a day before this and I looked forward to life. Now I cant sleep at all. If i do dose off it's only for a few minutes and I wake back up. Most nights there is no sleep, or 30mins and I wake up constantly in that time. The vivid dreams are so awful. I can't drive or do anything normal due to no sleep and I'm traumatized . Please has anyone else gone through this after taking this drug. I've lost all hope.",,F,31,1 days,4/9/2014Email
1,Tonsillitis,"Nausea
Headache
Sleeplessness
Loss of appetite",Will never take this again,F,24,5 days225 1X day,04/04/2014
5,Strep throat,I was slightly stupid but nothing terrible.,,M,16,5 days,04/03/2014
3,Bronchitis,"Loose stools, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, night sweats",,F,34,5 days250mg,3/30/2014
4,sinutitis,"Slight problem with loose. Bowels and sleepy. Ringing in ears.
Slightly loose bowels, sleepy and ringing in ears.",,F,70,5 days250,3/29/2014Email
1,sinus infection,"sudden severe headache, I ended up in the e.r. because headache began during rigorous exercise. CT scan, lumbar puncture, 4 shots of fentnyl (sp?) and 2 shots of dilaudid before it became a dull headache. It has been 4 days since I went to e.r. and I am still taking percocet for the headache! I have tried taking tylenol and the headache just gets worse. I am hoping it subsides soon, assuming it will be with me until meds are out of my system. I finished taking zithromax 7 days ago. I am hoping it will be out soon!",,F,38,5 days500mg/250m 1X day,3/29/2014Email
1,sinusitis,"Hot flashes,dizziness,vomiting. Will never take again.",,F,42,1 days250,3/25/2014
1,ear and nose infection,"Severe heart palpitations, weakness throughout body, anger, panic attacks, insomnia. The medication is a devil even in small doses. Please take off as soon as possible.",,F,28,1 days,3/21/2014
1,"coughing, sinus infection","On day four of zithromax, feeling angry, nauseous, crazy, depression and rage. I will never take this antibiotic again. I think it should be taken off the market. I have never had this reaction to a medication before. I am hoping it goes away soon.",,F,52,5 days,3/16/2014Email
1,Bronchitis & sinus infection,"HORRIBLE!!!! Nausaous, anxiety, bad dreams, night sweats, syncope, dizzy, foggy, inability to concentrate, insomnia, dehydrated, heart palpitations and this passed to my child whom is breast fed and made him extremely fussy and gave him insomnia (8 months) the doctor told me this was the only antibiotic she would give with me breast feeding which I argued because he was on amoxicillin for bronchitis at the time why not just give me that? I can't believe this drug is legal! I am day 3 of not taking it and still nauseous, anxiety and dizziness. Feels like its letting up but still definitely there. Baby is now fine but I will never see the prescribing doctor again.",,F,26,3 days1x day,3/13/2014
1,Bronchitis,"RUINED ME. Cleared up my bronchitis just fine. I DIDNT KNOW I HAD MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL JUST TO FEEL BETTER WHEN I STARTEDTAKING THIS!! SEVERE anxiety and panic attacks, rapid heart beating, numbness in my fingers and feet, leg cramps at night- I also got an instant headache during sex, felt something ""pop"" and then my scalp was tingling and numb(this only happened once). I had diarrhea for approx. 5-6 months- even had a colonoscopy and they didn't find anything. Dr had to prescribe xanax for me - felt like I was going insane. It has been 1 1/2 years since I took this poison and I will never be the same -I miss myself and my husband does too.",,F,37,5 days25,03/10/2014
2,sinusitis,"Terrible stomach pains after taking the tablets, diarrhea, nausea, acidic taste in mouth. Dizziness esp. getting up in the morning (low blood pressure?), absolutely no energy at all, swelling in hands and legs, panic attacks, feeling of dehydration, dry eyes and dry mouth. I thought I would never recover, but it's been two weeks since the first dose and most of the side effects are gone now. I'm so glad I can get out of the house again. I just wanted to let you know that you probably won't die even though you feel like you might! I live alone and I felt like I would have needed someone to look after me, especially during the panic attacks, because I haven't had a panic attack since high school.","I bought the generic azithromycin prescribed by my doctor in Finland. I would not recommend this drug for kids or elderly people, some of the side effects are nasty and will appear without a warning! I felt fine after taking the 2nd dose, but very dizzy and feverish 2-3 hours after the 3rd dose, and it just went downhill from there. I've never had a bad reaction to antibiotics before.",F,32,3 days500 1X day,03/01/2014
2,Bronchitis,"Distortion of sense of smell (coffee, perfume, foods) and loss of sense of smell. Also, distortion of taste in some instances.",Took medication in April of 2013,F,54,5 days 1X day,2/17/2014Email
3,Acute Bronchitis,"Loss of Appetitie, Dizziness, Nausea, Dehydration, Disconnection from reality, Nightmares, Moodiness, Fatigue, Severe Headache, Depression, Metallic Taste in Mouth","This is only the second time in 15 years I have taken this drug. The first time, I had almost no side effects. I wish I could say the same for this go-around. I have never felt so removed from reality as I do now. My respiratory infection is clearing up, but the side effects are making me feel almost worse than when I was bed/couch-ridden. The vivid nightmares make it almost impossible to sleep, and when I do, I wake up disoriented, depressed and weak. No rash or hives, but my tongue feels a bit swollen and I really wish I felt like eating, but when I do, my taste buds feel numb. I'll finish the dose, but I will never take this drug again.",M,50,3 days250 1X day,2/14/2014Email
4,Strep,"Weird dreams feel tired and cramps
But they have helped before a lot so i will deal with it",,F,63,3 days250,02/05/2014
1,upper resp infect.,"first day i felt fine, just loose stool, 5th day of taking medication had to call 911 felt like i was having a heart attack, started experiancing horrible panic attacks, extreme ANEXITY & DEPRESSION, tingling through out the body, heart complications. IM ONLY 21 YEARS OLD, NEVER FELT LIKE THIS IN MY LIFE. Stopped taking the med 2 nights ago i hope i get better soon.",THESE PILLS ARE THE DEVIL!!!!!!! PLEASE BOYCOTT THIS MED ASAP,M,21,9 days250mg 1X day,2/1/2014Email
1,URI,"Severe stomach pain, bloody diarrhea, vomiting,I ended up in the emergency room. I felt like I was going to die
I will never take this garbage again",,F,45,5 days250mg,1/20/2014
1,Pneumonia,"HORRIBLE! How I wish I would have seen this site prior to taking this dreadful medication. Drug caused insomnia (when I slept it was to nasty dreams), severe anxiety, brain fog, inability to concentrate, total loss of appetite, stomach cramps and muscle spasms, torso rash. Was until day 4 that I realized it was the drug I was reacting to, and by then I had 2000mg of the toxin in my body. Wouldn't you know it, this drug has a 68 hour half life (very, very long), which means it stays in your system for a long time. I'm at day 5 now off of the drug, and according to my calculations I still have 10 days left to completely purge this drug! The anxiety and insomnia and cramps are still with me. I asked my doctor if the symptoms will remain as long as it is in me and he said 'yes they can', but we are hopeful that they will slowly diminish as the drug is eliminated. NEVER take this drug if you have options, and even if you don't, think twice. This drug should be banned.",,M,51,4 days500mg 5X day,1/20/2014Email
1,Bacterial infection,"Horrible undescribable stomach pain, loss of appetite nausea vomiting, severe sweats, dizziness, fatigue and that's all in the first 3hours :( I'm now up at 3am still having cramps just got a lil appetite and able to drink water hopefully I can work today without being slumped over pray for me!
*i recommend no one take this god forsaken drug it's poison and there has to be another way*",,F,26,1 days500 mg sin,1/18/2014Email
1,Throat infection,"Hives developed after taking day two dosage. I called my doc and his nurse told me to take one more dosage and use Benadryl to control the hives. I took the third dose and the fourth a my throat was slow to improve. I really wish I could go back and not take those two days of dosages. It has been now seventeen days since I last took this and hives are the ,main focus of every day now. I take twelve benadryls per day and two oatmeal baths minimum. No signs of lessening and I'm desperate to know how long before this crap is out of my system.",,F,48,4 days25 mg 1X day,1/17/2014
3,Urethritis,"The first week I took it I was fine. It knocked the infection right out with no symptoms. After that week my stomach went into knots, didn't have a bowl movement and developed frequent urination. Also developed a black rash on the back of my leg that the do for said he has no idea what it is. All this is still going on and it's been 2 1/2 months. I also developed a wart and dermatitis. Experienced heart palpitations, tingling in my arms all the way to my hands, lightheaded, groggy, major headaches upon waking up, anxiety, and the thoughts of the worst possible things that could be happening to me. Before this I was very healthy, worked out regularly and ate healthy and it seems that the Zithromax completely shut down my immune system and I have been feeling its wrath ever since. I'm writing this 2 1/2 months after taking and everything seems to be getting better slowly",,M,28,1 days1000mg,1/16/2014Email
4,swollen tonsils,"I was fine the first three days, then started experiencing minor chest and abdominal pain by day 4. Day two I had very minor bowel problems. I am put on zpacks quite often (250, 5 day pack every 1-2 months) due to chronic tonsillitis. The main drawback is the restlessness/anxiety. I have to take twice my normal dose of antianxiey meds when on the zpack.","Overall, I think the benefits outweigh the cons, clears up my tonsillitis in 48 hours and no other medicine has done that for me.",F,21,5 days250 1X day,1/13/2014
3,Bronchitis and sinusitis,"By the night of day 2, I started experiencing severe muscle cramps in my calves during the night. By the night of day 3 the cramps were all night long from my calves down into my ankles and feet. I don't feel it's helping my infection much yet either. I feel lost and these cramps in my legs and feet are the worst ever, ugh! I've found little on the Web about this which surprises me. Im not typically sensitive to medications either but this is the only change and/or med I've added.",,F,47,5 days,1/13/2014Email
1,Bronchitis/Sinusitis,"Indescribably horrible stomach pains in the first 3 hours of dosage. Heart palpitations. I've had nightmares every night. A constant feeling of everyone's-annoyed-with-me paranoia. Also going in between numbness and disinterest in everything, to feeling angry. Just generally really incoherent, unable to express myself verbally, major mental fog, unable to function.",,F,47,5 days500,01/05/2014
1,Tonsils removed - daughter/8 yrs,"Red, blotchy cheeks, severe abdominal cramps and pain, uncontrollable bouts of crying, insomnia at night",,F,8,4 days5 MHD,01/04/2014
1,Asthma/ bronchitis,"Anxiety, dizziness , horrible smelling gas and acid reflex feel confused cramps in my calfs nausea .... Totally horrible wish I would have read all this first . Overall my asthma is feeling a lot better but I would have rathered just a longer treatment of albuterol : / do not recommend at all I will never take this medicine again",,F,26,5 days250,01/02/2014
1,Sinus infection,"Day 1 took the 500mg starter dose. 3 hours later developed a headache and pressure in the back of my neck and forehead. Still hasn't gone away completely. Day 2, second dose taken (hoping it wasn't the antibiotic causing issues) 3 hours after severe head pressure, weird taste and sensation on tongue, severe pain in diaphragm w vomiting. Felt like an air bubble getting larger w no relief. Felt like I had to run to to the bathroom but regardless of trying to go I couldn't. Pain was intense. Swelling in fingers with red and burning. Face started flushing. I think I'll just deal with the infection naturally. These side effects are not worth the trouble and pain. Zantac and Benadryl were my only saviors",,F,32,2 days250mg,12/13/2013Email
1,"cough, sore throat","Loss of taste, everything taste metallic especially food high in acid. Food is not enjoyable anymore, been three weeks now.","The last time I will take this medication, I would not recommend it to anyone. Still coughing and the sore throat still there?",M,58,5 daysZ-pak 1X day,12/11/2013Email
1,Bronchitis,"Within a few hours have taking two pills on day 1 I started to feel anxious. It was the worst feeling ever, it felt like I was having a heart attack. I had no appetite and had diarrhea. I went to the ER while on the 3rd day and they said I was having anxiety and to keep taking the antibiotic. I have been off the Zithromax for two days and I still feel anxious and have shortness of breath. Hopefully it wears off soon. I'm glad I researched the antibiotic and I learned that I'm not alone. I will NEVER take this medication again.",,F,21,5 days250,12/11/2013Email
5,Sinus Infection,"Nothing significant, slight nausea & gas maybe","After really bad gastrointestinal side effects with erythromycin, I switched to Zithromax and it was MUCH better. I did not notice anything other than mild nausea the first day or two, which may have still been leftover effects from the erythromycin. Sinus infection improved considerably after just a couple of days.",F,40,5 days250 MG 1X day,12/04/2013
1,sinus infection,"heart palpitations, chest pain, pain in shoulders neck and back, dizzy, woozy, weak randomly, feel very weird, tired and horrible, thought I was having a heart attack at times, thought I was going to faint or fall at times","two months of feeling bad, went to two doctors and one cardiologist after to rule out any possible other issues causing these effects, nothing found, had to wait for side effects to slowly disappear over a two month period, will never take again, now scared to take medications, found this site and information after taking this antibiotic and trying to figure out what was happening, will now check this site prior to taking any medication",F,44,5 days250 1X day,12/03/2013
1,Bronchitis,"Rapid mood swings, depression, anxiety, uncontrollable crying for no apparent reason, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, flushed red patches on face, diarrhea, loose stools","I am 29 weeks pregnant and was prescribed this medication for bronchitis. On the night that I began taking the medication, I had an episode where I felt like I was literally going crazy. These episodes continued in the evenings after taking the medication. Throughout the day I would have crying spells for no apparent reason which would include shortness of breath. I have had no appetite since I began taking the medication and I have to force myself to eat regular meals. I am not experiencing feelings of pleasure when taking part in activities that I normally enjoy. Loose stools and diarrhea occurred on days 4 and 5 of taking the medication. Everyone minimized the symptoms I was having because I was pregnant. They assumed I was overreacting to normal symptoms of pregnancy, despite the fact that I knew the way I was feeling was not a normal part of pregnancy. Unfortunately, I did not make the connection that it could be side effects of the medication until after I had taken the last dose. Once I found this website and read comments from others who have had similar experiences, I was convinced that everything I was experiencing was because of the medication. I will NEVER take this medication again. This was the first time and the last time. I just hope the symptoms decrease and the medication gets out of my system soon.",F,36,5 days250 mg 1X day,11/30/2013Email
1,upper respiratory,"Brain fog, anxiety, muscle cramps in legs and calves, dehydration, heart palpitations.",,F,26,5 days200mg,11/23/2013
2,Sinus infection,"Anxiety, depression, body pain/aches, face & ears turned bright red, heart palps, insomina at night and extreme fatigue during the day, hands and feet tingle/burn and just feel like crap. Im not saying that I'm uncomforatble...I'm saying that I'm misserable.",The side effects started almost immediately but I did not think it could be this drug until the middle part of day 2 which is when the side effects seemed to hit the high point at the same time. I've been in lving hell ever since. My sinus infection is much better but I'm not going to take the last 3 pills. I'lll take the infection over the side effects.,M,50,2 days 1X day,11/21/2013Email
1,sinus infection,about a half an hour after taking my first dose the diarrhea hit me twice. soon after the bout of diarrhea I felt incredibly nauseated. about 7 hours after taking it (coincidentally when I went to bed at midnight) I got bad intestinal cramps and gas. it's now almost 5am and I've been in the bathroom at least 8 times an hour with diarrhea. never again will I take this.,,F,23,1 days250,11/20/2013
3,,,,,,1X day,11/18/2013
1,possible pneumonia,After my last dose i got very nauseated decreased apiteite itcy hives. today being the third day i have facial swelling still nauseated strong stomach cramps and i can barely eat. Called the ER they say i have a stomach bug im so misrable what can i do..,i will never take this crap again EVER......,M,31,5 days250mg 1X day,11/16/2013Email
1,Pneumonia,"This is easily the worst pharmaceutical experience of my life! I was told this would build up in my system & continue to work for 10 days (LONG half life). Sure enough on day 6, I felt my throat closing up, extreme dizziness, lethargy & trouble putting words together. This occurred on a walk & it took all my energy to make my legs move forward. So scared I actually called someone & kept them on the phone in case I needed 911. It felt like I was having a stroke! The brain fog, vertigo, heart palpitations & lethargy continue on day 12! Sometimes it feels like narcolepsy--like I could pass out while sitting even. Strange otherworldly disconnection, drowsiness & swimming sensation. Exhausted after the least exertion. I called & spoke to 3 different doctors regarding these symptoms. I was given neurological tests (negative), told to get a chest X-ray (negative) & prescribed Dramamine for dizziness (ineffective). Not one doctor suggested it could be this dangerous drug, even though the FDA issued warnings earlier this year. This drug can kill! I will never take it again. Thanks to this forum I have hope but still no idea how long it will continue to vex me. If there is a class action lawsuit, count me in!! This drug should be taken off the market!",,F,43,5 days,11/09/2013
1,Sinus infection,"Major anxiety, panic attacks out of nowhere, nausea, and explosive diarrhea. Also foggy head.","It knocked out my sinus infection, but the hell it put me through is not worth it! My bowels and stomach is still messed up 9 days later from this crap. I've never had these side effects of from an antibiotic. This crap is evil!!",F,35,5 days500mg 1X day,11/6/2013Email
4,Strep Throat,"Dizziness, vertigo, tingling in hands and arms, ringing in the ears, mental fog, complete loss of voice for several days","I have limited options because of significant allergies to most antibiotics. I took 10 days of amoxicillin for strep throat, but it failed to clear the infection. My doctor immediately moved me to a 6 day, 500 MG treatment of Zithromax. This medicine did clear up the strep throat, as those symptoms vanished after the fourth day. Numerous side effects were experienced. The most alarming was that I completely lost my voice on day 4 of treatment and it was several days before I could speak at all. The dizziness and vertigo prevented my return to work since I could not stand up without falling over. The mental fog has been the most difficult side effect to overcome. I have not had mood swings or unusual thoughts as other people have mentioned, but I have had trouble forming complete thoughts or even remembering simple things since around day 3 on Zithromax. The side effects do fade a little each day, but it seems to take roughly a month to get back to normal after the medicine is done. I would take the medicine again simply because it cleared the strep throat that other antibiotics could not, but patients should definitely beware the numerous side effects.",F,36,6 days500 MG 1X day,9/30/2013
1,Sinus infection,"Dizziness, extremely tired, depression, bouts of crying for no reason, sensitivity to noise, heavy head and overall feeling of being poisoned.","Got this for my sinus infection. Doctor recommended this medicine because you only take it once a day for 5 days. Day 1 I took the 2 pills and felt better - aka sinuses were draining and I had more energy, Day 2 I thought I suffered a breakdown. Felt extremely anxious at work, started crying for no reason, very odd. I was doing fine before this pill. Day 3-4 extreme fatigue, feeling depressed. I didn't want to take the last pill by DH insisted and since the infection was bad, I took it. Will never take this poison again!!",F,36,5 days250 mg 1X day,9/29/2013Email
1,Sore throat-runny nose-cough,"I should have known better. I have pretty bad IBS as it is and a very senitive digestive tract. Well I was unharmed until the last two days. I am taking probiotics with it. I started going through waves of nausea at work yesterday. Towards the end of the work day I had bad stomach cramps that would come and go. I blamed my lunch. That night I had terrrrible diarrhea witj my normal stomach cramps. I def went to be not feeling so hot. I woke up this morning, got ready for work, and spent the next hour in the bathroom hurling over with intense intestinal cramping. Stool was thick and slimy mixed with diarrhea and it was causing a painful burning trying to pass anything. I forced myself to call out of work and im glad i did. Totally feel like my insides are twisting on me. I will never take this sht again. I thought it was the probiotics until i read these reviews.",,F,28,7 days1 week,9/24/2013Email
5,Sinus Infection,None,I tend to get sinus infections and respiratory bugs often. I always ask for Z-Pak when I see the doctor because it works very well for me. I have never had one un-desirable side effect. I take it without food and it doesn't upset my stomach or anything of the sort.,M,21,5 days250 1X day,9/11/2013Email
1,Strep throat,"I took azithromycin for the prescribed day on and day two. For the next 3 days i felt like crap. Hives, facial swelling, inner ear swelling, and nausea. It took hospitalization and a lot of steroids and Benadryl and Pepcid To get me well.",,F,50,2 days250 mg,8/29/2013Email
4,Chlamydia,"This time, with the name brand, little bit of a thumping heart, but nothing else.
In 2009, after having taken 4 or 5 name brand Z-Packs in the past with no problems, I was given a generic script, and made a post in this forum about side-effects I'll remember for the rest of my life. The insomnia alone lasted for 6 months, and weird emotions with which I'd never had problems in the past: Dread, Fear, Depersonalization were horrific. My heart would suddenly race at any sudden sound. A couple of people on this forum helped me get through it.","You would think that I would never take the drug again, but was talked into ""re-challenging"" my system with name-brand Zithromax by a friend / physician I've known for 25 years, as I was running out of treatment options.
I purchased the name-brand Z-Pack ($90) and after saying a prayer, started. To my great relief, none of the life-changing symptoms that I experienced last time occurred, other than my heart lightly pounding for brief periods. I almost can't believe that I tried to take it again- I swore that after the hell I went through there would be no way. It's a good bet that generic Azithromycin was the source of my problems in 2009.",M,52,5 days250 1X day,8/24/2013
4,Bronchitis-like Bug,"Ufa -- almost instant diarrhea from the get-go! Had my dear Mom run to the health food store to get probiotics and Kefir, and after taking these (take them 2 hours before/after taking the Z-pack pill), diarrhea stopped. Also, the first day you have to take two of the pills, and after that, I felt like death warmed over. I also felt a scary sense of panic and tingling in my arms! These subsided within the hour as I relaxed and drank a lot of water. Tummy aches, too, but I learned quickly to eat a BIG breakfast and then take the Z-pack pill. That wasn't easy because of the 3rd side effect: loss of appetite! That got better as the days went on. Also, a feeling of being ""out of it,"" and some depression. I prayed a lot while taking this: Lord, use it to heal me!","I went to bed one night, after a very stressful couple of days, with a tickle at the back of my throat. Next morning, I began coughing up green phlegm and felt fatigue and detached from reality. I also had yellow pus in one eye! My nurse practitioner prescribed the Z-pack. Soon after taking my first dose, I could feel the ""battle"" going on in my bronchi and chest as the days went on, and now, on day 5 feel much improved. Thank GOD I didn't have the bad side effects consistently. It was rough, but I'm thankful that the pills helped me. Don't forget to take the probiotics and force yourself to eat a good, solid breakfast before you take the pill! You'll get sick otherwise and maybe even get CDif if you don't replenish your gut flora with the probiotic. Google it if you have to!",F,49,5 days250 mg 1X day,7/28/2013
1,Bronchitits,"Insomnia, anxiety,upset stomach, fatigue, weakness, agitation overall unwellness","I will not take this medicine again. I was relieved to read some of the other posts because I thought I was crazy. I kept telling my husband about the strange symptoms. He would say ""better than having bronchitis"". No, it isn't. I'm so uncomfortable. I didn't take the last dose of a 5 day dose schedule. I will not take this medicine again if there is an alternative.",F,50,5 days250mg 1X day,7/25/2013Email
1,Chest infection/ bronchitis,"I took the greenstone brand of azithromycin. Migraines/Sharp stomach pains/ completely covered in hives. Took meds 5/10/13, only took 3 pills and the side effects took over. Sharp and violent stomach pains. Only had a few hives at first, went to the doc and he gave me Benadryl 500 mg... Didn't do shit, just made me sleepy. 4 days after covered head to toe in hives. Went to emergency room, hot a steroid shot ( not afraid of shots but 3 minutes after shot- your arm feels like its been hacked off) and a 21 pill pack of steroids to follow. Finally hives went away in 3-4 days... Now it's 7/13/13... The hives came back, so this bullshit is still in my system. I WILL NEVER take this crap again",,F,31,5 days250 mg,7/13/2013
1,Bronchitis,"This was the worst reaction I have ever had to a medication. I truly thought I was going to DIE. The profound nausea, vomiting, and weakness went on for 2 weeks. I lost 15 lbs and I only weighed 120 to begin with! I had to be hospitalized due to the horrendous side effects I had with Zithromax. I DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!",,F,58,4 days250 1X day,6/26/2013
1,Possible pneumonia,"500 MG the first day, 250 for the next two. This was as bad as everyone says. Probably the worst few weeks of my life. Vertigo, dizziness, tremors (couldn't even sign my name), nausea, extreme pressure in my head, headaches, double vision, constant tiredness, fuzziness (just couldn't concentrate or think), noise sensitivity, chest pressure, and a general feeling of disconnection from everything around me. It was just a very odd set of symptoms that were unlike anything I'd ever experienced. They appeared about 36 hours into it, and I couldn't go on, so I stopped after day 3.","This drug has a long half life. At almost 3 days, that means even two weeks after, about 3% of of it is still floating around in your system. I'm about 5 weeks out now, and it's pretty much cleared up. This might be the first day I've woken up without any trace of haze and headache, though there's barely a hint of a tremor left. All the symptoms declined steadily throughout the period, and it was around 18-20 days that I started to feel functional again, though not quite normal. All this is to say that if you're like me, it will feel bleak, unending, and awful for a little while. I was afraid some of the symptoms would be permanent. They felt like neurological problems. But it did clear up, so hang in there.",M,41,3 days250 1X day,6/19/2013
1,"Bronchitis, Sinus infection","Have not been able to sleep at all since I started taking it. The first day I lost taste in my mouth, and now any taste that I have in my mouth is awful, nothing tastes normally, almost like metal. I cannot eat, have lost a lot of weight. I have a sharp pain in my stomach any time I try to eat something. On the up side, my bronchitis and sinus infection are all but gone. But I'd just as soon be dead right now considering how miserable I feel.","This medication seems to be very potent and anybody who has sensitivities to other medications (like I do) should be especially careful in considering taking this med. I am allergic to most antibiotics, and many other meds as well, pretty much don't take meds but was so sick I had to take something. I will never take this one again.",F,,5 days250 MG 1X day,5/25/2013Email
1,bronchitis,i am having the wrost stomach pains of my life right now. no bowel movements just feels like someone is clinching my insides into their fist and wont let go. if u are reading this PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG I FEEL LIKE I AM ABOUT TO DIE,DONT TAKE THIS IF U ENJOY LIFE,M,28,1 days500 mg 1X day,5/9/2013Email
1,Atypical/Walking Pneumonia,"Indescribably horrible, blinding, impossible stomach pains in the first 3 hours of dosage (came in waves). No appetite, unable to tell if I need to eat until I feel my stomach cramping in pain from lack of food. Constant feeling of everyone's-annoyed-with-me paranoia, rapidly going back and forth from general numbness and disinterest in everything, to wanting to cry. Just generally really incoherent, unable to express myself verbally, major mental fog, really just unable to function.","If you care at all about the person being prescribed this medicine, DO NOT LET THEM TAKE IT. Take ANYTHING else. I cannot fathom how this ever got approved by the FDA, and it's honestly kind of sickening that it even did. THIS PILL IS POISON AND THE HARM BY FAR OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD. There are plenty of other medicines, western and eastern, to treat what this is meant to treat, that will not harm you like this.",F,24,5 days 1X day,4/29/2013
1,Pid,"Diarrhea, heart palpitations, numbness of the the body, as if Im in the state of shock.",This poison is never effective. It didnt kill the bacteria or it was just the stupid doctor who gave me a wrong dosage. The side effects are stronger than the sypmtoms thats why I ended up in the ER due to severe infection. Waste of money And strength,F,28,1 days500 2X day,4/28/2013Email
2,Chlamydia,"This was the most HORRENDOUS experience of my life. I took Azithromycin 2x500MG/1 dose only. My side effects started one day after taking the pill: DEPRESSION,AXIETY, VERTIGO, NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, CHEST PAIN & HEART RACING, TINGLING AND NUMBNESS IN MY LEGS AND ARMS, I FELT DISTANT FROM REALITY LIKE IF I WAS HIGH ON LSD, PANIC ATTACKS but these symptoms only came one after another never together.","Its been about 7 weeks since, my thrush is almost gone but my Hives,Acid reflux, and lead headed/ headaches are still in effect although its mild now. I would only recommend only if you usually take antiboitics, It makes you think the worst case scenario, especially if you have a STI/STD.",M,32,2x 500mg 1X day,4/12/2013EmailHistory
1,Sinusitis,"Day 1 I had diarrhea day 2-5 lose bowel movements and feeling of anxiety. After I finished the product I have been having severe ringing in ears, tingles in neck and hands, cold sweats and lack of focus. This medicine is poison. I feel worse from the side effects than i did the infection. I do not recommend it.",This stuff is garbage! And lingers in your system for 15 days or more,M,49,5 days250 MG 1X day,4/9/2013Email
1,sinus infection,The worst gas ever. I didn't have a cough but I do now. I can't sleep. My husband won't sleep with me because of the gas. I feel depressed and I can not focus on my homework. Never taking it again.,,F,38,2 days250,3/29/2013Email
5,strep throat,Felt better after 1st dosage. On my 3rd day now and it feels like my illness is gone completely. Side effects are a bit of gas and more active bowel movement.,,M,29,5 days500 mg,3/28/2013
1,Bad Flu,"Loose and burning stool for 7 days starting day 1, nausea, metallic taste in mouth, gas, depression, Stomach pain, lose of appetite, weak muscles,","This is poison, i am not sure where am i going !! my condition is getting worse !!! the dr told me to stay on solid food and no fats !! i am on a diet since 10 days now and it is horrible !!
if my condition persists i need to test my stool !!
anybody knows after the diarhea what happens?",M,34,5 days500mg 1X day,3/28/2013Email
1,copd /ear infection,"shoulder jaw neck tightness, inability to moves on my own. vomiting, if i stood up i would tilt over. emergency dept fall risk. could not compredhend any thing.drastic weight loss in 4 days. no appetite. not even for water, hospitized 5 days given no meds other than blood thinner and steroids, no ivs. initial acessment at er coulds not get a registered heart rate. i thought i was dyying. please someone stop drs from giving this to sick people.",,F,56,2 days250,3/27/2013
1,Sinusitis bad tonsils,"I took this drug 4 times in the last 7 months for various infections this last time i took it i suffered and still am suffering terrible side effects drs or pharmacists would not admit it was from the zithromax thats bs i feel like im going crazy heart palps, dizziness, tinnitus or ringing in the ears (still have it) anxiety, nervousness, feel panicky crying and i already suffer from panic and anxiety",I wiil never take this poison again i just hope i wiil get over all these horrible side effects!!!!,F,49,6 days250 1X day,3/25/2013Email
1,Throat / ear infection,"The first dose, knocked me out, severe tiredness with muscle weakness and heart palpitations. The next morning i woke up with stomach pain and diarrhea, and it took half the day for the muscle weakness to subside. I have other health problems, and very surprised my doctor gave me the okay to take this. One of my issues is low potassium, so the 2nd day I took my potassium pill an hour before the dose, seemed to help the heart palpitations but now I am experiencing joint pain the last 2 doses. I have 3 more days and I don't know if I want to take it, my throat looks no better and I don't know what this stuff is doing to my body! I also have a history of candida, low platelet count, and food allergies and I just don't think this is worth causing more problems!!",,F,35,6 days250 mg,3/23/2013Email
1,Ear infection,"My daughter took the Z pack for a double ear infection. That cleared up but ever since she's felt terrible! Extreme fatigue and exhaustion, headache, muscle weakness. The doctors say it can't be the Zithromax, it doesn't have side effects after the 10 days its out of your system. Bull Crap! After reading all these posts on here, I'm convinced its because of the z pack! She was a normal healthy 15 yr old before this! They thought she had mono..... All tests from all the specialists we've seen have been negative. The key factor here is the Zithromax! This has been going on for almost 3 months now!!!",,F,15,5 days,3/19/2013Email
1,Bronchitis,"Terrible drug. I felt anxiety and depression for a week after finishing my last dose. Never experienced anything like it before. Felt back to normal for several weeks and thought it was behind me. Now two months later and the same feeling has come back for the last few days. Again, I NEVER experienced this feeling in my life until I took this medicine. Avoid at all costs.",,M,35,5 days,3/15/2013
1,Sinus infection,About 2 weeks after taking dosage as prescribed by my regular doctor I began having diarrhea. 3 weeks later after persistant diarrhea vomiting began. I dehydrated so bad that they put 2 bags of fluids in me before I peed when I got to the hospital. Spent 2 weeks in the hosp with C-Diff infection coupled with pnuemonia and the constant diarrhea. 3 months later and I am still on anitbiotics to control the C-Diff.,Absolutely recommend telling your doctor you don't want this medication - my doctor outright told me that this antibiotic is what started the diarrhea and subsequent chain reaction. I know I will never take it again and neither will ANY of my family!,F,68,3 days 1X day,3/13/2013
1,flu,"Severe heart palpitations, dizziness, difficulty breathing, gas, and diarrhea.","Had taken Z-pack before, however this time experienced severe heart out of rhythm. Was very afraid. It is 2 months later and still experience some heart palpitations. Saw on the news that a rare but fatal side effect from Z-pack can occur. Will not take the medicine again.",F,42,5 days 1X day,3/13/2013Email
1,Upper respiratory issues,"Felt like I wasnt myself, had difficulty concentrating the entire time I was on it. Each day that I began to feel better I looked at the clock only to see it was time for the next pill. It has been about 2months and I have been having similar issues since taking it. Lack of focus, dizziness randomly. I had one bad episode of vertigo where I ended up walking into my dresser instead of out more doorway. Went to the doctor they couldnt find anything in my ears or brain that would be causing this. I didnt feel this way before taking it. Had a similar bad experience with Antibiotics in the past and became allergic to bananas and lactose intolerant within a month of taking them. My whole life growing up I ate 2 bowls of cereal every morning and a banana every day. Now I cant eat either without either pooping my brains out or curling over in gut wrenching pain. This stuff messes up your insides. I also had a bad episode that felt like my kidneys exploded inside my body. My lower back right at",NEVER TAKE THIS SHIT,M,30,5 days250mg 1X day,03/06/2013
1,Possible Bronchitis,"Dull headache very moody, cold feet clammy hands. Did nothing but make me feel sick. After starting to feel better in the morning I would then take my med for the day and start feeling like death once again",I probably would have been better off not taking anything and let this cold/bronchitis thing run it's course. 4 days later I feel worse then when I started. I'm definitely not taking the last pill.,M,44,5 days250 1X day,2/25/2013
1,pneumonia,"Beg november I was treated with this poison for my pneumonia. After I finish, I started to have loose sttols, frequency 3 to 4 times a day (urge), now; pain and urge and some indigestion after a light meal.
Dr. will perform colonoscopy on 2/27/13 and I askes if nothing is wron, what next. He told me probiotics. Well I am on probiotics now(align) and so far, I woul not dare to go out for a dinner and I am afraid to eat. It ios a poison indeed. I have a fellling that I will not get better .","loose stool, 3 to 4 times a day urges, pain lower abd. and no apetite and loosing weght.
3 months like this
any suggestion?",M,65,6 days500mg 1X day,2/9/2013Email
3,Respiratory infection,"Severe stomach cramping, blood in stools, and a full body rash that started in the second day....On the positive side, it cleared up my illness very quickly...but, replaced it with horrible side effects!",,F,25,5 days,02/08/2013
1,Suspected Sinus infection,"Horrible panic attack like symptoms. I was certain that my throat was closing up despite the ER nurse practitioner and Dr saying that there were no outward signs of swelling. Was given a steroid shot in case, but it didn't cure the feeling of my throat closing up. I slept almost non-stop for 3 days. I remember very little of those 3 days. In addition to the very marked psychiatric side effects, I had an odd taste in my mouth, tingling of tongue, cheeks, and arms on occasion. Headaches, cheek rash, inability to focus on anything. The only thing I havent' had are the stomach problems. I was supposed to take it for 5 days, but quit after 3 on the suggestion of the dr. Now, it's been 3 days since my last dose and I'm doing better from the side effects. Still some tingling sensations and odd taste/feeling in mouth. The panic has subsided and I'm doing OK with that.",NEVER AGAIN. THIS IS FROM THE DEVIL!!,F,36,3 days250 1X day,1/28/2013
2,strep throat,"I took 500 MG the first day and 250 MG each of the next four days. No side effects for the first 2 days. On the third day I had some mild diarrhea and some light vaginal bleeding. Diarrhea only lasted the one day but the vaginal bleeding lasted 3 days. On day 4 I broke out into hives on my face and neck. The day after my last dose (day 5) I started feeling very weak and lightheaded. I'm now 8 days past my first dose and the weakness and lightheadedness continues to get worse and now I have a racing heart to go along with it. To top it off, I still have swollen and sore tonsils. If I had known that I'd be feeling like this I would've never taken it to begin with!",,F,33,5 days250 MG 1X day,1/27/2013
1,Chronic sinus/tooth infection,"I have experienced dizziness, anxiety, restlesness, feeling like I am going to pass out, restlesness, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, sensitivity to noise, loss of appetite.","I was given the 5 day pack. I was fine the first day. The second day I actually started to feel great. I noticed I had more energy. The second day I woke up very anxious, and very high strung. I felt like I had 10 cups of coffee and I don't consume any form of caffine. I had bouts of dizziness and felt as if I was going to pass out. I decided not to take the 3rd dose. It has been 5 days since my first dose and I am now feeling disoriented and having difficulty concentrating. I still feel very dizzy at times and feel like I amg going to pass out. I feel restless when I am trying to sleep. I also am having muscle weakness and loss of appetite. I can hardly function or do minimal tasks. I am wondering if anyone has had similar cognitive effects and how long they lasted. I had a similar experience with a quinilone antibiotic and my problems lasted over a year so I am very concerned about the potential long term effects of this antibiotic. Feel free to send me an email if you have had a long term cognitive effect from this medication. Also, I still have the tooth and sinus infection.",F,40,2 days250 1X day,1/24/2013Email
1,Sinus infection,"Chest pain/tightness, dizziness/lightheaded, weakness, stomach cramps","I am on my second day's dose and my chest is very tight and mildly painful. Until now, I was unaware of the recent study that linked Zithromax to rare heart risks. Had I known of this, I would not have taken this drug. I can't believe my doctor prescribed this to me and will probably change my PCP due to this! Heart disease runs in my family, so I am not going to take a risk like this. There have to be better options to get rid of an infection. I also feel very lightheaded and dizzy and am finding it difficult to do my job. I will not be finishing my dosage and I will not be taking this drug again!",M,28,2 days 1X day,1/11/2013Email
1,SINUS INFECTION,"Nausea, gas, stomach pains, explosive bm's, anxiety, chest pain, fatigue, brain fog.","This is the first time I have had this drug and believe me it will be the last. I have 2 more pills to take and can tell you this, not taking them.
Feel very weak, like passing out weak, vertigo, eye twitching, anxiety (which I already take meds for and this has just knocked it out of the ballpark). Granted, my sinus's feel great already but at what price? I would seriously like to go kick my Dr. in the balls for this. I asked him about known side effects and he said he had never heard any from anyone and it was a great antibiotic. BS!",F,46,5 days250mg 1X day,1/10/2013Email
1,Sinus infection,"I thought I was going insane. Very weird thoughts racing in your head, severe depression, naseau, loss of appetite, vertigo, headache, flushed, night sweats. At first I thought it was me, but thank goodness I found this page and explains it all. Everyone has similar side effects.",,F,33,4 days250mg,1/6/2013Email
4,Throat infection,"Terrible nausea, bloating, gas and urge to vomit.",,M,35,1 days1g,01/02/2013
1,sinus infection,"dizzy type woozy, lightheaded, weakness, stomach cramps, diarreah, gas, insomnia, loss of appetite and dry eyes","After 4days of taking 5day regimen 2tabs first day, then 1a day until finished. Side effects became more severe After taking as prescribed. Waves of wooziness, lightheaded, stomach cramps every morning continues. Yes, cleared sinus infection, but at what price? Am suffering daily, not knowing when it Hits like a Bomb! Assured by Doctor and Pharmacist it will pass, but neither say duration. HOW LONG? Each person is different I was told. Thank You for that Stupid answer. Why was I Not told Before hand There are Withdrawal Symptoms this Drug was Stopped? Yes, its a very popular Drug and Surely Drug Company profits are Sky High. Yes, am aware some do Not have any reaction to Z-Pak...But am astounded How many Do! I will Never Ever Never take Drug Again...Not worth its am Still sick with side effects!",F,65,5 days250mg 1X day,12/23/2012
1,Bronchitis,"Nausea, Diarrhea, abdominal pain, horrible dizziness, fatigue..extremely tired..very fast heartbeat..anxiety..heavy chest..head ache..ear ache, ear drainage, unexplained body aches..",,F,24,6 days500,12/21/2012Email
1,pneumonia,,,,,1 days,12/16/2012
1,strep throat,"Very tired, insomnia and bad case of hives. Took 2 benadryl and still itch!!! Horrible will never take again.",,F,32,4 days,11/03/2012
1,Bronchitis,I took the first day's antibiotics and my breathing improved but I had terrible pains in the sides and lower back. The pain was so bad that I couldn't sleep all night. I stopped taking the medicene and it took 3 days for the pain in my sides to go away. Its day 5 and I still have pain in my lower back. My stools came out bright red. I feel like I have alien poop. The bronchitis came back because I couldn't finish the medicene so I might have to go back to ER.,"Um....like...can you please label the medicine ""Made shred your kidneys and intenstines, not recommended for persons with liver disease."" ect & ect. Had I known I would have seriously bloody stools and get a kidney infection from it, I wouldn't have take this medicene.",F,35,5 days250mg 2X day,11/2/2012Email
3,cough that went on for 2 weeks,initially felt better and slept without coughing then became nauseous/vomiting within 12 hours,decided to discontinue it as side effects weren't worth it - may have just been a virus; son felt better after discontinuing. dr prescribed it as a precaution because cough had gone on for so long. Also used Delsym 12 hour cough syrup which may have helped more than the zithromax.,M,6,1 days3.5 ml 1X day,11/01/2012
1,Acute bronchitis,"Horrible-horrible-horrible drug!!! I was prescribed this along with cough medicine for my bronchitis. Shortly after taking the initial two doses on my first day, I passed out twice and went into what appeared to be a seizure. Woke up with my face and head all busted up. I thought it might have been because of the whooping cough/tetanus booster shot Id gotten the same day when I went to my doctor. I also thought it might have been because of the cough meds with hydrocodone. I discontinued the cough med and continued with the Zithromax, and passed out two more nights in a row. My wife and son witnessed the last episode tonight and said I jumped up when I started coughing and then fell face first onto the floor and started twitching like a seizure This was after taking Zithromax about 15-20 minutes before. Now sitting here with my face and head all bloodied up again. Avoid this crap!!!",,M,46,4 days250 mg,10/20/2012Email
1,Possible sinus infection,"Rash on face, eye swelling, numb leg, anxiety, insomnia (CRAZY!), sense of impeding doom and crying, intestinal pain and constipation, collapsed immune system and mystery temporary allergies, swelling of mucus membranes.","DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!!! This is a slow release antibiotic, and is known to destroy your intestines, however dumb doctors refuse to believe all these negative reviews. You may get lucky and not have side effects, but it's not worth a chance. I was given it twice, and after the first round I got mystery allergies about 3 weeks after I quit taking it. My eye was swelling, I had a rash on face, and my right leg was dragging a bit, but I didn't understand it until the second round when it all happened again as well as, I thought my intestines were going to fall out, and I spent a month in bed thinking I was a gonner. Like everyone else, I had crazy insomnia, anxiety, and sense of impending doom, and I cried for a month straight (I don't cry!), and my immune system collapsed. I couldn't stand mold after it and got all kinds of fungal infections, and got respiratory issues. I ended up in ER several times, and they left me for dead because they refuse to admit that you can have a fungal infection if you don't have AIDS. I ended up getting pins and needles all over my body and my brain felt like it was too big for my head. Took Diflucan for a month to try to restore the flora and fauna, and it helped a bit. Now I am on sugar-free diet and it seems to help. It is all from fungal overgrowth in the intestines, but the doctors won't help you. Help yourself and don't take this! I took this in May and it is Oct now, I am still sick! The anxiety, and insomnia are finally gone, but my gut is",F,36,1X day,10/20/2012EmailHistory
5,strep throat,Very mild nausea and mild headache 1st and 2nd day.,Must say it made my fever go away in ONE day and sore throat gradually got better in 6 days. I have read that a 5 day pack is effective for 10 days.,F,61,5 days5 day 1X day,10/06/2012
5,Bronchitis,NONE but the usual mild tummy upset from erythromycin based medications.,"This drug is the best medication out there for strep throat and bronchitis. I am allergic to penicillin and this drug has helped me numerous times. I would take this again. It is to be expected to have a mild stomach reaction when taking this drug. I felt it necessary to post about this because I've had to take erythromycin based drugs for severe constipation in the past. These class of antibiotics ""move"" the system, but in most cases it is only temporary and nothing to worry about. As far as the nightmares and lack of sleep or irritability from this drug, I've had none. You must make sure that the other drugs you are taking with this drug are not interacting. Usually, when we have bronchitis or strep we are also taking other medications for the cough or pain and we have to check to ensure that these drugs work well together. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist.",F,48,7 days250 MG 1X day,10/05/2012
1,Ear problem/sinus issues,"Breathing problems, coughing,wheezing.",,F,32,2 days500mg,10/04/2012
1,External Otitis,"Oscillopsia (oscillating vision), Dizziness, Vertigo, Insomnia","Vestibulotoxic reaction- Doctor ordered me to discontinue medication after 2nd dose. I continue to have insomnia, dizziness, visiual disturbances and strange head sensations 2 months after taking the last dose. The doctors do not know whether this will be permanent or not. This incident was reported to the FDA Medwatch. I am not on any other medications, nor was I taking any medications other than the Z Pack when this incidence occured.",F,48,2 days250 mg 1X day,9/30/2012Email
1,Sinus Infection/Tonsilitis,Panic Attacks/Hyperventilation - They are crippeling attacks of desperation! This is day 7 & I am still having small 'episodes.' I will NEVER take this again... Worst experience of my life.,,F,29,5 days 1X day,9/25/2012Email
5,Pneumonia & sinus infection,None,Felt better after 2 days! Finished all of it.,F,58,5 days600 1X day,9/21/2012Email
1,pneumonia,I can't swallow pills so i got the z pack and instantly began to feel like crap. i am on day 3 of the pills and am due to take more tonite....i am scared to because last nite i had the worst gas/diarrhea i have ever had. And still today the gas is awful and so stinky....sorry for the TMI...I would never recommend this to ANYONE !,,F,34,3 days250,9/21/2012
5,Bronchitis,"Mild stomach upset, sweating, hot flashes.","Zithromax was prescribed for a bronchial infection and within hours of the first dose, I was feeling some improvement and after 2nd dose was feeling 60-70% better after fighting off this infection for over a month.",F,41,5 days250mg 1X day,9/15/2012Email
1,Non-specific urethritis,"Immediate stomach cramps and dizziness.
Explosive diarrhoea within an hour and several times after that. On my third day and have passed diarrhoea about 8 times in 12 hours.
I also feel spaced out and mellow.
Never experienced such severe side effects from an antibiotic.",Brand name was Azithrin,M,34,1 days500mg x 2 1X day,9/14/2012
2,bronchitis,"Anxiety, weird heart feeling palpations past two days just a couple beats seems as i was in a panic attack the whole time especially the second day never had any experiences with drugs like that as of today which would be fourth day I feel better no anxiety and bronchitis is better now I must say",,M,31,2 days250,09/11/2012
1,sinus infection,"Tightness in chest , shortness of breath , anxiety attacks, insomnia , stomach upsets , gas , dry eyes , itchy dry , heart palpitations . Sweating , feeling very unsettled and out . I was also given 3 shots a long with continuations of zithromax one which included a steroid shot so when I started having symptoms I wasn't sure which medicine was causing my the side effect . For those who suffer from the anxiety attacks and chest pains laying on your back makes it worse try to lay on your side with a lot of pillows head elevated it helps you sleep . I wish I never started this medicine I have one more day left on a 5 day pack I really don't wanna take It but Its only 1 last pIll , this medicine stays in your system weeks after you stop taking it anyways . Best of luck everyone !",,F,31,4 days250 mg,9/8/2012Email
4,URTI,"All very minor and easily tolerable. Rash on upper body - mostly on arms and hands, itchy hands, slight diarrhea, some dizziness.",Works okay for me.,M,38,3 days500 1X day,9/5/2012Email
1,Sinus infection,Terrible stomach pain. Became disoriented. Face was stinging. Hard time sleeping. Had weird dreams. Woke up at 3:30 a.m. And couldn't go back to sleep. Had anxiety as well.,I will never take this again!!!! I started out with the 2 pills as instructed so it was 500 mgs the first day. I have taken this before and had a few weird side effects but never like this one.,F,57,1 days250 mg 1X day,9/3/2012Email
5,Sinusitus,,,F,38,250mg 1X day,9/2/2012EmailHistory
4,Sinus infection/bronchitis,"Day 1 was the Magical Mystery Tour. About 30 minutes after my first dose of the generic, my stomach exploded into pain comparable to labor. Weird, weird psych issues (anxiety, mainly) followed for about 2 hours. After that, I was fine, aside from some rip-roaring diarrhea on day 4. Cleared up my sinus infection. All in all, it wasn't a bad drug, but the brand name is def the better choice.",,F,29,4 days250 mg 1X day,8/19/2012
5,Chlamydia,"Nausea, mild stomach cramps, diarreah(only once), itching on the body.","This medication I was dreading because of all the bad reviews on it. It wasn't so bad and after two days ALL the side effects vanished. Most were gone in three to four hours. This medication cleared out the Chlamydia. I did have some itching a few days later on the body in random places but I only had one bout of diarreah three hours after taking it, some nausea, some stomach cramping but these were almost completely gone in a matter of 4 hours. I suggest watching t.v. or listening to music on it to distract you. Ice pack on the belly will help. But, it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. DON'T BE SCARED TO TAKE THIS!",F,18,1 days1000 1X day,8/15/2012
2,Bronchitis,"(TEVA brand) Insomnia, anxiety/panic attack, mild stomach discomfort. The depression/anxiety/hopelessness hit the day after I finished my last dose. It was intense and almost intolerable.","I know several friends who swear by Z-Pak. It works great for them and I wish I could count myself in their number. Personally, I will NEVER be taking this drug again unless it is under a life-threatening circumstance and there are no other options.",F,37,3 days500MG 1X day,8/13/2012Email
1,bronchitis,"heart racing, anxiety, stomach problems, severe insomnia","has anyone been given generic zpack from india that comes in a white and purple box, i'm trying to find the manufacturer",M,40,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/10/2012Email
1,Suspected Chlamydia,"This was the most HORRENDOUS experience of my life. I took Azithromycin (500MG/1 dose only - TEVA brand) for suspected Chlamydia infection - which I didn't have at the end at all (False Positive result!). My side effects started one week after taking the pill: DEPRESSION, VOMITING, VERTIGO, NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, CHEST PAIN & HEART RACING, TINGLING AND NUMBNESS IN MY FACE AND ARMS, I FELT DISTANT FROM REALITY LIKE IF I WAS HIGH ON LSD, PANIC ATTACKS.. went to ER twice (totally useless) one doctor told me I had a mental disorder and prescribed xanax and said I might need Prozac in the future!! I am 25 years old female, totally healthy, never had depression before And would never take either of those drugs!! Total BS, he also told me it's this antibiotic is out of my system in 3 days!!!!! Anyways, called a friend Pharmacist and he recommended Benadryl, after taking the first one, some of the symptoms disappeared.. so I am taking 1/2 on and off.. it's gotten better in the past week, but g","I was told it might be out of my system in 4-6 weeks, got a liver cleansing tea (Milk Thistle) which I drink daily.. this has been the worst nightmare, who didn't experience it won't understand. I could't get out of bed and thought there is something seriously wrong with me. I am from Europe and our medication has NEVER caused anything like this! Don't ever take this S*HIT, i feel like it totally poisoned me and the recovery is slow.. 3 weeks ago and I still occasionally feel it.. I just hope and pray it will completely flush out of my system soon!",F,25,1 days500MG 1X O,7/28/2012Email
1,Walking pneumonia,"Awful stomach pains by 3rd day. Diarrhea. Cannot sleep well. Not more then 2-3 hours at a time. Constant shaking/nervousness. I'm panicking and pacing. The 4th day I kept crying. Went back to the doctor and said how I was feeling and he ordered blood tests and took an EKG. The EKG was normal and blood tests came back with some abnormalities which he wants me to re-take. I'm not taking a bunch of tests when I feel this med is continuing my misery. I'm drinking a lot of water, using accupressure and tried herbal rescue remedy drops by Bach. Sometimes those things help a little. I hate this stuff and will not ever take it again.",,F,44,4 days250mg,7/27/2012
1,possible Throat Infection,"This is really bad..... Took 2 pills of the (Greenstone Brand) Azithromycin. Pharmacy told me to take 2 pills for the first dosage, no food neccessary. I took the pills at 9am yesterday mrning now it is 5:30am. I cant sleep i had 2-3 hours of sleep max. I would wake up every hour and the anxiety is kicking in. I had to walk around my neighborhood about 6-7 times to keep my mind off the anxiety. Heartbeat definitely feels weird as well. I took 1 pill of Nyquil to try to help me sleep, but no help what so ever. Stomach was very gassy, and honestly i dont know why anyone would take this drug. It has not helped me at all these side effects are seriously scary and should be banned. If you guys have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me. And please Pray for me :)",,M,23,1 days500 1X day,7/1/2012Email
5,"bronchitis,pneumonia","I had a very bad case of bronchitis and viral pneumonia. I was afraid to take an antibiotic especially that most doctors assured me that it was viral. I waited too long! I had severe insomnia,coughed my lungs up,developed several hernias due to coughing and hallucinated grossly due to total lack of sleep. Everything has changed the minute I took Zpack. There were some side effects,possibly from the drug,like vertigo and headache,which may not even happened because of Zithro ,but my bronchitis and insomnia and cough got 60% better ,which was exactly what I needed to shake the bug off. I am still shaken",,F,46,5 days 1X day,6/24/2012
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Hives all over my body, heart palpatations, dizziness and much, much worse than before I took the first 3 pills! It's been 3 days and all the hives have not gone away.",,F,,2 days,6/18/2012
1,suspected ear infection,"exploding diarrhea, heart racing while trying to relax, crazy nightmares, skin rashes, unable to concentrate, loss of appetite, anxiety. Was diagnosed with mild allergic reaction. Never again","Any alternative is better. DO NOT TAKE THIS unless you want to see the Grim reaper. I got off this med after the 1st 2pill dose. Only if I was allergic to penacillin would I consider this drug. 24hrs after stopping, Im starting to feel better and more like myself again, I was really worried I wouldnt.(anxiety) I will never ever take this drug again. Good luck to everybody on it. Hope all of you feel better soon.",M,36,5 days250mg 1X day,6/14/2012
1,bronchitis,"mild diarrhea after bad first night - a lot of anxiety, feeling weepy, which is not like me at all, and starting to panic at every little thing I felt nausea, dizzy, very tired, fleeting chest pains, tightening in the chest,","I started to think I was crazy as I explained all this to my husband.
It was very scary and I am 12 days since my last dose. Yesterday and today I had minor fleeting pain in my chest and then cramps in my upper abdomen - I just feel like I want to sleep till this is over and from what I have read here it won't be too soon. I am glad I found this site or I think I would have been in a mental hospital. I would never take this medicine again. It is not worth the mental anguish that I am going through. I would rather try something else.",F,67,5 days250 1X day,6/10/2012Email
4,Strep Throat,"Mild side-effects, such as loose stools (no liquid stools), gas, bloating, lack of appetite. In a nut shell, my digestive system was messed up for the duration of taking azithromycin. However these side effects went away about a week after my last dose.","Overall, this drug was very effective. My strep throat symptoms went away the first day of taking this anitbiotic. However, the side effects could be a little annoying. But the side effects should go away in about a week after stopping azithromycin.
After a week of taking this antibiotics, stock up on probiotics. They helped me alot, and I am back to my normal self again!",M,16,5 days250 mg 1X day,6/7/2012Email
1,bronchial pneumonia,worst sickness of my life,this CRAP should be banned,M,65,6 days250 1X day,6/4/2012Email
1,Bronchitis/ Pertussis,"Most horrible experience ever. Had all of the side effects, but the anxiety was the worst. I took the third day's dose yesterday and 2 hours after, I had a panic attack that almost knocked me out. I was beginning to think I was mentally ill, going crazy after sitting in front of the computer doing everything other than what I had to do for 3 days straight... It caused self-frustration, anger, and had an urge to hurt myself. Really do not want to have an extended period of these side effects, but seems like they're lasting a while in the others...",,F,22,3 days250 1X day,06/03/2012
5,strep,mild stomach issues,This is the only antibiotic that I have been able to take and I and my kids take it everytime we need an antibiotic and find that is safe and kills the infection..,F,42,5 days250 1X day,5/21/2012Email
1,infection/lung congestion,My father took this medication in early April. Shortly after he started experiencing loss of appetite and lack of energy. On Monday may 14th he died of heart failure. He had no history of heart issues but an EKG was taken at the emergency room and it showed a recent heart attack. The recent news about this medication answers a lot of questions my family had.,,M,79,5 days 1X day,5/18/2012Email
1,throat infection,After was diagnosed with chf heart failure!,,F,37,1 days?,5/17/2012
1,Upper respiratory infection,"Extreme nausea, dirrhea, loss of appetite, crying spells, i will NEVER take this poison again!!!",,F,15,3 days,5/16/2012
1,Lung/Sinus infection,After two days of taking this drug I had total loss of smell and taste. My sense of smell started coming back a few days after I stopped taking the medicine. My smell and taste have not yet fully recoverd after a week. A very scarey experience,,,,5 days? 1X day,5/14/2012Email
1,,"Initially gassy stomach, but main side effects started 48hours after. Extreme muscle pain and weakness, nausea, chest pain and feeling tight, shakes, lack of energy, lack of appetite . Feel worse now than before I took this stuff",,M,38,1 days1g,4/23/2012
1,possible sinus effection,"anxiety, depression, worthlessness, racing heart, crying spells, didnt want to go out any where it was so awful i wish this on no one.",it has been about 10 wks and mostly all side effects are gone. i still get them from time to time but not like i was. i will never get a z pack again. if i need another antibiotic i will choose a different kind.,F,41,5 days250 1X day,4/19/2012Email
1,Sinus Infection,"It's terrible. I'm suffering from side effects such as severe anxiety/depression.
Just don't take it.",,M,17,6 days25,4/13/2012
1,Suspected Gonorrehea,"Sheer Panic, Crying fits, racing heart, massive depression, weakness, yeast infection, upset stomach, headahces....","This Drug is awful do not go near it. I was prescribed this after i thought i had an std after some mild symptoms. after 48 hours of taking it i experienced horrible side effects massive depression, hives all over my body etc etc. i managed to convince myself i had hiv as the side effects along with the depression and anxiety make you think the worse case scenario. it is horrible. Whats worse is i was given a double dose of this drug by a stupid walk in hospital in sydney , do not take it! Even futher its been almost 3 weeks since i took the drug yet my immune system is still feeling the effects. Still experiecing stomach pains and i encountered a yeast infection as well. I feel very sorry for the people that have been given this drug recently! try not to worry and the main effects should wear off in seven days, although they can last for a lot longer. Whats worse is got tested at the time for any stds and they all came back negative. Try and load up on probiotics after taking this stuff. IN SHORT. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAUGE",M,20,1 months1g 2X M,4/2/2012Email
1,Bronchitis,"Took the drug mid January and continue to have headaches, severe gastrointestinal problems; my stomach hurts and I feel ill most days and I swing between constipation and horrible diarrhea.",I have felt bad since I initially took this drug. The more research I do the more I find that this is a bad drug that needs to be used with extreme caution. I will never take this drug again.,F,54,5 daysdo not rec 1X day,3/28/2012
1,Suspected sinus infection,"Gastro disturbances - diarrhea, extreme hunger pangs, acid reflux, indigestion, nausea, gas. Psychological symptoms - extreme depression, anxiety and sense of despair and hopelessness (very scary). Fluid in ear - partial hearing loss. Oral thrush/canker sores. You name it, I experienced it. Hope I'm not leaving any symptoms out.","I took the z-pack (can't remember the exact dosage now) for a suspected sinus infection back in November, and I have lived to regret it ever since. Even though my symptoms are not as aggressive and as severe/extreme, they are still lingering. The most frightening symptom that I am still dealing with is fluid behind the ear. I am experiencing hearing loss due to this and I fear that my hearing will not return to normal, which impedes my normal life. I also almost constantly have canker sores in my mouth, but it is not as severe as it was back in November and December when the thrush was 'raging' and I couldn't eat and drink, it's just 'annoying' and 'inconvenient'. The z-pack was like poison to me, and it didn't even help the initial illness. I will NEVER take this medication again. To me, it's poison and I think it should be taken off the shelf. I just can't believe I took an antibiotic in November and I'm still suffering the consequences. The loss of hearing is really scaring me. Also, I thought it would be worth mentioning that I never experienced the psychological symptoms, the gastro symptoms and hearing loss before taking the z-pack.",F,43,5 days 1X day,3/23/2012
1,Sinus Infection,"Fine first two days, then bam...had what I thought was low sugar but turned out to be a panic attack. This happened for 5 days until I determined that it was not low sugar. When I got dizzy headed, I became very anxious, heart rate increased, thought I would pass out. Ride the wave, don't let symptoms scare you and you'll not have a panic attack.","Dizziness, anxiety for six days after stopping drug. Seventh day was much improved. Hoping for normal days ahead. Ignore the side effects and it is much easier to deal with. Don't let effects control your mind into thinking you are dying. Anxiety can cause tension, dizziness, palpitations, aches, derealization, sensitive/burning/tingling skin. It will pass if you allow it to.",M,32,3 days500 1X day,3/19/2012Email
1,pneumonia,"I took my first dose (2 pills) wednesday night and had no side effects. Took another dose (1 pill) thursday morning and by thursday night was breaking out in sweats, coughing worse, anxiety, shaky, nauseous and confusion. Ended up fainting, eyes rolled back and vomiting unconscious for about 10 seconds..boyfriend said the scariest thing he had ever seen. Went into the er and took me off the medicine it is now the following Monday..still in bed. I cant sleep for longer then 3 hrs at a time, severe stomach pain i havent been able to work. Ive been drinking tons of water to try and flush my system..my heart still beats very fast at times and cannot stay standing for so long without getting another dizzy spell.",Should be illegal. Never taking this medicine ever again!! Worst sickness ever.,F,21,2 days250mg 1X day,3/19/2012
1,"""Cruds""","Ringing in ear, stomach pain, muscle weakness, itchy, trash in mouth, headaches, nausea, chest pain, loss of appetite, shivering, SEVERE panic attacks/anxiety. I've gotten blood test/urine test all normal. Now doctors want to say I have panic attack disorder. I took this on 2/13/12 stoped on 2/17/12 (didn't finish it). I'm still having panic attacks/anxiety after 3 weeks of being off this s**t. My stomach is still nervous!!",,F,36,6 days250,3/17/2012Email
1,Bronchitis,Diarrhea an hr or so after the first dose.. HORRIBLE upper stomach! the day after. Today is my 3rd does. Stomach pain is the worst! I think im going to stop and do without the last two doses! This sucks!,Never taking this again!,M,25,3 days250 1X day,3/14/2012
4,Infection,"1000mg Day1, 500mg Day2. On Day 2, and 3 (now) I had an episode of severe drop in blood sugar with racing heart, shakiness, dizziness and palor. Skin on low back/abdomen and thighs is very sensitive. Legs hurt. A few recurrent dizzy spells/racing heart on day 3. Stool normal so far. Had lots of gas but no vomiting/diarrhea.",Note to self: Don't take this drug again.,M,48,2 days1.5G 1X day,3/13/2012Email
2,sinus infection,"very dizzy, nervous, exhausted...just out of it!!! I've had a headache since I started. Today is my last dose..I hope my energy comes back!",,F,34,5 days250 mg 1X day,3/10/2012Email
1,Strep throat,"I will NEVER take this drug again: 24/7 nausea, diarrhea and upset stomach. I'd rather have strep. ASK FOR AN ALTERNATIVE.",,F,36,6 days,03/07/2012
2,Sinus infection/Bug,"Heart raced after taking the first day's double dose, later I had gas then a few days later developed minor constipation.","Originally I was given this for some ear and minor throat inflammation - for a possible sinus infection. After finishing the medication, the earaches, post nasal drip, headaches, neck aches came back and I now my throat/tonsils are fairly swollen and red with small white patches (not tonsiliths) on them. Before the medicine, my throat wasn't this bad. It did take care of some of my other symptoms (body aches, sinus pain).",F,29,5 days250mg 1X day,3/6/2012Email
2,Sinus Infection & Ear Infection,"I'm not sure if it's the drug or not, because I haven't taken this before, but It's the second day, and the left side of my face ( cheek, nose, Head ) is in really bad pain. Like Im suffering. It feels as if I got punched right in the eye, cheek, and nose. Idk why it is doing this, but idk if i should keep taking it. Also about 20 minutes after taking the pill, i would feel really dizzy like, and nausea.",,F,18,5 days 1X day,2/28/2012Email
1,upper respiratory infection,"anxiety, heart racing, slight depression",Took zpack for 4 of the 5 days had to stop due to anxiety starting 2nd day - almost an anxiety attack at work on 4th day. Find another medicine if you can.,F,45,4 days250 mg 1X day,2/28/2012
1,yes,"tachycardia. hypertension, tingling hands and feet, head ache, chest and throat tight,
agitated. low potassium, swollen joints, unable to focus mentally.","have delayed allergic reactions: zyrtec, pepcid, potassium, ativan to lessen symptoms. took 5 days off for two days and back to ER via 911 for more potassium.",F,57,3 days250 MG 1X day,2/26/2012Email
1,sinus infection,After taking the first dose within 2 hours my stomach started cramping and became very dizzy. I tried to lay down and only felt worse. 16 hours later and still in pain. Will not be taking the rest rather deal with the sinus infection.,,F,27,1 days,2/22/2012
1,Sinus Infection,"VERY SCARY panic/ anxiety attacks, heart palpitations (bpm 120 just walking down the hall) that lasted 24 hours. I didn't sleep at all that night. Light headed, numb hands, feet, and face, sweating, pressure in chest (hard time breathing). No appetite (I lost 5 lbs. in 4 days). Yes, it did get rid of the sinus infection, but I would NEVER EVER take this antibiotic again. There are too many other options; I'd rather take more pills over more days than this stuff.",,F,37,4 days250 MG 1X day,2/18/2012Email
1,Ear Infection - Sinus Infection,"Six weeks of decreasing palpitations and somnolence THEN I believe I went through withdrawal symptoms. I had insomnia for three nights (no worry, just wide awake!) and my blood pressure went up. Weird stuff. Eight weeks later and my ears are still plugged.",,F,50,5 days250 1X day,2/17/2012
1,"Sinus infection, throat infection","This medicine caused me to have a severe panic attack after the 4th pill. Actually had 911 called and paramedics come because I was so freaked out. I have NEVER called 911 before for myself. Blood pressure was high and pulse fast. Will definitely not take this again, am gradually feeling better. Had a couple instances of diarrhea but starting taking probiotics and this stopped.","Unless this heavy a dose of antibiotics is absolutely necessary, I will request a lesser dosed antibiotic and take it for a longer period of time.",F,37,5 days 1X day,2/15/2012
1,sinus infection,Please people do not take this drug. It is dangerous. I have been severely dizzy with diarrhea for 10 days. I stopped taking it on third day after reading these posts. Drs. hand out this stuff with no regard for what it is doing to us.,,F,64,3 days250 mg. 1X day,02/12/2012
1,sinus infection,"Severe anxiety, loss of appetite, dry mouth, racing thoughts, feelings of despair, diarrhea for several days and then cramping lower intestinal cramps throughout the day.","11 days after my last dose my digestive system is still a mess, anxiety is lessening slightly but it's still like nothing I've ever experienced before. 2 days after my first dose I felt emotionally worse than I ever have in my entire life. I'd taken this before with no problems�meanwhile this has been a complete nightmare.",F,47,5 days 1X day,2/11/2012Email
1,Bronchitis,"This antibiotic is horrible. Day 1, felt ok, day 2, terrible diarrea, lower abdominal pain, shooting pains in head, nausea, constant heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness. I saw 3 different doctors in order to diagnose the bronchitis and told all of them that I have anxiety as an underlying condition and take Ativan as needed. Not one of those doctors warned that Zithromax could cause anxiety as a side effect and the heart palpatations were serious and frequent. My anxiety is not as bad as this antibiotic made it feel! Terrible medicine, will never take it again!",,F,35,3 days500,02/09/2012
1,Bronchitis,Projectile vomiting and severe diarrhea on day 5,Side effects occurred even though I took each dose with food.,F,36,5 days 1X day,02/05/2012
1,Bronchitis,"heart racing, pain between shoulder blades, Very heavy chest, dry itchy skin and Too tired to get up. I stopped taking 5 days ago and I still feel like I'm taking it. Will it ever go away? :(",I will never take this crap again!,F,42,5 daysz pack 1X day,2/2/2012Email
3,Respiratory infection,"Bad insomnia - I'm tired all the time but still can't sleep.
Also have some dizziness, but I'm not sure if that's due to the infection or the zithromax.",seems to be clearing up the upper respiratory infection and associated sinusitis quite well.,M,36,2 days250 MG 1X day,02/01/2012
4,,none,,M,,4 days,1/31/2012
5,"Nasal infection( sinus), coughing","Prescribed the brand name Z pack, ( generic dont work for me) followed the instruction given and was pleased to feel better. Can't recall any side effects, to excited to feel better.",,F,56,2 daysns,1/26/2012
1,Sinus Infection,"I took Zithromax on a January 6th. After taking the first dose I experienced severe diarrhea with blood. I thought that the bowel issue would pass so I took the 2nd dose that same night. 30 mins after I took the pill I began to experience loose bowel movements once again. I woke up the next morning feeling gloomy. It was like I was a space zombie. I tried to drive to the store but could not see. My assumption is that I that medicine caused me to experience photosensitivity. However, I took the 3rd dose that evening. 30 mins later I had diarrhea with vomiting. The next day I was rushed to ER. I had hives and my esophagus cut off . My face, hands,feet and legs were numb. I have never been allergic to a medication, but this antibiotic caused me to experience anaphaxlis. It has been 2 weeks since the allergic reaction. I still have facial, foot, and hand numbness. I also
have loose stools and nausea. Sometime my right eye hurts. I know this is the reaction lingering. I will never take this drug again. I believe it was made with poison. I",,F,24,2 days250 mg,1/22/2012Email
1,bacteria infection,scary I PASSED OUT..I read about people feeling nausea and dizzy but I actually passed out,"I went to doc and found out I had forgotten tampon in and it was there aleast a month ..crazy I know..it caused bacteria infection.I got home took 1 metronidazole and over 3 hours later took 2 500 mg of zithromax.woke up feeling like i had too puke but instead passed out/fainted on bathroom floor.I know I should of went to ER but I did not.I called gyno who gave me pills once they were in office,she had no answer.I don't think it was other med cuz i've taken it before no problem.atleast reading this I am thinking I am just one of the people who do not have a good reaction too zithromax.scary",F,28,1 days1 gram 1X day,1/20/2012
1,Sinus infection/flu like symptoms,"Extreme, crippling stomach pain. Couldn't stand upright. Doubled over in pain for nearly 6 hrs, the day after my first dose. Tylenol and rest relieved pain. Will NOT be taking subsequent doses.",,F,30,1 days500,1/19/2012
5,sinus infection,"heartburn, dry skin",Cleared up my sinus infection great.,F,27,5 days250 1X day,1/18/2012
3,Sinus and Ear Infection,"Racing heart, diarhea the first week.....still getting headaches when I get tired. It has been 4 weeks since I started this drug. The racing heart is still lingering. The sinus infection cleared by about 90%.",,F,50,5 days250 1X day,1/17/2012
2,Pneumonia,"Horrible, crippling anxiety; feelings of despair and hopelessness; depression; minor diarrhea","Was prescribed a z-pack for pneumonia, was told about possible stomach upset. By the 3rd day of pills, began feeling incredibly blue and depressed. Just couldn't shake it off. By 5th day, horrible feelings of depression and despair and hopelessness. Had no idea what was causing it. Had never had problems with depression or anxiety before, thought I had gone crazy or slipped into some sudden form of depression. Was the worst feeling in the world. :(",F,19,5 days250mg 1X day,1/17/2012Email
1,sinus infection,"Never in my life have I had a reaction to a drug like this one. I am one month out and still having terrible side effects. Headaches,numbness in face,tremendous anxiety,burning eyes,blurred vision and racing heart!! I wonder what kind of poison they used! I will never take this crap again!!!!!",,F,59,6 days,1/13/2012
5,Acute Bacterial Bronchitis,None,,M,31,8 days500mg,01/10/2012
2,"sore throat, enlarged tonsils","Ringing in ears, shortness of breath, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, nightmares","Didn't help, still have enlarged tonsils",F,56,5 days 1X day,01/08/2012
1,Swollen Tonsils,"Anxiety, heart racing, night sweats, panic attacks, loose bowels, rash, nausea",,F,25,4 days250mg,1/6/2012Email
3,Tooth abcess,"Gassy, bloating on day 2. Taking probiotics. Really tired, general sick feeling it with little energy. Day 5 idoz am tied to toilet, heart palpitions and anxiety on and off. Sleep is off snd have woken trying to cstch breath which i contribute to the anxiety.",,F,39,6 days,1/5/2012Email
2,UTI (recurrent),Headaches. Lower back ache. Really cranky. Extreme diarrhea and cramps which caused dehydration no matter how much water/gatorade I drank. Nausea.,Cipro wasn't working so another Dr. prescribed this instead. Not all that great. Feel as if I still have the UTI. Dr. prescribed Macrodantin which I'm refusing to take. Going to see a specialist.,F,22,5 days250 1X day,01/04/2012
2,Cold,Extreme abdominal pain,"I was prescribed this for 5 days, but I couldn't take it past the first day. Two hours after having taken the first dosage, I started experiencing abdominal pain, and it only kept getting worse by the moment. It got to the point that I almost went back to the ER where they'd originally prescribed it, but I decided to tough it out. Symptoms lasted all day, and 3 days later, I still get the same pain every once in a while. I've taken this before, but never had such terrible side effects. I'll never take it again.",F,22,5 days500 1X day,01/03/2012
1,Ear infection,My son took his 1st dose at night and it kept him up all night with crying fits. I decided to give it to him in the afternoon to see if it made a difference and he got really dizzy. He couldn't stand or walk without swaying or falling.,,M,1,2 times1.5ml,01/03/2012
1,prevent whooping cough,"ringing in ears, diarrhea, heart racing. Glad I found this site so I knew to stop taking. Those of you who have been through this--does the ringing in the ears go away?",would never recommend to anyone--should not be prescribed,F,44,1 days500 1X day,1/1/2012Email
1,sinus or cold/cough,PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! My 73 yo dad took for a cold and ended up in the hospital on Christmas day while we were on a trip. He was doing fine then all of the sudden began having explosive bloody diarrhea. His blood pressure bottomed out and we ended up in the ER. He lost a lot of blood and almost had to have a transfusion. He is better but will never take a zpack again. What's wrong with taking a slower antibiotic for a longer period of time? Be careful older people.,NEVER AGAIN!,M,73,3 days250mg 1X day,12/28/2011
2,sinus infection,"started with Anxiety, and feelings of weirdness, and panic. Added dizziness and generally NO energy. Would have rather had the infection back. The generic maker is in INDIA so I will NOT take this again!!!!
I will say I have taken the brand name w/little to no complications.",,M,35,5 days250mg 1X day,12/27/2011Email
2,Brochitis,"Similar to a lot of ppl. Moody, ichy skin, body aches, stomach problems, and breathing. Had to go to the ER. The most alarming thing was when my bloodwork came back my liver function was 3x normal and I don't drink plus I just had yearly physical 4 month prior with everything normal. Now I have to go back in a month for a second blood draw follow up to make sure my levels have returned to normal.",,M,40,4 days,12/24/2011Email
1,sinus infection,"Took first two pills. Six hours later, I had explosive pain and diarrhea, almost fainted. Had bloody discharge all night
Feeling weak and depressed. Felt like it was the right med 4 infection but had to stop.",,F,60,1 days250mg,12/24/2011Email
5,severe strep throat,"No side effects whatsoever. I had a high fever and couldn't move and swallow, after the second dose I was a new women! This drug is great and I wish everyone could tolerate it, works fast and easy on the body. I've tried so many other antibiotics and they all give me ridiculous side effects !",,F,25,6 days250 mg,12/09/2011
1,Bug/Flu type symptoms,"I woke up and was feeling extremely fatigued, but tried to tough it out. After a week I felt a little bit better, but still sick. Decided to go to the doctor on my day off, which was now almost 2 weeks since waking up sick. He prescribed me a Z-pack with 5 doses and the 1st dose being 2x250mg tabs and 4 more 250mg tabs over the next 4 days. I felt better the day i took the double dose. The next day I felt a loss in appetite, severe sweating, shakiness, extreme dizziness confusion and anxiety. Fast heart rates. I had my blood work done, nothing wrong. No fever(my temperature is actually lower than normal) No high blood pressure, no low blood sugar or high blood sugar. I'm still waiting for the Z-pack to leave my system. While at work I have onsets of high anxiety, dizziness and light headedness and feel like I'm going to fall over and pass out. I would not recommend taking this and i won't take this antibiotic ever again.",,M,35,5 days250mg 1X day,12/08/2011
1,Sinus Infection,"ANXIETY. My 12 year old son started taking Zithromax on Sept. 22 for a sinus infection. He immediately had side effects of anxiety, doom and gloom and horrible crying fits. He could not function at school for the first 3 weeks and it has effected him playing sports. This drug has effected his life and his is still struggling.",I had to move him out of his room closer to my room because he was afraid of his room he was in. I cannot believe what he and us as a family has been going through. Any help out there because his doctor want to put him on a low dose of Zoloft.,M,12,5 days250mg 1X W,12/4/2011Email
4,sinus infection,None so far. I have taken it before and it worked. My sore throat was pretty much gone after the first dose. The headache is there but I think it's from the sinuses.I never had a problem before. I wonder if everyone was taking the brand name or generic. I always insist on abrand name. It has made a big difference for me in the past.,,F,48,2 days250 MG,12/3/2011Email
3,Sinus infection,"My daughter has been extremely upset,her right eye,mouth,and legs have hurt,every time she tries to fall asleep she jerks herself awake the irritability was instant,but the other symptoms started on the third day!",,F,2,4 days,12/03/2011
1,upper resp. inf.,"day 1...STARTED WITH A FEVER, 2 DAYS IN I NOW HAVE LESS OF A FEVER, BUT ADDED COUGH, SORE THROAT STUFFY NOSE AND EXTREME SWEATS. day 3....confusion, headache, gas, bloating, irritability, crazy taste in my mouth, cough feels like bronchitis? still sweats, fever gone. don't plan on takin' ""day 4""","after reading through the other 20,000 posts, one thing is for sure!!!....they grossly under estimated the ""side effect"" percentage. the info pack claims only 5% will get head/stomach problems, from these posts, it appears totally opposite, 5% have no effects",M,29,4 days 1X day,12/3/2011Email
1,It was prescribed for minor cold,"This drug is extremely dangerous, if possible stay away from this. My mother ( who didn't even have cold in reality) was given this drug in ER, and within minutes she suffered cardiac arrest - survived the event that day after CPR to live only few days and died from it in few days.",,F,72,1X day,12/02/2011
3,sinus infection,"nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain. felt like I traded in my sinus infection for the stomach flu. lost 10 pounds and now I look like a skeleton, but my sinuses are clear... I guess it did what it was supposed to do...",,F,19,4 days1x Day,12/01/2011
4,Upper respiratory infection,Zpack knocked out my infection but 2 days after finishing it I broke out in hives. Went to my Dr and he gave me a steroid allergy shot and told me to take any OTC allergy pill. Took Benidryl. He also prescribed Tagament but my stomach was fine. Hives are now gone after a few days but today my stomach got really messed up so started taking the Tagament. Hope it works. Will ask for regular penicillin next time.,,M,42,4 days?,11/30/2011Email
1,sinus,"out of reality, crazy thoughts, insomnia, diarrea, am now in hospital due to heart racing, naauseous",,F,43,6 days,11/29/2011
4,Strep Throat,"Bloating, Nausea, Headache",Med seems to be helping but the headaches from it are intense.,F,24,2 days500 1X day,11/27/2011Email
2,Sinus infection,"Diarrhea, chest pressure, emotional roller coaster with body. Not feeling myself at all. Didn't take 5th day. Sinus is good but my irritability is at an all time high. Not happy. Depressed.",,M,33,4 days1250 total,11/25/2011Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Insomnia, diarrhea","While I was on the drug I could not sleep at all, and now that I am off of it I have projectile diarrhea. For the past three days I can been constantly shitting my brains out! I will NEVER take it again.",F,18,5 days250 MG 1X day,11/21/2011Email
1,bronchitis,"I was given this medication through an IV in the hospital, where I had gone due to bronchitis which I had had for several days. I went to the ER because it was a weekend. After being misdiagnosed with asthma with the initial physician, I again went to the hospital because the treatment from the initial visit did not help and made my bronchitis symptoms worse. I was finally correctly diagnosed with bronchitis (not asthma, although I do have allergic asthma) and admitted overnight for the Zithromax IV. I felt much better when I left the hospital but .....","I was prescribed a 500 mg. dose to take for five days after I left the hospital. Within one day, I began to have panic attacks and the stomach bloating, gas and constipation was horrible. Thinking it was from the oral steroids that I had also been prescribed, I went back to the ER complaining about severe anxiety and the fact that while my blood pressure was LOW, my heart was pounding and I was having severe anxiety attacks (something I have never, ever had before). The ER put me on Xanax, told me to stop taking the steroids, and instructed me to continue taking the Zithromax even though at that point, I had begun to suspect that the problems I was having was not solely due to the steroids. I went to my primary care who promptly took me OFF the antibiotic, and said that my symptoms would subside. There was, in her opinion, no reason why I was given such a strong oral dose of this antibiotic after having had it via IV in the hospital (I weight only 104 pounds). Well, it's been six months later and I still feel lousy. Not from the bronchitis, but from the constipation, gas, bloating and the constant feeling of anxiety and panic. I can't even touch something like coffee now; the end result is not good. My Xanax is long gone and my GP wants to look for other causes of the problem; they refuse to believe that the Zithromax could have these long lasting effects on my health. I would never, ever take this medication again. The side effects are way too great and they conti",F,54,5 daysIV/500 mgs 1X day,11/19/2011Email
2,inner ear infection,"Horrible experience. Never again. I would feel fine in the morning, but as soon as I took the pill within hours I was really sick. It really affected my nervous system. Crying, feelings of gloom and doom, anxiety. Had to go to the ER, I was so sick. I didn't want to finish the 5 day pack, but doctor said I had to. I've been finished with the z-pac for 4 days and have had explosive diarrhea and some dizziness. It is getting slightly better every day.","Terrible, I took the generic form of this. I will never take it again. While it cleared the ear infection the side effects were almost unbearable.",F,42,5 days250 1X day,10/30/2011Email
1,Bronchitis,"My five year old was prescribed this medication for bronchitis. She had taken it in the past without incident. However, this time, after taking two doses, she wound up in the ER because she had fevers spiking over 103 that would not come down no matter what we did. (Cold baths, fever reducers, etc.) She was complaining that her mouth hurt, her tummy hurt, she had clay colored BM/diarrhea, and she was miserable. They actually thought she might need to have her appendix removed because she was in so much distress. She was not on zitrhomax while in the hospital because they thought she would be having surgery. She was on an IV drip and Motrin. Her fever broke and she started feeling much better. The doctor at the hospital told me very specifically to continue the zitrhomax when we got home. So, that evening, I did. Her fever shot back up again and she started crying that the medicine made her mouth hurt. She also said her eye was bothering her and her legs. I couldn't believe","People should realize that you can develop a sensitivity to a drug even if you've taken it in the past without incident. This is a very powerful drug that has not helped her bronchitis - she is sicker today than she was when she started the medicine. It seems that the medicine has taken away her body's natural ability to fight the infection. I know she will get better, but it's tough to see a child suffer.",F,5,6 days 1X day,10/24/2011
1,for long term cough,"Terrible gas, bloating,inability to work,because of blurred vision, tiredness, horrible pain between shoulder blades and legs, then acid reflux started next day- with loss of taste and smell(except smell and taste of acid. loss of some hair, anxiety, sleeplessness","started July 9,2011 and still have horrible acid reflux. I think the pain between the shoulder blades was my esophogus getting burned from the acid that caused the valves in esophogus to quit working. Now I have acid in eyes, nasal passages all day. Have spent $1000 on Dr.. visits and have medical. Nexium doesn't cure and have went to naturpath and trying digestacure.This is horrible, far worse than the cough/nightmare, also ringing of the ears and still pain. Over 3 mos. and really sick!10/11",F,62,4 days20MG 1X day,10/24/2011Email
1,Probable sinus infection,"Dizziness, heart palpitations, flushing, body tremors, headaches, facial and jaw pain, ear pain and ear fullness, erratic blood pressure, blurred vision, body
aches, severe neck pain, anxiety, depression, fear of dying","This has been the worst 6 weeks of my life. I've been to several doctors and have had many tests done (all normal) to be told I must have suddenly developed an anxiety disorder. All these symptoms started the day after I started a zpak! Most symptoms are lessening, but when and will this be over??",F,51,4 days250 1X day,10/22/2011
1,Probable sinus infection,"My son had 3 doses of Zpak and started breaking out in hives all over. He stopped taking the med and is still breaking out in hives for the 5th day now. Strangely, the hives occur in the evening about the time he took the doses. He had taken it several times before with no problems. The kids have been on various anitibiotics over the years and wonder how necessary are they; except in severe illnesses. Getting sick of the drug companies and will try Homeopathic.",,M,12,3 days 1X day,10/20/2011Email
2,bronchitis,Experienced severe flushing of face and upper chest about 4 hours after taking the first dbl dose.,,M,63,1X day,10/07/2011
1,brochitis,"took first day (2 doses), had diarrhea within an hour, then fell asleep. 2nd day i took before going to work, felt extremely tired and had a hard time staying focused. i left work early, but noticed i had an extremely hard time concentrating while driving. Went home and fell asleep. after waking up i had muscle fatigue, lower back pain, stomach cramps, numbness along with blurred vision and the feeling that something was squeezing my temples together. this is today, 2nd day of dose. after reading many other comments, i will discontinue use and call my doctor tomorrow.",do not drive! discontinue use if you share any side effects you're reading on here.,F,31,5 days250 1X day,10/4/2011Email
5,STREP THROAT,None. Cleared the infection and I felt better after first day. I have used Zitromax in the past and have never had a problem.,,F,47,5 days250 1X day,9/29/2011
1,strep throat,"Severe body aches and pains, high fever, sore throat, dizziness, blisters on hands, feet, and rash on back of legs","I was on this for strep throat but it made me so, so sick. My throat actually got worse while I was on it. I couldn't get out of bed and my fever shot to 103.4 while.",F,27,5 days250mg 1X day,9/25/2011
1,Bronchitis,"This drug is a killer. Blood Pressure was as high as it could get and still be alive. There were heart palpitations, body shaking, tremors, nausea, vomiting, dread and severe panic attcks. Could not sleep or eat and on the fifth day (last pill) developed hives on back and blood shot eyes. THIS DRUG SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET.",,F,78,4 daysZ PACK 1X day,9/24/2011
1,Bronchitis,"Few hours after taking it Thursday night I had watery diarrhea, but I fixed that with imodium. Woke up today and felt weak figured that was normal, then got chest pains and burning eyes and now numb lips and tongue.",I called the dr and they said that chest pains aren't a side effect and not due to the z-pack even though every where that I have read and even the papers I got with the z-pack say to call the dr if you get chest pains. They said to stop taking it and go to the er if I still have issues. I wont be taking this again. I have never had an antibiotic make me feel this way. I should of read up more on this before filling it I was nervous to take it in the first place. :(,F,25,1 days500 1X day,9/23/2011
5,Bronchitis,"Nausea, and stomach pains","I believe that most people on this board are actually misunderstanding what symptoms they are experiencing. The shortness of breath, muscle aches, anxiety, depression.... Are actually due to the lack of oxygen to the brain and other various body parts. That would explain all of your feelings including dread. This is a very strong antibiotic and yes there are side effects. you were prescribed this because of the severity of you illness. If you do not react well to tell your Doctor but do not tell people to use it. It is highly effective and has worked very well for me. Yes, I experienced the upset stomach and pains. In the end my infection was cured and I satisfied with the results.",F,33,5 days250 Mg 1X day,9/20/2011Email
3,bronchitis poss pneumonia,"RInging in the ear which stopped after first dose. Skin crawling feeling being ill or maybe poisoned? which passed within 4 hours of each dose. headache behind right eye and on top of head, extreme nausea.","took for 4 days. I took for bronchitis possible pneumonia. HEADACHE started 3 days in and I have been treating with motrin and chewing baby aspirin (x2) between doses. I felt awful after each dose but I had been sick for A MONTH. First dose I had ringing in the ears and it scared me. I was afraid of a severe allergic reaction so I took benadryl and waited for the doctor to call me back which took a while and ringing diminished. He said to wait and see if it occurred after the 2nd dose. It did not so I continued taking the pills but stopped after 4days as I felt ill after each dose, skin crawling icky feeling I can't describe. The headache came the 3rd day but I thought it was from being sick, took some ibuprofen and then noticed my right eye felt funny. I couldn't concentrate very well so I just rode it out and kept chewing the baby aspirin between taking ibuprofen. I can't sleep and I have this headache. I can't find anything about WHAT causes it which would make it easier to deal with! I have takene this before with no problem and I SERIOUSLY believe it is because it is the generic. Yes they are prob identical in chemical compound but if two people make the same box cake one can be terrible and the other great. Maybe the quality of HOW it is made makes the difference. I am on Day 7 and I took for 4 days. I forgot the 5th dose and then decided to skip it after the headache started. My sickness is going away and I feel much better however I now have a headac",F,48,5 days250mg 1X day,9/20/2011Email
5,Pharyngitis,At first no side effects. About 3 or 4 days into the antibiotic I had intense watery diarrhea at least 2 or 3 times a day. Then it started to decrease and stop about the 5th or 6th day of taking it. A day of diarrhea after stopping it. Increased appetite and some minor itching occasionally. Minor agitation/depression that could be contributed to how i was feeling before taking the medication due to being sick. Other than that; not a real big deal with this medication for me.,This med worked quickly. After taking the initial dose of 500mg i woke up feeling 75% better. Gradually about 2nd or 3rd day I was feeling a lot better just as the doctor said I would. 2 days after stopping it im feeling good over all. Just a minor earache that the doctors cannot contribute to anything. Lastly; DO NOT let others horror stories scare you when taking THIS medication. I was almost not going to take it due to what I was reading but I figured I could wait it out and be miserable or just take it and see if I would feel better in a couple days like the doctor said. Well I did. Just be aware of wheezing or shortness of breath and STOP immediately and go to the Emergency Room. But give the medication a try. You dont know if its going to work or not until you try. Good Luck!,,25,6 days250mg 1X day,9/19/2011
1,??? Bronchitis ???,"Diarrhea, muscle aches, stomach pain, racing heart, feeling of dread, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, loss of appetite, weight loss, pleurisy.","Horrible stuff! This was prescribed to me during a visit to the urgent care for a bad cough which was diagnosed as bronchitis.
This garbage landed me in the ER twice!
After doing a bit of research I'm almost certain the crazy side effects are caused by the killing off of the good bacteria in the body. If anyone is having issues with this months later, you need to get a good probiotic ASAP.
Our gut flora counts for nearly 80% of our immune system, this drug destroys that, and no doubt makes people spaz out.
After doing a series of probiotic treatments I no longer suffer the ill effects of this drug.",F,30,4 days250 mg 1X day,9/18/2011Email
4,sinus infection,"Anxiety, depression, lethargic, bad taste in mouth","I have taken this drug before. It has definitely cleared up the sinus infection. This time side effects were different. I became depressed, and was nervous. Had to take Xanax to sleep. No stomach issues. I finished the antibiotic 2 days ago and I have NO energy!! Really need my energy back. Hoping it returns soon.",F,38,5 days250 1X day,9/8/2011Email
3,Pneumonia,"Gastro-intestinal, very soft stool, lower back pain. After finishing prescription, developed hives.","Can't complain too much about the fact that this killed my pneumonia, however not happy that I now have hives. Also have lower back pain intermitently.",M,45,7 days250mg 2X day,09/06/2011
2,throat infection/ Sinisitus,"SEVERE INSOMNIA. I tried taking 2 benadryl with the zpack to see if that would help me to get to sleep, no such luck.
Abdominal pain/tenderness, this radiated from upper to lower stomach and wrapped around to my lower back.
Tinitis and ear pain.
Anxiety, the 2-3 hours of sleep i actually got i would wake up gasping for air thinking i was dying/drowning.
Extreme Exhaustion, more so than you should experience with a throat infection.
Literally took the whole week off from work to battle this drug!",I do not recommend this drug.,M,19,5 days250mg 1X day,9/2/2011Email
1,Bronchitis,"I took the drug for 5 days and do not frequently take medications in general. Cognitive deficits have left me unable to work. I am a therapist and found that I couldn't remember the last thing my patient had told me and I couldn't find the correct words to describe what I was thinking and wanting to say. I got lost several times while driving my car (going in completely in the wrong direction in my hometown). This, of course, lead to high anxiety and I had to talk myself through what felt like panic attacks. I felt that my mind was slipping, deteriorating and I knew I could no longer trust myself to make critical decisions. I have only been off the drug for 1 day and will try and report back when I feel more together and hopefully more recovered.",TEVA made in Israel,M,29,5 days250mg 1X day,8/31/2011Email
1,sinusit,"pains all over the body, epscially lower back pain, legs, calfs, feet, disorientation","I still have pains after 3 months, less painful and less frequent, but still not gone...and I feel my body becae kind of fragile... this medicine is worst then poison, even if 1-2% of people suffer of severe and long lasting side effects, I think should be taken out of market... I think drinking petrol would be less harmful...",M,38,3 days500 1X day,8/31/2011
1,Bronchitis,"The very first sign that something was wrong was that my hands and face went ghostly white. Within 45 minutes of taking the first and only dose of generic azithromycin, I felt unequivocally sick with body tremors, nausea, numb hands, face and back, my entire body was on fire, heart pounding out of my chest, blurred vision, ringing ears... I honestly thought I was dying. Hit the ER the first time and was told to go home and continue to taking the med. Well, obviously, I didn't, as the Dr was clearly off his rocker. No dissipation in symptoms, 24/7 constant hell. Second ER visit gave me 2 liters of fluids, predisone and xanax. That helped only slightly. 2 and a half weeks, 3 ER visits and 4 dr's office visits later, I am BEGINNING to return to normal. I pray for a full recovery soon. Without a history of anxiety issues or panic attacks, I am treating with kolonopin to relax when the episodes begin, benedryl as an anti-histamine, pepcid to help take the meds and hold food down and liqui","You could not pay me 50 million dollars to go through this again. And although I am getting better, I am still not right. For someone as strong and healthy as I am, this was/is a humbling experience and I truly pray it is over soon.",F,36,1 days500mg 1X day,8/29/2011Email
4,Bronchitis,Constant ringing in the ears,"It worked in two days, so I'm not complaining.",F,15,5 days250mg 1X day,8/25/2011
1,possible sinus infection,"After third pill hands started to tingle and burn, extremely dizzy and tired.","Tried this after trying Keflex , got bad reaction from that too. sore spots started to appear on hands after 4th pill. Very dizzy and weak.",F,45,5 days250mg 1X day,8/23/2011
1,chest infection,"Took 1 pill the first day. Within 3 hours, my head felt foggy. Within 8 hours felt tingling in my fingers, dizzy, extreme fatigue, stomach ache, chills.","I took 25 mg Benadryl to counteract the symptoms, and this did lessen my reaction to this medicine. 3 hours later took another 25 mg. I felt better the next day, however, the next evening began experiencing similar symptoms again. I only took 1 Zithromax total.",F,19,1 days250 mg 1X day,8/21/2011
1,bronchitis,"bloating, and urgent runs x10 first day.","two years ago I took the original z-pak, no problem, most pleasant experience. this time it appears to be a generic, will stop and search for other alternative.",M,52,2 days250 1X day,8/18/2011
3,strep throat/ tonsillitis,"I had horrible dry mouth after the second day. Also, my sense of smell was stronger and affected everything.","The first time I took Zithromax it seemed to work right away, no problems. The second time I took it ( for tonsillitis) it seems to take a little longer to work. It still did work, however. My mouth was very dry after the second day, very very dry.",F,20,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/12/2011Email
4,Throat Infection,"Ringing in ear, 50% loss of hearing in one ear, severe headache and dizziness, and trouble sleeping.","I was supposed to take a five day course on the drug. The hearing loss was pretty severe so i am quiting at 4 days. My infections seems to be cleared. I have never had a reaction to a drug like this before. Everything you take has a negative to the positive. Like a doctor ounce told me, theres no free lunch when taking pharmicuticals.",M,38,4 days 1X day,8/8/2011Email
1,Dental abscess,hell! I felt so sick on it. I was so nauseated on it that I could not eat. Sleep was only 3 hours a night. Finally ended in the ER had to change to clindamycin. My face was swollen from the infection however with the evil drug it was even bigger and not getting rid of infection.,,F,36,3 days 1X day,08/04/2011
5,otitis and sinusitis,none,this is my second time using this and i never had any problem...,F,45,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/2/2011Email
4,cellulitis,"The first initial 5 days, I would wake up in the middle of the night with a panic attack. Did not have panic attacks during the following 5 days. Xanax took care of that problem. Mildly sore muscles. There was a couple of times when it felt like I had a fever but had no temperature. Lost several pounds - it felt as if my body's furnace was being turned on to high.","Cleared the cellulitis so it did the job. No matter how you look at it, you're going to get side effects with any type of antibiotic. And believe me, I've had worse. But if you can survive them, then it's a small price to get rid of a serious infection.",M,49,5 days250 mg 1X day,7/29/2011
1,Bronchitis,"Severe Vertigo - had to be taken to ER by Life Squad. Numbness all over my body. No taste/smell. Weird dreams. Lethargic and sleepy. Stopped taking the drug after four doses. My drug was the generic called Azithromax produced by TEVA, a foreign pharmaceutical company.","My doctor gave me a ""Z-Pak"" for viral bronchitis. (Doctors seem to give these out like candy) I took two the first day, as directed, and by day four I had numbness and tingling in my face, arms, legs, feet, hands, etc. I immediately stopped taking it. It took a day and a half to go away. Then I went to work a few days after taking the drug and I had a full blown ""three alarm"" Vertigo attack complete with projectile vomiting (sorry!). I was treated at the ER where I was taken by Life Squad since I could not walk or even stand. I still have no taste/smell, and I still don't feel 100%. The bronchitis went away on its own. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!",M,57,4 days250 mg 1X day,7/26/2011Email
2,Sinusitis,"Severe Insomnia, headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal cramping.","Started generic form azithromycin 6 days ago when I began experiencing insomnia and headaches after the second day. I do not normally suffer from insomnia, anxiety or other mental health issues. I typically have no problem falling asleep until starting this medication. I stumbled upon this website at 3:30AM desperate to find out if it was the medication causing it. I also have had nausea and abdominal cramping but to a lesser degree. The azithromycin I took was manufactured in Israel by TEVA pharmaceuticals. After reading other people's comments I can only hope I do not develop anxiety or mental cloudiness.",F,38,5 days250mg 1X day,7/23/2011
3,Chlamydia,"The only side effect I experienced initially was terrible diarrhea about 8 hours after taking the one dose, and this 11 days ago. The past few days, I've felt fatigue and depression, seemingly out of nowhere, as well as anxiety. I noticed others have noted that effects started up a week to a week and a half after being off this medication. I'm not sure if this is what has also happened to me, but I feel terrible. A few days ago I was perfectly fine, happy, and now I'm just worried. I eat well and exercise daily, so this is very strange for me.",,F,24,1 days 1X day,7/20/2011
3,Sinus infection,The first day (2 pill dose) was fine and it cleared up my sinus infection in a day. Then on my second day (1 pill dose) I just started itching.. everywhere. Like no joke I got mini rashes throughout the day all over my body.,This medicine worked great but the itching was unbearable I quit after two days.,M,17,5 days250 MG 1X day,7/17/2011
1,Bronchitis and Laringitis,"diarrhoea, stomach pain, horrible disorientation and head fog, dizziness, numbness all over body, anxiety, back ache",I took a single 2g dose on Monday and felt absolutely horrible by Tuesday afternoon. The side effects is overwhelming and I can only hope that it will clear up soon. Laringitis is slowly clearing up but it's Friday and the side effects is still not improving. I will never ever take this drug again!! I personally feel this drug should be investigated!!,F,36,1 days2000 mg 1X day,7/15/2011Email
4,,"Dry mouth, exhaustion",So far been tolerating it well; just notice I feel more tired after taking it and my mouth is kind of dry and cottony.,M,45,5 days 1X day,7/9/2011Email
3,"ear infection, vertigo","Headache, loose stools, edema, swollen ankles, weight gain from water retention, which resolved after I stopped taking it, loud ringing in ears not due to my ear infection, pounding heart.",My ear infection did go away.,F,58,5 days250 1X day,7/7/2011Email
1,lyme disease,"anxiety, fear, scary thoughts, disorientation, confusion, weakness, irritability, insomnia, general weirdness",zithromax sucks! (at least the generic),F,38,7 days250-500mg 1X day,6/29/2011
3,throat infection,"little diarrhea first day, unstoppable sleep after dose, little blood in mucus","All I have done since taking z pack is sleep, I know it says lack of sleep on the med box but it backfired on me. It first day I had experienced a little diarrhea but loose motion in normal for me so I let it go. But what scared me is no complain here states blood in mucus, which I experienced. I have been coughing for two weeks now but after taking this med. I have having less but pressureful cough attack, dont know if that the reason for the blood. My dr. mentioned i have serious throat infection but it could have been acute asthmatic bronchitis. That then would explain the blood but still this is the first time I have seen blood in my mucus which only happened after taking this med. I just want to know if anyone had little blood in their mucus while taking this z pack?",F,24,2 days2 day 1X day,6/28/2011Email
1,ear infection,"nausea, dizzy, extreme fatigue, loose stool, and a dull to severe headache",I have felt very depressed and like I am suffering from a 24 hour hangover. Except I have not been drinking. I believe the infection is gone but the side effects are awful. I took the generic azithromycin,F,47,5 days250mg 1X day,6/26/2011Email
3,Swollen tonsil,"Weakness, anxiety, shaking of hands and forearms.","Have taken the Z-Pak a few times with no side effects, but this time it seems like it may be causing some. It's kind of scary because you never know when to call a doctor regarding side effects. It's nice to read other people's comments on the drug.",M,30,3 days250 MG 1X day,6/25/2011
1,,"muscles, nerves pains","Pains started 2 days after the only doses I have taken, and are still here aftr 20 days... this medicine is AWFUL, I just hope pains will go soon...",M,37,1 days500 1X day,6/23/2011
4,Sinus Infection,"Restlessness, anxiety, loss of sleep, stomach cramps, head aches",,F,40,6 days 1X day,6/22/2011
2,Sinusitis,"Palpitations (pounding, racing heart), body aches, restlessness, jittery, anxiety, numbness in extremities, strange sensations","Took the first double dose last night, and spent half the night awake with pounding heart, restlessness, and various weird sensations. Finally went to sleep after taking Valium. Woke up next day with pain and stiffness all over, still jittery and sort of anxious, not with it. I don't intend to take a second dose.
According to Wikipedia (not the most reliable source, but depends on their sources) a single dose of Azithro has a half life of only 12 hours, which means it should be out of my system tonight. The 60+ hour half life (meaning it stays in your system a total of 120+ hours) occurs after repeated doses.
The version I am taking is Teva. However, since Israel is our ally, I strongly doubt they are trying to engage in chemical or bio warfare with us through pharmaceuticals.
The one who said that most people here who experience severe side effects seems to have underlying issues has a point. I know I do, including anxiety disorder, OCD and various forms of chronic illness. It doesn't mean that I or anyone else is a nutcase, only that we may be more prone to certain adverse reactions.
Most post on these sites only when they experience a bad reaction. This can give the impression that such reactions are common, when in reality the vast majority don't experience them.
Unfortunately, I did. I only pray that they don't get worse before they get better.",M,44,1 days250 1X day,6/16/2011Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Severe leg, back and side pain/numbness. Severe Anxiety.","This was an absolute horrible nightmare of a drug. On day two I felt pain in my side. Assummed it was from coughing. On day five I woke up in the middle of the night with a feeling like something is wrong, I am dying, the world is ending. I finally fell back to sleep after about four hours only to wake up with the same feeling. I drove to work that morning and could barely operate my right leg to stop the vehicle. Thought it was a siatic nerve problem. Now almost three weeks later I am still feeling the effects. Please email me and tell me this nightmare of side effects is going to end!",M,35,5 days250 1X day,6/4/2011Email
1,Bronchitis,"Took full dose (double dose first day, then 1 dose for 4 days) of generic on 2/23/2011 (PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT AT AN URGENT CARE, NOT MY DOC). Five to 7 days later was feeling extremely bloated and experiencing HORRIBLE negative, anxiety feeling -- felt like I was dying, thought I was dying! Digestive system was affected so radically that I went to my regular doctor a week later and he gave me something to clean out my lower G.I. because of extreme bloating and pain in stomach...nausea & headaches. Discussed the horrible ""unfounded"" feelings I had. He didn't understand, he never had an issue with this drug. I copied some of the pages of this website and gave them to him...NOW he knows. It's been almost 3 months since I took that drug and I am still suffering stomach/lower G.I. issues, PLUS that ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING FEELING OF DYING keeps coming back every so often...can't make it go away. I took this same ""generic"" drug in March 2010�","After checking my prescription box again, I discovered that this Generic drug is made by TEVA, a manufacturing company from Israel. They manufacture the drug in Israel, then distribute it in the U.S. through their distribution center in Sellersville, PA. My question is: WHY is the U.S. letting another country make a drug and distribute it in the U.S.? What is TEVA's quality control like...do they have a Q.C. lab? Any drug that is distributed throughout the U.S. needs to be consistently monitored by U.S. regulations during the manufacturing process BEFORE letting that drug be distributed and possibly harm Americans. Who is monitoring TEVA? Someone somewhere wasn't watching and they produced a drug that was destructive and dangerous to the American people...like the individuals on this site. Ever think of ""Bio Warfare""...how perfect is this drug to tamper with American's health and create a psychosis to make people sick emotionally. The people on this website ARE NOT NUTS OR CRAZIES OR LOSING IT, no matter what one other person suggested. What these people have/are feeling is VERY REAL and Scary! I know, because I got to experience it ""up close and personal""...and I am still experiencing the affects almost 3 months later. Do NOT belittle people who are asking for help just because you, yourself, haven't felt the same side affects. YOU are the lucky one -- they are not!",F,67,5 days250 mg 1X day,5/30/2011
5,Sinus infection,None,"Zithromax worked wonderfully for me, no side effects, did the job and knocked out the sinus infection.",F,68,5 days250 1X day,5/28/2011
2,sinus infection / ear ache,Everyone is different so I can not speak for everyone but I took half a pill because I have a sensitive stomach. It gave me bad nausea and stomach pains within a few hours of taking it. Made me feel like I had brain fog and felt restless. Now sinus infections and ear ache are no fun and very painful so I just wanted to feel well the medicine did work quickly. I really did not like feeling like I was going to throw up and I took the medicine on a very heavy stew so even with food it did not help. Day 2 I was going to take more but then the anxiety kicked in I felt like I could not talk to people and very scared and terrified. Nervous like something was very wrong and I didnt want to do anything. That was not a good feeling and I just wanted to be left alone. NOT NORMAL PEOPLE!! anyway this is just how I felt so I am just letting everyone know that yes you can feel these things they are real and it could be different for others. I will have to find another antibiotic.,"Took the 3 day pack and did not have the other versions.
Not sure if I would take this again I have heard others say that the different versions can affect you differently. Worked fast but the side effects made me feel really bad.",F,32,1 days500 1X day,05/11/2011
1,Throat infection,"Fine red itchy rash developed on my hands, feet, and legs. On the bottoms of my feet, although a rash is not visible, it feels like burning when I walk, as if they have sores under my skin. I took the double-dose in the afternoon on the first day and developed these symptoms by that night, during which I also had trouble sleeping (try as I might, I couldn't seem to stop my mind from wandering). Although the rash was bothering me, I had gotten the medicine prescribed at an urgent care clinic and I don't have a primary care physician, so I tried to reach the doctor who had prescribed it to me to ask what to do. Since he wasn't available and I don't have a PCP, I decided to just take the 2nd dose until I can get some advice. The 3rd day, a coworker convinced me to call again and ask for a different antibiotic, which I did; I got amoxicillin which is fine, but the rash isn't going away. I read that the Azithromyocin will not fully leave your system for 150 hours? If so, I have another",,F,26,2 days250 mg 1X day,05/06/2011
3,Bronchitis (twice) & sinus infect,"No side effects the first time I took it in January. Had to take again in March when bronchitis came back and since then have been having stomach issues (bloating), my mouth tastes horrible (poisonous), and I am depressed.",The medicine helped with my original symptoms but I hate how I feel now and so I wonder about what it is doing to my body long term. So glad I found this site! Have an appt coming up with my doctor and will definitely now discuss these issues.,F,43,5 days250 1X day,5/4/2011Email
1,bronchitis sinus,"About 45 minutes after taking this I got really jittery, could not talk to the people around me, very anxious, uncomfortable. Did not sleep well, disturbing racing thoughts all night. Felt very bad the next morning, weird disturbing thoughts. I already have insomnia and anxiety so this is just horrible to have it double fold. Did not relate it to the drug. But, now I'll have to call doctor to change prescription. This is rough.",,F,44,2 days5 day pack 1X day,5/4/2011Email
4,Sinusitis,"none. But it's fun reading about everyone else's wacky side effects. Anxiety? Depression? Consider some of the sources here. Most of the horrific side effects seem to be reported by people who have some other underlying (mental?) health
issues. I visited a similar site when I was prescribed Cipro two years ago. Sure, the drug made me sick and gave me diarrhea. It also probably saved my life. I had diverticulitis with perforations. My advice is to use any medication with caution and under the advice of a physician. And do not read too many posts like the ones you see here. Bear in mind that most people who post had a bad experience. If the drug had worked and given them ni trouble, they probably wouldn't bother. The drug is very effective on bacterial respiratory infections. If your infection is viral (common cold) antibiotics will not work.","Effective for upper respiratory infections that are bacterial. If you have a viral infection, you do not need antibiotics.",F,50,5 days 1X day,05/03/2011
2,(Potential Sinusitis),"OK, this is me again -- just done with the 5-day course. To my surprise the side effects were minor -- just feeling tired overall and a bit dizzy. To counteract the side effects I ate a lot of yogurt with bacteria in it. So agreeing with the previous reviewer, you should give this med a chance.",The med didn't work against my symptoms.,M,25,5 days250 1X day,05/02/2011
2,Sinus infection,A small amount of nausea but eating something with it counteracted the problem.,I just finished the short 5 day course of this drug and had high hopes for it. To my dissatisfaction it didn't work. I think my ent was using it for its anti-inflammatory properties. Although it didn't work i can safely say that i have no neg side-effects to report except a little nausea in the beginning but eating something with it counteracted that problem. I am sensitive to meds but i guess every body reacts differently to different meds. Anyone considering not taking it because of what you read here should give it a chance. Its really not that bad at all.,M,34,5 days250mg 1X day,4/29/2011
5,(potential sinusitis),"This was my first time of taking this drug today. Judging on the responses below, let the fun begin!! Hopefully I'll put a good full review once the course is over!",,M,25,1 days500 1X day,4/28/2011
1,Sinuses/Possible Strep Throat,"Within a few hours, my right ear drum started burning and then the enitre right side of my head and neck began to pound as if I had been hit with a baseball bat. Ringing in the ear and a dry scratchy throat followed.","I considered the ER for a couple of hours and then decided to wait it out, hoping to fall asleep. Then, I found this site. Why is this drug still on the market? Sounds like the generic is the problem (which is what I took) by reading countless reviews. I did sleep in spurts and the headache went away during the night but this morning, the ringing is horrible and I can only hear at about 60% normal in my right ear. I will discontinue use and hope this gets better. I am going to find out how to report this to as many doctors, pharmacists, FDA, etc. as I can. THIS DRUG IS NOT WORTH IT! I have had pain in my life, lots of pain, but this was different. Scared me. Thankfully, no anxiety or loss of breath like others report and no gas or loose bowels.",M,39,1 days500mg 2X day,4/25/2011Email
1,,"The side effects... and length of the side effects.. have been a nightmare. I took a single dose of 4-250 mg tablets.... about 15-20 minutes later I felt a rush of anxiety.. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. That passed, but the drug has been in my system almost three weeks and I still feel the effect... anxiety, dissociation, confusion, back/leg/hip pain.","I don't know what to say about this drug that hasn't already been said before. It's a nightmare, I will NEVER take it again, and I pray that I eventually return to ""normal"". Its been almost three weeks and I have days that are good, but still have days when I feel the effects. The pain in my legs/hip/back I can live with, but the weird disoriented feeling (coupled with extreme anxiety) is horrific. I just want to feel like myself again. Please feel free to email me if you want to talk about how this drug has affected your life (or if you can offer any encouragement to me, that it will eventually pass and I will be able to put this all behind me).",M,51,1 days4x250mg 1X O,4/7/2011Email
1,Flu,"Extremely high anxiety, feeling terrified and scared, and don't know what I am afraid of, also increased depression.","I have suffered from severe and disabling and treatment resistant ocd, obsessive compulsive disorder for 12 years now, with anxiety and depression, on feb. 1st, 2011, I was put on namenda, for my treatment resistant ocd, for the first time, I was taking something that was helping my ocd, the miracle I had been looking for, then on feb. 14th, 2011, I was put on azithromax, the generic for zithromax, the 5 day pack, after about 3 days of taking it, my ocd, anxiety, and depression just went into high gear, the anxiety was the worst I have ever had and am still having, I cry uncontrollably at times because I can't stand the horrible feeling I am having, just feel hopeless and terrified, my family asks me what are you afraid of, and I tell them I don't know, it's just an awful feeling of being terrified, I am on 40 mgs. prozac, 200mgs. trazodone, 8 mgs. klonipin, 0.5 mgs, xanax, and started back on 5 mgs. namenda today,these are the meds I take for my ocd and anxiety, please if anyone can tell me what they did to get through this, I would appreciate it so much, I just want to feel better again. Thank you so much.",M,30,5 days 1X day,4/4/2011Email
1,Bronchitis,"Dizziness, back pain, blood shot eyes, puffy eye lids, headaches, sneezing, coughing, weakness, no sense of smell or taste.","Took a generic Zpak by Greenstone January 2010 with no side effects, Took a generic Zpak by Sandoz March 2011 with significant side effects.",F,64,5 days250 1X day,3/31/2011
3,bronchiectasis,"It's day 2 of taking Zithromax and I'm really tired, started to have dizzy spells, shortness of breath, tremors and generally not feeling well. I suffer from Celeiacs Disease, Chronic depression,anxiety,asthma and now Bronchiectasis so and I take a daily dose of Zoloft,Trazadone,Singulair,Nasonex and Symbacourt, so far I'm able to sleep the night however my shortness of breath has increased and I just feel like laying down to sleep.",,F,45,6 weeks250mg 1X day,3/30/2011Email
1,Sinus infection/pneumonia,"Didn't feel better after taking. Took 2 the first day followed by 5. 1 week after finishing developed a rash/hives on chest and back, was not able to get breath into lungs, had chest pain and back pain between shoulder blades, felt like I wasn't fully awake.","Dr. prescribed a steroid, cephalexin and an inhaler. Said I had a severe reaction to the zithromax. Will not take again. It's been 6 days on new medication, still have back pain and feel like I'm only half awake at times.",F,46,5 days500 1X day,3/30/2011
1,bronchitis,"PLEASE - I am exploring the side effects I had with the generic azithromycin which are very similar to the ones on this site with an attorney. If you would like to know what I find out please email me. I had so many of the side effects that others shared here which are completely different than the side effects as listed on the med. literature. When I took this back in Aug 2010 my smyptoms did not start until 1 1/2 weeks after I finished so I never suspected that all the problems that developed for the first time in my life had anything to do with the med. I went from Aug to Jan trying to find out what the hell was wrong with me - had over $12,000 worth of bills. I never had anxiety before but this stuff turns you into someone else - you feel as if there is something life threatening going on.","In Feb. I still had gastritis, ringing in my right ear and cracking in my neck but my other smyptoms seemed to wane some. Then came down with a cold which turned in bronchitis which I haven't had since I was 15 - it seemed like my immune system was not what it was before. Dr. prescribed azithromycin again -took it and by the second dose I finally had my answer - all this time it was this damn stuff. Now all my symptoms are back with a vengence and I am hoping I can come back a second time. Had take z-pak(brand name) at least 5 times in last 10 years - no problem - it is the GENERIC I believe - it has a different molecular structure, different inert ingredients and is manufactured outside the US with no quality control like here in the US - also does not have to go through the same trails as brand - I just think there is something in the generic - its make up or a contaminate and I would like to warn others. Again email me if you want to find out what I discover.",F,58,5 days250 1X day,3/28/2011Email
1,occular rosacea,"Severe anxiety, trouble sleeping, altered sense of taste and smell, feeling hot/sweaty, diarrhea, bloating","I have felt severe anxiety since starting zithromax and had no idea it could be the cause. I took 2 pills 2 weeks ago, then again 1 week ago. It's been so bad I've been on the verge of calling my doctor to say I think I need anti-anxiety medication. I thought I was just feeling anxious from the ongoing stomach discomfort and diarrhea, but I'm very relieved to see on this message board that it's not just me! Will have to call primary doctor if diarrhea doesn't stop soon.",F,36,2 weeks 1X W,3/25/2011Email
3,"respiratory infection (sinus, lungs","Terrible diarrhea about 90 minutes after taking the first dose (two pills at once the first day), strange light-headedness that I first attributed to fever, dehyrdration, strange taste in mouth, unusual anger/frustration by the third day. Horrible, crippling stomach pain within the first 30 mins of taking a pill, even when taking it with a good sized meal. Started to clear up my cough within the first day of use, although it's not completely gone after a few days on the pills.",,F,22,5 days250 1X day,3/21/2011
1,Pneumonia or Bronchitis,"Severe panic/anxiety. Depression(serious)
Low back and hip pain.","This is an update: My post was on 3/15/11... It is now the end of the 13th day after taking my first 2 pill dose. I did finish the medicine simply because I had no idea what was going on until I found this site. For which I am super thankful! I just want anyone that needs to hear it, that it will get better. I feel just about completely normal finally!!! Damn it's good to be able to relax again. Just to clarify: The panic/anxiety that was so tremendous and quickly onset, is gone! As well as the low back and hip pain. That is by far one of the strangest and downright scarriest things I've ever been through. A real quick tidbit... I'm a 36yr. old 240lbs. man that works in the gas industry. There's several men in East Texas that have now seen me, out of nowhere, burst out in tears and sob. Kinda funny after the fact =) Good luck all!!!",M,36,5 days250 1X day,3/20/2011
1,sinus affection,"after taking the first 2 pill dose at 7pm within 30 mins had awful backache and could not sleep all night day 2 had aweful headache and could not sleep day 3 felt so sick with headache, backache,awful dizzieness day 4 I felt like I had been poisioned
aweful sick with all kinds of aches and pains felt drunk and high
tremors and head spinning felt like passing out this is the worst affect I ever had from a medicine","will never take this again I stopped at day 4 and its been 2 day since I stopped and still feel drunk and high my head is spinning
and can hardly walk and my body aches aweful I just dont feel like myself hope it passes cause this is horrible :(",F,45,5 days250mg 1X day,3/19/2011Email
1,Pneumonia or Bronchitis,"Severe panic/anxiety
Depression(serious)
Low back and hip pain","It is now Tuesday evening. I took my first 2 pill dose about this time last Tuesday. I woke up out of terror Wednesday morning around 6:30. I had no idea what the deal was. Finally on Sunday night I was so bad off mentally that I could barely have a conversation with anyone. My mind is utter clutter! My wife says that I have slowly gotten a bit better over the last three days, but again w/ my mind being as unclear as it is... It's hard to decipher. The only way I can describe it is being in a ""constant state of fear or worry."" Though again I'm wasn't sure what I was scared of in the beginning. I am terrified now that the meds snapped my mind and I'm not going to break out of this damned whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, fear, etc...
Any positive response to be greatly appreciated. My name is Kris and my e-mail is papa@irishnation.com",M,36,5 days250 1X day,3/15/2011
1,pnuemonia or bronchitis,,,M,36,250 1X day,3/13/2011History
4,pneumonia,I haven't experienced any negative side effects. Not even the stomach issues. I'm on day 3 and feel significantly better.,,F,37,4 days500mg 1X day,03/12/2011
1,bronchitis,"Crippling anxiety, panic attacks, feelings of dread, severe depression, loss of interest in everything, inability to function, extreme agitation, couldn't concentrate on anything, terrified of being alone, inexplicable surges of energy, shakiness, horrible nausea, bloated feeling, couldn't eat.","I didn't notice these symptoms til about a week after I stopped the drug. However, it is timed-release so that even if you stop this poison is still in you messing you up. It has been about 10 days since I took the first pill and I am starting to feel a little better (and by this I mean the side effects are letting up finally--the illness I was given this for has been long gone!) I didn't know why I felt so bad until I came across this site two days ago... up until them I thought I was going crazy. This is a horrible, horrible drug, it needs to be taken off the market asap!",F,41,5 days250 mg 1X day,3/12/2011Email
3,Potential Exposure to STD,"Doctor prescribed a single large 2000 dose as a precaution for potential STD exposure (4 500 mg pills at once). I took the dose at about 3:15 pm on Tuesday. By 5 pm I was feeling jittery and anxious and seemed to be walking like I was drunk. By 7 pm I had watery diarrhea, which did not recur (I started taking probiotic pills, which helped a lot). I slept OK Tuesday night but had very weird dreams and some nightmares. Wednesday I felt pretty out of it all day, some anxiety but I think I was mostly anxious from reading the reviews on this site and worrying if it would get worse. Slept OK Wednesday night but again with the weird dreams and nightmares. I'm not on day 3 (it's Thursday night), about 51 hours after the dose. I can definitely still feel it making me feel funny but I'm OK. I can't wait until this is clear from my system",I wish the doctor had been more forthright about the side effects. He just said it might cause me stomach issues. If I had read this site before taking the dose I would have waited to see if I got any symptomes and held off on taking the dose just as a precaution. This is VERY STRONG STUFF. It's not like popping a couple of amoxicillin.,M,36,1 days2000 mg 1X day,03/10/2011
1,Bronchitis,"I started taking the medication on a Thursday evening, Friday night I started freaking out, thinking I was dehydrated, but yet I was drinking water cup after cup. Everytime I walked, I felt as though my legs were stiff and wouldn't bend. I felt like I was walking like a zombie of some sort. I also felt very numb all over. I ended up going to the hospital emergency room where they did a ton of testing on me, and I left the hospital a few hours later, definitely NOT dehydrated and they said it was just the bronchitis taking its course.
I have not taken a Z pack since. I always ask for amoxicillin and just take it the full 10 days. As much as I would just like to take meds for 5 days and be over it...I dont EVER want to experience anything like that ever again!!",,F,25,5 days 1X day,03/08/2011
1,dental issue,"I took this drug for 3 days and stopped. Zapped every ounce of energy I had, stomach cramps, diarrhea, felt like I was going to pass out. Had to do NOTHING for days until I got it out of my system. Drink tons of water.",I will never take this medicine again.,F,58,3 days250 1X day,03/04/2011
3,upper respiratory infection,"DIZZINESS, VERY TIRED AND SLEEPY, SOME RINGING IN EARS AND
BODY PAIN, HEADACHE","I AM JUST ON DAY THREE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS WORKING FOR
SURE----I FEEL SOME BETTER, BUT TOO SOON TO KNOW IF IT WORKED
FOR ME OR NOT.",F,55,5 days 1X day,03/03/2011
2,Bronchitis,"Extreme vertigo/dizziness, mild visual hallucinations, sense of time distortion, anxiety, taste/smell alterations, inability to concentrate, irritability.","I have never had a bad reaction to antibotics so although I had never taken this one, I didn't think twice about trying it. I expected maybe some GI issues, but the CNS effects this had on me are insane. The closest I can relate it to is an LSD experience. I stopped taking it after day 3 but now four days later I'm still spinning. Thankfully the visual and smell/taste distortions have settled down but I'm left with intense vertigo. Cannot drive a car or stare at my computer screen at work. Still stumbling like I'm drunk when walking. This drug is horrible. It did cure my bronchitis, though, so I'll give it a point for that, but I feel completely crazy and NEVER would have thought that could be a side effect of antibiotics. I really hope this wears off soon - I feel like a different person, like I'm disconnected from reality. I will NOT take this drug again.",M,34,3 days250mg 1X day,3/3/2011Email
1,pharyngitis/strep throat,"Took z-pack of 2 pills first day totaling 500mg. 30mins into taking the pills felt a surge of anxiety for some reason but it passed. Laid down to sleep for a few hours and woke up feeling ok. Slept fine first night. Next day woke up took my 1 pill of 250mg. Felt like a normal day, full of energy, but it wasn't until I stopped to rest around 5pm that I felt anxious, nervous like I was fixing to die. Full panic attack set in and didn't let up. I literally rolled in bed all night thinking I was going to die in my sleep. Shaking, trembling, nervous. This drug is awful. I take comfort in the other posts in knowing I'm not crazy. Third day decided to quit taking it. Felt somewhat better but still nervous, anxious and weird, dry mouth taste in my mouth. Also woke up from a mid day nap with a rash over my neck and chest it disappeared after 2 hrs. Later on in the evening I slept fine on the 3rd night. Now day 4, no meds., I feel like I did on day 2. Agitated, sick, now with stomach",If your prone to panic attacks or anxiety DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!!,F,37,5 days250mg 1X day,03/03/2011
1,bronchitis,"I am prone to having anxiety attacks if I am not taking prozac. That being said, I have never had an anxiety attack while taking prozac, which i currently am. On day 4 of this medicine I had the WORST anxiety attack of my life and did not finish the prescription. I am on day 6 of this nightmare and am having to take xanax just to make it through my day. I have never had this problem with a z pack before and will NEVER take it again. If you are prone to anxiety attacks I strongly urge you not to take this.",,F,32,5 days 1X day,03/01/2011
1,Pneumonia,"Nausea, mild diarrhea, vomiting, very bad insomnia, racing heart, extreme fatigue and anxiety.",I was on the generic for 5 days and it was the worst. Days 1-3 nausea and diarrhea. Days 4-5 fatigue and the insomnia started. Now 6 days after my last dose and still having trouble sleeping along with racing heart. Went to the Doc and was told that the side effects I am experiencing are not common. It did not get rid of my pneumonia and now I am on a different antibiotic. I would not recommend this drug.,F,36,5 days250 1X day,2/28/2011
1,Bronchitis?,"POISON! I have no known allergies, so i took this without a second thought. I had anxiety, cried like 18 times in one day, nightmares, lost 8 pounds, felt insane in general, my palms and my feet itched like crazy. I quit taking it on my 3rd day because i couldnt take it anymore. I am STILL a little depressed and now i have itching ALL over my body. My feet itch like crazy for an hour or so, then stop abruptly, then my hands itch, then my stomach, my ears, my arms, my neck....It is HORRIBLE!!!!",Why are we the pharmaceutical companies guinea pigs!?!?!,F,29,3 days500 1X day,2/27/2011
3,sinus infection,"nausea,pain in stomach area,headache,feel rotten,can not get to sleep and when I do its not for long","after suffering for 5 days with sinus infection,sore throat,the drip in the throat,all the usual stuff,used otc drugs and all they did was get me wired,no sleep.went to DR,and got the z-pac,3 days in and still feel rotten,only no stomach burning and can`t have antacid,can`t take anything to fall asleep.so felt rotten before and feel same way now.hope it gets better",M,57,2 days250 1X day,2/23/2011
1,"chest congestion, cold","Went to clinic because my doctor was unavailable. Took 2 tablets first day around 5pm. By middle of the night I was nauseaus and feeling dizzy. Haven't been able to eat or drink anything without wanting to vomit. Have insomnia but when I fell asleep it was like being awake with intense and weird dreams. Frightened because I just had a cold and now I'm feeling much, much worse with all different symptoms than before.",,F,49,3 days250 1X day,2/19/2011
1,Sinus Infection,"SEVERE stomach cramps, headache, gassiness, bloating, completely out of it, tired",BAD Antibiotic with horrible side effects!,F,27,1 days500 mg 2X day,2/17/2011
1,Supposed Sinus infection,"most horrify side effects i have ever experienced, insomnia, terror, panic attacks, anxiety, depression,crying spells, dizziness, sadness, utter hopelessness","It has been two weeks and i NEVER would have thought that this drug could cause so much damage.Right after the first dose i knew somethng was wrong.i was literally vibrating or had electrical shock feeling in my body.i had tremors, been to the ER 7 times to try and wipe this out..please e-mail me if you have had the same..lisaserwicki@ymail.com..i pray this ends soon for me and everyone on here..THIS IS POISON!!!DON""T EVER TAKE..I ONLY TOOK 500 MG!!what a nightmare and its only been 15 days",F,34,1 days500 1X day,2/8/2011Email
5,whooping cough,"I'm finding that I have to stick to a very healthy diet to still feel healthy on this drug; if I don't drink plenty of fluids (I'm drinking fresh juice three times daily), I don't feel fantastic. I've also had some very minor taste distortion, and a little tinnitus.","Fifth-day side effects (mild) haven't put me off this drug. I do feel, though, that I would not want to take it for longer than these few days. nb I was prescribed a full tablet the first day, then half tablets for the subsequent four days. Again, I think the full dose every day would be more confronting. Still a 5 - very happy with the drug, at a moderate dose. I suspect it would be more confronting on the 500mg a day.",F,53,5 days500mg 1X day,2/6/2011EmailHistory
1,Sinus Infection,"I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS DRUG EVER AGAIN! It has been a week since my last dose and I still feel terrible. I have no appetite, I have lost 8 pounds since the doctors visit. I have had the worst anxiety of my life, and my moods are all over the board. I have had trouble sleeping, racing thoughts, surging of energy(even laying down), irritability, diarrhea, and have felt extremely scared for no reason. I haven't been me for a week and I am so over it. Tonight I was at dinner with my fiance and our waitress asked why I wasn't eating my meal and I told her I hadn't had an appetite since I stopped taking my antibiotics. She asked me if I had taken a Z-pack and I said yes and she said the same thing had happened to her. WTF! This makes me feel so much better knowing its the drug that is making me feel like this. But damn an antibiotic which is supposed to be helping you should not make you feel this way. I Pray That this goes away soon, for those of you out there that have gone through this yo",This drug did not work for me,F,26,3 days 1X day,02/06/2011
1,sinusitis,"severe anxiety,depression,nightmares","was prescribed the generic version of this for a sinus infection,for which it was quite effective. However, a day or two after taking the last of the pills, severe anxiety set in along with depression and strange dreams. This has continued for over a week and i believe is now fading away. I thought I was going crazy. I hope this is the last day for this, I am starting to feel like my old self. I will never take this stuff again, it was just a horrible experience. afbloom77@gmail if you want to discuss.",M,43,5 days 1X day,02/04/2011
1,Throat infection,"Depression, anxiety, uneasiness, thoughts about death and dying, depersonalization, nausea, weakness...","I took this med in late December, yet I'm still struggling with the awful effects it caused. I have to treat myself (since doctors don't believe me, they think I went crazy for no apparent reason), so I've been taking probiotics and B vitamin, I do feel somewhat better, but I still don't feel like my old self. I hope this drug didn't ruin my life and it will get better. Anyone who wishes to discuss the symptoms (or hopefully provide some consolation or advice) can e-mail me on scouser.st@gmail.com.",M,19,3 days500 mg 1X day,2/3/2011History
3,sinus infection,I have taken the Z-pack many times but this time it affected my stomach and gave me diarrhea and cramps. I too have felt an odd sense of anxiety and a blueness that is not normal. I wrestled terribly last night over my emotional sensitivity and anxiety. This is very new to me to get these side effects. I wonder if they have changed something in the drug when I read all those who have taken it before and are suddenly now experiencing different and painful side effects. I must confess my faith in the pharmaceutical companies is waning rapidly as the years go by.,"What I am doing to help w/my stomach upset is taking probiotics and acidophilus. It also helps build the immune system. Antibiotics remove all the good flora from the stomach and colon and these effects are not as surprising as a result. If you haven't done so, I suggest going to a good co-op or health food store and getting a good probiotic with acidophilus and taking those. It should begin to help the stomach pain and effects that the antibiotic has caused.",F,58,5 days250 mg 1X day,1/31/2011
5,Acute bronchitis and ear infection,Absolutely no side effects.,Z Pack...2 the first day followed by one daily for 4 days. I am on immunosuppressive drugs due to various arthritis issues. It cleared up my infections and I was back to work before I finished the last dose. No side effects.,F,65,5 days250 1X day,1/30/2011
2,Throat infection,,"I took Zithromax for 5 days. On day 3 it started to cure my severe throat infection. It went away by day 5. Well here I am a few days after I finished my medication, and I feel my throat infection coming back AGAIN. Zithromax is worthless. It cured my throat infection for a few days, only to have it come right back once I got off the medication. I think the reason they give you 'stronger dose for a shorter amount of time' is because they know if you take antibiotics for only a few days, it will come back & result in another visit from you.",F,23,5 days 1X day,1/28/2011
4,sinus infection,"vertigo 1 day, with headache and stiff neck for several days while taking med. 1 day after finishing z-pack, developed fine red non-itching rash that began around mouth then spread to face, neck, and upper chest. Went back to NP after rash lasted 1 week. Given script for steroids and told to list z-pack as allergy.",sinus infection symptoms went away,F,44,5 days 1X day,1/27/2011
2,ear infection,palpitations nauseous,"It has been 5 days of meds and still feel palpitations, nauseous When does it end ?",F,67,5 days 1X day,1/27/2011
1,Nasal Infection/ sore throat,"Stiff body , Stiff neck, Mind Racing, Vivid Thoughts, Sensitive skin, Anxiety",Took the 2 pills the first day at 11:30 am.. Just started feeling tired and weird like most meds.. But all day with this good feeling the crappy and so on back and fourth.. problem started when i went to sleep... I COULDN'T.. Mind was racing a mile a min and having vivied thoughts. Could not get comfortable for anything and my skin felt sensitive. Tossing and turning all night.. Body also started getting achy.. Woke up the next morning feeling like i just was in a car accident.. Body all stiff and could not turn my head to the right.. my neck was killing me.. Felt like i was in a club fight and everyone had a CLUB BUT ME..!! I'd rather deal with the infection.. I will not stay on for a second dose after reading the crazyness on this site..!!,M,34,1 days250 1X day,1/26/2011
1,sinus infection,"rapid heart beat,extreme dry mouth, dizzy, depression,anxiety",horrible i now tell doctors im allergic so they wont prescribe it for me. i felt like this from Oct 2007-Feb 2008 long after i stopped taking this crap i didnt finish the z-pac.,F,29,5 days 1X day,1/26/2011
3,acute bronchitis,"extreme fatigue, no appetite, nauseated, body fever only when trying to sleep, insomnia, waking up ever 1-2 hours.","This is only my second day taking this pill..I must say it took the pressure off my chest greatly, but the side effects are horrible. I'm hoping when I'm completely done taking these pills I'll be back to normal haha..I feel like a walking zombie.",M,20,5 days250 1X day,1/25/2011
1,strep,"ringing in the ears, mild diarrhea, anxiety, depression, sweaty palms/feet, extreme fatigue, pounding heart, weakness in legs and arms.","I was taking the generic version and I won't ever touch this again for as long as I live. I started on Monday night and the ringing in my ears hasn't stopped since. I didn't take it on Tuesday night, but took it in the morning when I woke up and then experienced upset stomach and diarrhea, and all the other symptoms I listed. I stopped the drug after the 2nd dose because of the side effects. But it's now Sunday which is 4 days after I stopped taking it and I feel so depressed, I have anxiety, extreme high pitched ringing in my ears, and I feel like I just want to sleep all the time because I feel so tired. I usually have tons of energy, am a happy person, and am playful. Now I feel so depressed and I feel like crying. And I feel mute, like I don't want to talk to others. Why is this happening? Please God, let this go away as soon as possible.",F,27,2 days250mg 1X day,1/23/2011Email
1,sinus infection,"Woke up with severe anxiety, nervousness all day long, edgy, dark thoughts, feeling of doom, depression, stomach aches all day, sleeplessness, burning in muscle.","I took this drug as a first dose 10 days ago. I started to notice right away my anxiety was heightened but i didnt think it was the pills. So i cont to take and as i cont to take it things went from bad to worse. I began to feel crazy and lose my mind, I wanted to hurt myself and was afraid i was going to hurt other people. I have never been a violent person and never took drugs or anything, and I didnt have a desire to hurt people i was just afraid i was going to. I had to have my mom stay with me because i was so scared of being alone. I finally stopped the medicine after the 4th dose. I didnt sleep for 3 days until finally i slept but still felt out of it. Now its beginning of day 6 and Im still having severe problems. I have anxiety, panicky and nervouness all day. I cant focus at work, i dont want to do anything. I feel worthless. Everyone is telling me its not the drug and i need help, but I feel like none of this started until i took the drug. They said it should be out of my system by now, but I dont feel any better, please im desperate at this point for some information, anyone experience these side effects and how long did it last. Please email me if you can and shed some light on this subject. Its been 10 grueling days and i am so over this. I still cant be alone and my life is suffering from this.",F,26,5 days250mg 1X day,1/22/2011Email
1,"Chest, Head Congestion","Shortness of breath, fatigue, broke out in sweats, chills, light headed, itchy skin, could even see red blotchiness on my face and body.","I would rather have the head and chest congestion for a month then have the problems this drug caused me to have. Horrible, should be pulled from the shelves and never prescribed again.",M,35,5 days250 1X day,1/22/2011
2,lingering upper respiratory,"Horrendous watery diarrhea. Painful stomach cramps. Gassy feeling all.the.time. Horrible belching. Ate small amounts & yet felt super full & like I'd vomit.Wondering also if this drug was why I had other upper body pains (back, etc) that came out of nowhere.","I took this after being sick for weeks & taking care of two sick toddlers (one with a double ear infection, one with pneumonia). I got the z pack (which I now see is the freaking generic) and took the first two on a Sunday night. Felt ok, slept fine. Monday I noticed I had some stomach distress that morning but attributed it to a very fiber full dinner the night before and my morning coffee. But it happened a few times more that afternoon/evening. Took the fourth pill on Tuesday morning - and that day had horribnle gurgling in my stomach - as well as just overall cramps, and of course, the water diarrhea. I just chalked it up to be as expected because I am on antibiotics, until my mother told me I should call my doctor. Then I found all the warnings, and saw how sick some people were. I called & am waiting to hear back from my doctor. There is no way in hell I will take the remaining two pills, I'd rather take my chances. I have a bad stomach to begin with and cannot afford anymore problems.",F,37,3 days250mg 1X day,1/19/2011
2,bronchitis,"severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, metal taste in mouth","i am currently on my second round of zithromax in the last four weeks. I started with the 250mg 5 day course, which helped and the only side effect was a metal taste in my mouth. Then a week later, the bronchitis came back with a vengeance (and yes, I finished my first course completely), so the doc gave me the 3 day course in 500 mg. Day one, everything was fine. Day two, within about 3 hours of taking, i began having the worst stomach cramps ever.. my stomach making all sorts of not ladylike noises. That was immediately followed by very severe vomiting and diarrhea which i am still suffering from. It's totally awful. My bronchitis symptoms are now pretty much gone, so I am seriously considering not taking the last pill. The cure is almost worse than the ailment! So, I think this version of the antibiotic is really messing with my system, but the lower dosage version seemed okay. Take at your own risk, I guess?",F,36,3 days500 mg 1X day,1/14/2011
1,Sinus Infection,"Vertigo-severe stomach cramps, ears ringing, horrible -unbearable headache, stayed in bed for two days- NOT LIKE ME AT ALL - made me sad and depressed - could not eat - aniexty at times- sleep problems.--",I WILL NEVER TOUCH THIS STUFF AGAIN- I feel 100X worse than I did with the sinus infection - seriously - this medication should have better warnings of side effects- had I known this - I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS DRUG -,F,42,5 days250 1X day,1/14/2011Email
3,Sinusitis,"Anxiety for the first time in a few years. Can't sleep, totally on edge, massive stomach ache, loss of appetite, drunk feeling, depression, metal taste in mouth, gas...many many more","I feel like I could die, I keep telling my husband at night ""If I don't wake up, I love you"" I think he thinks I am making this up and I am so glad I found this site. I just have a general feeling that something is not right and I have not had crazy dreams like this since I was preggers 19 years ago. I have taken a Z pack in the past and have never felt this way. I am 34 and feel like I have the complaints of my 80 year old grandmother. Even though my sinus infection seems to be going away, I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS AGAIN.",F,34,5 days 1X day,1/11/2011Email
1,Sinusitis,"abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, heart discomfort, headaches","i was taking this drug because the pharmacist said i couldnt take antibiotics due to me being allergic to augmentin. and day one, it started to clear up my sinuses, i had a really bad infection, day 2 to day 5..i gradually started getting better in my sinuses BUT the side effects were getting worse! diarhea, nausea, i cant sleep! and my heart keeps beating ultra fast and my abdomins hurt a LOT. i wanted to stop but my friend said he would continue because they are SIDE EFFECTS, not long term damage. i stopped taking it jan 4 2011, and its now jan 8 2011, and my heart and abdomins hurt like non other. PLEASE SOMEONE EMAIL ME IF YOU KNOW HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST!!!!",M,21,5 days250 1X day,1/8/2011Email
4,strep throat,"the First day I had to take 2 pills so I took it at 930pm thats the time I got back from the hospital. I went to sleep like around 12am and the room was dark so I started seeing faces with my eyes closed, I open them I can still see faces ( evil faces and normal faces coming at me). I left it alone and decide to try it out the next day to see what happen. the following day I took one pill at 930pm and went to bed around 1am, I started seeing faces again so maybe I thought I could control it because I believe I'm able to control my mind body and heart so I said with my eyes opens in the dark, I want to see a woman dancing, A white shadow with no face just a hood on appear in front of me and put his finger in my face and said no shaking it to the side, thats when I said (oh he.ll no), I got up and slept with the light on. I seen some weird crazy stuff on this pills, I haven't drink alcohol in the past 3 weeks and I don't take any illegal drugs so this med is crucial.","I read some comments saying they were having pain swallowing while taking the medication, well I was inform by ER that this is only for infection, make sense if the infection goes away the pain as well but why put yourself for additional 5 days of pain when the hospital should of inform you that theres a one time shot or pills if you don't like shots that they can give you right there for the pain, But with all that pain just take the shot is faster, by the time I got in my car from the ER I felt no pain at all, now all I'm dealing with is this azithromycin tables 250mg and there little devils free of charge which I will gladly take them back to the stored right now. Any feed back feel free to email me at lso7a@yahoo.com first letter is an (L) kinda looks like a one. thank you",M,29,5 days250MG 1X day,1/7/2011Email
2,Bronchitis and Ear infection,"First day took 2 pills by the end of the day I could swallow again without severe sharp pains, next day took 1 pill...pain even better, 3rd day took 1 pill started to get such stomach cramps and diarhea and bad gas, 4th day serious serious naseous headaches (like motion sickness)and neck aches, still stomach cramps, gas and diarhea. Last day 5 ear still feels like ear infection is still there with a blocked sensation, cough is still there although the pain in my throat is gone. I feel soo out of sorts and sick otherwise which is worse than the original sickness!","I am guessing it worked somewhat for the bronchitis, but not for the ear infection. I took this antibiotic because Amoxicillin causes yeast infections for me. It has been 2 days off of the meds and I still have severe headaches and neckaches and stomach cramps and gas, I will never take this med again the side effects are too much and last too long!",F,37,5 days 1X day,01/03/2011
2,Sinus/Ear Infection,SEVERE stomach the whole time taking it.,Didn't do a thing to me besides make me sick.,F,14,5 daysNot Sure 1X day,01/03/2011
1,Bronchitis,"EXTREME weakness, loss of appetite, crying spells, mind fog, nausea, jittery feelings, insomnia, very strange dreams.","I've taken this drug before and it has never affected me this way. I am SO glad I found this site because I felt like I was losing my mind!! I could NOT get one full night's sleep..waking up exactly every 2 hours on the dot even though I'm exhausted. I thought it was weird the first night it happened, but it has happened every night since and I finished taking this stuff 2 days ago. I finally got sleeping pills to help me sleep all night! I'm still so weak I can't sit up for long, I get lightheaded and feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm still not able to put in a full day's work, so I'm hoping these symptoms subside real soon!!!! On the ""up"" side I feel like it has done some good in clearing up my congestion but I will be advising my doctor of these side effects and will ask for something else next time. The rest of me feels awful and I'm not sure it was really worth the mental state I am in right now. Please email me if you have any questions or comments.",F,48,5 days 1X day,1/3/2011Email
3,"Severe sore throat, possible URI","Having thoughts i would not otherwise have lately like is my body ok, etc--panicky type thoughts after day 4. Looked real paled, flushed after day 1,2. Can't sleep, upset stomach after day 4, some loose explosive stools after day 4, bloatedness and lack of appetite after days 2 and 3. Wondering when I'll actually be tired enough to lay down to sleep after day 4. Am not going to take last pill--terrible redness in back of throat is gone, as far as possible URI--my breathing is physically ok besides some almost delusional panicky type thoughts which I know especially by reading the comments are part of the side effects. I actually just prayed for like 30 minutes straight to the Lord to deliver me from the panicky thoughts, etc, and that helped alot--from prayer I just got back a feeling of just have to wait out the side effects now and trust in Him; the sickness is gone.","I think what Zithromax could be compared to is like Chemotherapy--it just starts killing everything that's infectious bacteria but also some needed good bacteria, gets in your blood and to your brain and thoughts are altered somewhat. But the power of your intellect and deliberate concentrating thought alone can over power these side effects
It's a very strong anti-biotic which should be downplayed overall across the board. My guess is to maybe to rid of the side effects, hydrate, but don't overhydrate, and flush system with water to dilute and expel zithromax from system.",M,33,6 days500mg 1X day,12/30/2010
2,sinus infection,"Head & neck ache, irritable, ringing in ears, anxiety, chronic fatigue, joint pain","Day 3 arrived with much discomfort. Not good. Head & neck ache, irritable, ringing in ears, anxiety, chronic fatigue, joint pain and head congestion is worse than two days ago. Also experiencing hand tremors and sweating too much.",F,38,4 days 1X day,12/29/2010
2,walking pneumonia,"SEVERE stomach pain, insomnia, explosive diarrhea, depression(easily brought to tears, easily agitated), nausea, unable to eat.",All of these symptoms started on day 2. On day 5 now. Seriously considering calling my doctor before I take anymore.,F,38,7 days500 mg 1X day,12/28/2010Email
1,Sinus infection,"insomnia, anxiety, depression, nervousness - sleep cycle is horrible, can't get a good nights rest and the nervousness is the worst, please contact me at shakkhan79@gmail.com to discuss if you have similar symptoms",never will take it again - this drug is horrible,M,31,2 days250 1X day,12/28/2010
4,Chlamydia,"Bloating and fatigue, mainly. When I potty it itches so bad!!! I only took the medice once, 1 gram, to tackle Chlamydia. I don't know if it helped but the first three days I almost got myself killed in several car accidents - it makes you incredibly sleepy.",,F,23,1 days1 gram 1X day,12/25/2010
5,TOOTH INFECTION,NONE,works every time !! no side effects...i get tired stomach aches and such from the infection in my body NOT the medication,F,32,5 days 1X day,12/24/2010
4,Brochitis,An upset stomach. I got an upset stomach and some mild diarea on the third day. Loss of appitite.And I was irritared very easily. But I dont know how much of this is the meds and how much is the actual sickness.....,"I would take it again, It cleared up my infection and the side effects are mild (to me).",F,30,5 days250 1X day,12/22/2010
3,phylingitis,"Awful headaches. Pretty severe neck pain as well. Have also noticed diarrhea, but was unable to determine if this was due to being sick or from the zpack.",Not sure I would take this again. Actually pretty sure I'd ask for something else. Side effects almost as painful as the awful sore throat I had originally.,F,32,3 days 1X day,12/17/2010
1,tooth infection,started taking on 12/14/10 day 1 was ok by day 2 i started feeling edgey and didnt attribute it to that . thurs 12/16 went to dentist and the edgeyness was worse. i was getting numb andtake shots with no ephinephrine and went into a full panic attack. had to go to my doc and bc my bp went up heartrate was up was shaey inside and out. ekg good . came home husband reminded me that about 8 months ago i was on zpac and became paranoid felt ill had anxiety. didnt think of it again. noticed zpac is no longer light pink but bright red bc of changes to manufacturing. never had a prob on the old ones. remembered last time saying felt weird. going to call dentist today and doc bc neither thought of this . i asked my pharmacist who confirmed that this med can raise bp which eleevates anxiety. now im scared and afraid to be alone for fear of these attacks. ive ben feeling great for many many months and didnt think about the past affect before starting it the other day. will not take again.,,F,51,3 days250 1X day,12/17/2010Email
1,SIBO,"Horrible insomnia, intestinal cramping, loose stools, anxiety, panic","I originally took this drug (the generic) for Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. Not only did it exacerbate the symptoms - flushing, feverishness, upset stomach, intolerance to dairy products, diarrhea, cramping, and so on - it added a few more, the worst of which was dreadful insomnia. Even though I was exhausted, every time I was dropping off to sleep, a wave of adrenaline would pass through me. By 3AM I was frantic and weeping. When I finally did sleep for one hour, I had nightmares. This drug very definitely has CNS side-effects. I will never take it again.",F,57,1 days250mg 1X day,12/16/2010
2,Bronchitis,"No side effects while taking the Zithromax but a day after, developed a rash characterized by tiny red bumps all over my body. Didn't itch at first but after it began to spread a day later, it started to itch.",Never had an allergic reaction to any other medications including other anti-biotics. Wouldn't take Zithromax again.,M,22,5 days 1X day,12/12/2010
1,To prevent infection from a Parrot,"Vertigo, disorientation, depression, scary dreams, heavy eyes, severe back aches, bloody diarrhea, numbness all over, severe stomach pains, like knives stabbing, raised facial hives, weakness, unable to stay awake.","a nightmare that I'm still in. symptoms started on day 5. this is day 9 and I am still in bed. i am so sick, just to try and prevent infection from a bird bite. never again.. i have missed work and feel like people don't believe me when I tell them how sick I am. depression is horrible, its christmas and i can't do what i normally do, i feel miserable and wonder how long this is going to last. will i be like this forever? Doctor's don't really seem to care - brush it off, ""may last 6 hours or may last 6 days."" really? how long does a law suit last?????",F,51,5 days250 1X day,12/11/2010Email
3,clamydia,"i took it a week and a half ago. and i am just having symptons nasuea headache anixety attacks temprature dropping tiredness, explosive diarreea loss of appetite, insomnia i was wondering if anyone else expriencing this",i took this medicine approx. 3weeks after exposure.,F,24,1 days1 1000 mg 1X day,12/10/2010Email
3,Prophylactic STD Exposure,"I'm feeling truly dreadful. Nausea, extreme tiredness, dizzy and stomach pains. I took the drug three days ago and no sign of let up. I'm not sure how long the half life is with this drug but this is horrendous... I'm hoping this is the meds and not something else, as the prospect of this continuing is not pleasant.","Only take this if it is essential - I've taken the single dose previously and have been ok. I normally take it on an empty stomach, get the squits in a few hours, feel a bit ropy for a couple of days but its bearable. This time I took it on an empty stomach and went to bed. I think the fact I didn't get the squits means more of it stayed in my body, hence feeling rough for days after.
Enjoy!",M,38,1 days1g 1X day,12/10/2010Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Anxiety, feeling of dread, rapid heart rate, upper back muscle aches, chest pain. Depression.","This medicine needs to be taken off the market! I am taking the generic version, and the reaction is terrible! I didn't realize that what I was feeling was actually from the generic zithromax until I stumbled upon this website, and I relieved I am not going insane! I am on my fourth day and will not take anymore! I am hopeing this feeling goes away soon, I can't even imagine feeling like this for another day! If anyone can share how long this feeling lasts please message me!",F,32,4 days500 1X day,12/2/2010Email
1,upper respitory,"My 14 year old daughter was prescribed this and did fine until after her last dose. She has had large hives on her legs,buttocks,back and arms that come and go, very itchy and hot. Benadryl is not working totally. Pharmacist and doctor both said reaction like this should have happened 2-3 days into dose, APPARENTLY NOT!!!",Would not recommend taking this,F,14,5 days250 1X day,12/02/2010
3,sinus infection,no side effects that i have noticed,i've always loved the z pak in the past. i have never had a problem with it. it was always the only thing i could take that would kick my sickness's butt!!! but this time it seems to me that it isnt working as well as i remember it working in the past. usually by day 2 im almost back to myself. but this round of the z pak i still want to die an its day 4. thats the only complaint i have about this med.,F,24,5 days250 mg 1X day,11/28/2010
3,STD,"Terrible stomach pains, gas that is still bothersome 3 days later. Woke up so drowsy morning after taking med and with a headache. Stomach pain would wake me up out of a deep sleep. Symptoms seem to have intensified so far. I'm not sure if that is normal. It has been 3 days since I took the single dose and no relief yet, symptoms worse and bad side affects still present.","Don't know yet if this drug was worth it. I guess I'll have to wait and see if it clears up the infection. Thus far, things are worse.",F,28,1 days2000 1X day,11/20/2010
1,bronchitis/ mild pertussis,"headache, vomiting, itchy skin, irritablitly","My son was prescribed this medicine for bronchitis and pertussis. He is asthmatic was experiencing shortness of breath before ingesting the medicine, but it got worse after he began taking the meds. He vomited as many as 5 times an hour and could not keep any further foods or meds down. We saw 3 drs and went to the ER and after a full body catscan, we were told it was all in his head and he needed to see a counselor. I also had an allergic reaction to Zithromax and am convinced that it is nothing but poison.",M,11,5 days 1X day,11/18/2010
1,Bronchitis,Watery Diarrheah really bad. Pains in my stomach. Feels like glass in my stomach. Became very anxious and jittery about an hour after I took each dose. Heart palpitations when I tried to sleep. I became increasingly exhausted each day.,I could not take the last dose. I felt so bad and my stomach is killing me. I even took culturelle and align while taking this to try to reduce the stomach issues. Its been 2 days since my last dose and I feel like I can hardly move. My back aches and legs ache and feel so weak and exhausted. I do think it helped the bronchitis but hope I never have to take this again. I have taken z pack when I was younger and never had these effects.,F,38,4 days500 mg 1X day,11/18/2010Email
4,Bronchitis,"NUCLEAR DIARRHEA was the worst side effect,chained to the toilet for the last 3 days, day 3-severe middle back pain felt like a fat guy was sitting on the back of my lungs for about 5 hours, lower back pain (right above my butt) since the last dose. Very tired and just plain uninterested in anything, really dry skin.","This med cleared up the bronchitis no doubt. So I gave it a 4 rating because that's why I was taking it. However, I have spent so much time in the bathroom this weekend I thought about installing a TV and a small fridge. I finished my last dose 2 days ago and I am just wiped out feeling. Totally exhausted and not really intersted in doing much more than lay around. It's my assumption that all of this will pass soon enough, so I'm not really to worried about it because it did clear up the lungs. Will I take it again in the future? Yes, because it worked for what I needed it for. But I will be stocking up on magazines and crossword puzzles for the bathroom next time.",M,40,5 days250mg 1X day,11/15/2010
1,sinus/jaw infection,"Severe hair loss, top and sides, still falling out heavily 8 days after stopping drug. Chills, nausea, weakness, disturbed sleep, anxious, tinnitus, hypertension since third dose.",,F,55,5 days250/500 IV 1X day,11/14/2010
1,ear infection,"It's been 3 weeks since I started and my head is ringing constantly, and now both ears have intense pressure and tingling in them and having problems with pain in my jaw in front of the originally infected ear...hurts to close my teeth on this side. Also one sided headache is more severe than when I started this crappy medication. When will this ringing and pressure go away? I am gonna be mad pissed if I stay this way!",Why are people not told of these strange side effects and what to do should they occur. Call your doctor is all they can say and that's bull...just so they can make you feel crazy and give you more drugs to make you feel like crap.,F,50,5 daysz-Pak 1X day,11/12/2010Email
3,Spider bite on eyelid,"Extreme tiredness, body aches, edgy and grumpy.","Taking this for a spider bite on my eye lid (I think). Woke up to large bump on eye lid and swollen eye. Doc gave me a steroid cream and Azithromycin to take together. Swelling has gone down, but original lump has gotten larger so I'm not sure if it's getting better or not and not sure what's helping, the pill or the cream. I thought I was CRAZY until I found this site. I'm EXHAUSTED and my body feels like I got beat with a bat. I'm not very hungry and actually made myself eat a little dinner tonight. Haven't had any stomach problems yet and hopefully won't!",F,34,2 days250mg 1X day,11/11/2010
1,flu like symptoms,"Stomach pains, nausa, headaches, loss of appetite",This is my second day on this pill and i feel worst than before. Everytime i open my mouth i feel the vomit! I hope i never have to take this again!,F,17,3 days500 1X day,11/02/2010
4,Bronchitis,Rash on my upper arms and trunk area. Not severely itchy but it covered a large area.,The medicine worked very well on my bronchitis but I would never take it again. The rash is taking a while to disappear and I certainly don't want this to happen again.,F,67,5 days250 mg 1X day,10/31/2010
2,ear/sinus infection,"I'm on the 4th day of a five-day pack. I've had virtually no stomach symptoms, which is very unusual for me and antibiotics. I have IBS and my stomach is sensitive to a lot of things, but this drug hasn't seemed to affect my stomach at all. However, I don't think it has cured my ear infection.","I'm feeling depressed, tired, and achey, but I'm not sure whether it's the drugs or the infection. Having had a sinus infection for a month and a half has certainly been getting me down, and these symptoms were here before the antibiotics.",F,56,5 days250 mg 1X day,10/31/2010Email
1,Bronchitis,"Excruciating abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite.",I only got to the third day. I had to stop taking this medication. I'll take 11 days of amoxicillan any day.,F,33,3 days30 1X day,10/27/2010
5,Sinus infection,Mild stomach cramps lasted about an hour shortly after my first pill. Mild dizziness that came about the third day. Insomnia after day three.,"This med is worth the small side effects. I felt better very fast, much faster than other anti-biotics that Ive taken.",F,52,5 days250 mg 1X day,10/26/2010
5,sinus infection,"I have never experienced side effects except the very first time I took this drug. After that first time - I seem to not have had issues with it. The first time I took it - it caused ""loose stools"".",,M,55,5 days250 mg 1X day,10/24/2010
3,Chlamydia,"stomach pain, nausea, ringing in ears, and anxiety",Two hours later felt better.,F,23,1 days1000 mg 1X day,10/24/2010
2,strep throat,Lactose Intolerence,"My daughter took this for strep (penicillin allergy). She started complaining her stomach hurt after completing the doses. after a couple weeks of pain getting worse and eventually missing school, and losing 10 lbs. (not healthy in an 8 year old) back to the docs, they ruled out drug side effect b/c no diarreah. Cat scans, ultra sounds, blood/urine work - nothing. I cut out dairy on advice from a friend (Phys. Assist.) and BINGO there it was!!! We cut out dairy and she is a new girl! My daughter had NO problem with dairy before Zithrowmax - EVER!! She is taking Align probiotics now to rebuild her good flora/fauna.",F,8,5 days? 1X day,10/19/2010
1,strep throat,"Chills & muscle aches; nausea, diarrhea & no appetite after starting my 5-day regimen; nasty metallic taste in mouth & tongue. (Shelf life of 10 days, per doctor, so above effects do linger!)","Never again! I had a very severe and negative reactions to this medication. Since I've never experienced this before, I would urge people to use caution and stay clear of generic zithromax. I feel there are much safer alternative medications on the market.",F,47,5 days250 MG 1X day,10/19/2010
4,sinus infection,"anxiety, depression, mild diarrhea, mild yeast infection, muscle aches","I've taken this drug several times for sinus infections. In the past, I rarely had any side effects except some mild diarrhea about 2 hours after taking it and maybe a moderate yeast infection. I most recently took it last week though, and I had the same mild diarrhea and moderate yeast infection, but I also experienced serious anxiety, depression, crying spells, and muscle aches. That's never happened before, but when I got off the pills, those symptoms went away. Yogurt helped. Zithromax didn't really get rid of the sinus infection either, although in the past I have had to take a 2nd round to get rid of it. However, this time I've been given Augmentin for my 2nd round, which so far works better for me.",F,38,5 days500 mg 1X day,10/14/2010
2,Bronchitis Symptoms,I recall have heart palpitations which I didn't mention to my doctor after 3rd dosage not thinking this was a side effect. But after taking this drug on the 3 day I lost my taste. I finished the drug 4 days ago and still no taste and very little smelling ability. I thought this was just my illness (cause I have sinus issues also) taking a new course.,,F,55,5 days250mg. 1X day,10/09/2010
3,Respiratory Infection,"Headache, lower abdominal pain, hyperactivity, nervousness, insomnia, loss of appetite","I have only been taking it for two days. It cleared up my respiratory problems and I feel a lot better, but I have trouble sleeping, a constant headache, and feel anxious/restless/hyper. I'm taking the generic azithromycin. I'm glad others have had these symptoms b/c I was getting worried that something was wrong with me.",F,26,5 days250 MG 1X day,10/06/2010
4,sinusitis,no side effects so far. just finished day five(last dose).,"I usually get yeast overgrowth from taking antibiotics, but am actually happy to say nothing so far. Happy with the results, but it did take days before feeling better.",F,42,5 days 1X day,9/26/2010
1,bacterial infection(prophylactic),"about 20 min after taking severe abdominal pain, followed by 3 days of severe diarrhea. i mean severe to the point where i could not work and my family wanted to me to the er","i hate it, hate it, hate it. im anxious days before my scheduled dose bc i know what is coming. i absolutely hate it!",F,29,2 weeks 2X W,9/26/2010
3,Upper Respitory Infection,None except for this horrible but not itchy rash that started out on my chest and has quickly spread to arms and face.... looks like I have chicken pox! This is not the first time to have a reaction to a strong antibiotic but have taken a z-pack before and never had this. I guess on the plus side it did knock out my cough quickly,If anybody can recommend how to get rid of the rash I'll sacrifice my left little toe...,M,37,5 days 1X day,9/23/2010Email
1,Bronchitis,"Mental confusion, walked like a drunk, talked like a drunk. Couldn't watch TV because I would forget what someone said as soon as they said it. Couldn't keep thoughts straight.",I have never had anything like this happen. It was scary and I will never take it again!,F,54,5 days250 mg 1X day,9/22/2010
4,STD - Chlamydia,"I took this drug 28 hours ago from now. I have experienced severe insomnia, appetite loss, low mild fever / chills, nausea, brief headaches, chapped lips and extreme nervousness and/or anxiety. I also threw up a little bit the next morning / afternoon.","I was up for about 36 hours straight. I had all of nervousness/anxiety during this time period. I was even still jittery and and nervous when i woke up. I drank some water and about 30-45 minutes later I threw up, it kinda tasted like medicine so I worry that I threw up to much at the time, to not be able to combat the chlamydia. I had forced myself to eat a few things the day before, that didn't come up. After this my anxiety and overall side effects seemed to come down a lot.
side note: drugs (dot) com lists most of these as side effects yet Wikipedia does not",M,26,1 days1000MG 1X day,9/21/2010
1,kidney infection,"Within first day - diarrhea, headache, sun sensitivity, severe back pain, bright red skin. Second day - couldn't taste anything, couldn't smell anything, all symptoms from day 1 were worse, gas, nauseous. Stopped taking the meds on day 3! Didn't even finish it! My taste and smell FINALLY returned 3 weeks later, had 2 weeks I could taste and smell ""normally"" then everything I smelled and tasted was OFF! Everything tasted and smelled like chemicals/old yeast! Got very sick from diarrhea 3 weeks ago and couldn't keep anything in. Had to go to ER for IV. It's been a month and a week since my taste & smell went crazy... and I can't get rid of it! Have lost 20 lbs because nothing smells or taste good. Am now taking probiotics to see if that will help but on week 2 and not changes - YET! Newest symptom - the skin on my feet and lips is peeling off! How long can this med mess you up after you stop taking it??",I have taken Z Packs MANY times before and have had no problems - until THIS time! I will NEVER take it again!,F,37,3 days 1X day,9/11/2010Email
3,Bronchitis,"day three rash, day 4 and 5 difficulty breathing and rash developed into hives. I was not convinced until day 5 it was due to the meds and not the bronchitis but on day 6 (no meds) I could breath fine.",I appeared to have a moderate reaction to this drug. It is 3 days after my last dose and I am still itchy but the hives have gone away for the most part. I have taken this med in the past but I will not take it again. I had a lot of tightness in my chest which scared me. I did not have any gastro upset others have described however.,F,33,5 days250 1X day,09/06/2010
5,swell pharynx,"severe abdominal pain for about 30 minutes, two hours after taking the pill.","This is the second time in my life that i had to use zithromax. Asides of the abdominal pain, this drug cured me effectively and in record time. i would highly recomend it, but just if you really need it, because it is a strong drug.",M,25,3 days 1X day,8/26/2010
4,yes,i had mild stomach pain and some problems with going back and forth to the bathroom but over all these went away after taking the 2nd dose after the 2nd does i proceeded to get better i think the drug is great it,,F,16,5 days250mg 1X day,8/24/2010
3,sinus pain/ Post Nasal Drip,Extremely dry throat and tongue.,,F,21,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/23/2010
1,Possible Bronchitus,"First evening taking 2 pills had no side effects then on 2nd evening took 1 more. Woke up in the morning with extreme muscle weakness, fatigue and mild abdominal pain. Stopped taking the drug but 3 days later still weak, lethargic and slight swelling in the back of tongue and throat. I have some difficulty getting thoughts together and some itching of the hands.",I took the medication on a Wednesday evening and Thursday evening and of course left a message for the doctor on Friday. Who calls patients on a Friday? Reading this site and seeing all the bad reactions others have had helped to calm my nerves. Hopefully I will get over this.,M,63,2 days250 1X day,8/22/2010Email
1,bronchitis,none just does not work,z pack does not work had to go back to the doctor and get biaxin,M,58,1X day,8/21/2010Email
3,Strep Throat,"Sour stomach, headaches, neck aches, bloating and gas, ringing in ears, burning feeling in esophagus.","On day two of taking this medication my extremely sore throat did begin to go away, but my head and neck began hurting. When hungry I feel almost sick and after I eat even the smallest amount it feels as if I swallowed a balloon. Have had severe gas problems as well as a raging headache that wont quit and gets worse a couple of hours after taking my daily dose. I have one more day to go on it....UGH.",F,35,5 days250mg 1X day,8/19/2010
5,Strep throat,"Like all drugs, it can be bad for some, but this is not a universally bad drug. I'm allergic to the penicillin family, so all I can take for strep throat is eurythromycin or azithromycin. I've had strep several times, and never had any problems with the mycin family, and it always knocked out my strep.",,M,35,5 days250 mg 1X day,8/18/2010
3,Sinus infection,"I have taken this medication before but this is the first time I have experienced the following symptoms: headache, nausea, excessive sweating, dizziness, weakness, the blahs (or slight depression). It is disturbing to me and I hope these symptoms will go away after my last course which I take tonight. I feel miserable and just not myself.",,F,29,5 days250 1X day,08/09/2010
3,Bronchitis,"Severe stomach cramping, mild nausea, severe diarrhea, loss of appetite","My goodness, this was harsh on my stomach! Within 7 hours of first dose (2 pills) had terrible stomach cramps followed by numerous bouts of diarrhea. Day 2 and 3 the cramps were moderate but the diarrhea was still there. Yuck. Day 4 and 5 stomach pain is tolerable but I still had diarrhea, which took a week or so to finally go away. Bronchitis is gone though and I feel alot thinner thanks to having zero appetite and diarrhea!",F,30,5 days250 MG 1X day,08/06/2010
1,STD (suspected I was clear),"Anxiety, ringing ears, depression, insomia, Heart Palps",I guys I have had the absoulty worst expereince on this medication to the lady who would like to create a Law suit please email me at jjazzini@hotmail.com or anyone else for that matter... These drug companies will have to pay... it will only work if there is a large number of us protesting - if I get the numbers I will create a facebook page called the Zithromax Sucks,M,32,1 days10000 1X day,08/04/2010
1,Zithromax,"Anxiety, Depression, Insomia and Rining in the ears for now over 5 months","Guys, please contact me on jjazzini@hotmail.com if you would like to know my full story and how Im managing now... Dr's will not admit it was the drug... My research tells me that Azithromycin must mutate a gene related to the brain chemistry, even though its managable",M,32,1 days1000 1X day,8/4/2010Email
4,Sinus Infection,Adult acne was the only side effect,After reading several comments about Zithromax on this site I opted to pay extra for the brand drug over the generic. I had no side effects other than a case of adult acne on my forehead that took me three months to figure out the cause (I took Amoxicillin recently and had the same acne problem).,M,44,5 days500mg 1X day,7/27/2010
2,Precaution after exposure to STI,Was warned of possible 'loose bowel movement around 3hrs after' taking the dose but luckily only experienced nausea (although it was pretty intense for about 2 hrs). I would definitely advise taking the entire day off when you take that strong single dose. On the night of the day in which I took the does I experienced intense nightmares and severe night sweats. I am only on my 3rd day after taking the single dose but I have had repeated headaches and stomach upset. My nurse assures me that after 7 days it will definitely be out of my system.,Wow.. I did not realise how hard-hitting this anti-biotic would be as I have never had any reaction to any medication to this extent previously. I had no symptoms and was in perfect health but took this dose as a precaution as my boyfriend tested positive for chlamydia. I'm only 3 days after taking the single dose but I have really been floored with this stuff... I feel like I am so run down. If it does its job I will be happy so fingers crossed!,F,32,1 days1000mg 1X day,7/17/2010
1,Ear Infection,"Severe headache and photosensitivity, dizziness, fatigue, dehydration, swelling/numbness on left side of head near temple extending to cheek and left eye, very chapped lips, numbness in extremities (at times)","Completed 5 days of treatment on Azithzomycin (generic Zithromax) - it is now 11 days after last pill. Headaches began on day 4 of treatment and gradually became milder - still have very mild one today. Continue to experience light sensitivity that sets off headache and fatigue; vision continues to have ""halo effect"" that seems to be gradually decreasing (I hope); Swelling/numbness on side of head has also gradually decreased, but left eye now seems a bit more irritated, though not swollen - vision problems, swelling, and numbness really concerns me! Still unable to live normally - have to avoid too much sunlight or heat because it makes me feel weak and sick. Tried to go outside for 15 minutes to do mild yardwork last night at twilight and ended up feeling awful. Today, feel sick, shaky, and cold and my head hurts again. Hard to believe at this moment that I was a healthy person who ran and lifted weights before taking this drug. I am crossing my fingers that once this drug is out of my system (apparently, it has a long half-life and this takes 16-17 days) I will begin to feel normal. At this moment, though, I feel like I will never feel normal again. I am very reluctant to go to the doctor again as long as things seem to be improving, since they will most likely perscribe ANOTHER drug. I would not recommend this drug to anyone and I will never take it again!",F,39,5 days250 1X day,7/16/2010
5,"Various (UTI, etc.)","A bit of lethargy, but barely noticeable.",Have taken Z-Packs at many points throughout my life. Have never really had any side effects and it has always been effective at eradicating the infection (knock on wood...).,M,27,5 days? 1X day,07/12/2010
1,bronchitus,"severe depression, paranoia, anxiety. insomnia. feeling like there is no hope and i should move out of town.",,F,23,5 days 1X day,07/01/2010
5,Sinusitis,"Sour stomach at first, then my friend told me to load up on probiotics. Bought a bucket of yogurt and the pains went away.",Best sour stomach I ever had. Sinus infection -- ((OVERKILL)),M,27,5 days250 1X day,6/30/2010
1,virus lingering & congestion,"upset stomach, loss of appetite, insomnia. constantly going to the bathroom from stomach cramps. I'm on the second day and its making me feel lethargic as hell. I need to get back to work and I just feel worse. My nose is not congested much anymore but now I just feel nauseated and I can't eat but want to.",I've never been sensitive to medications before and I am a fairly healthy person. I don't know why I am having a horrible reaction to this med. This sucks.,F,24,5 days250 1X day,6/30/2010Email
2,Acute Sinusitus,I had extreme heart palpitations and anxiety that kept me awake through the night.,"Heart palpitations are a rare, but potential side effect and my doctor has now prescribed me AMOXICILLIN 875 MG.",F,23,2 days250 mg 1X day,6/23/2010
1,bronchitis,"I started this drug afternoon of June 14th - 2 tabs first day and one tab ea. day following for next 4 days. I took this same drug back in June 2009 for same reason, bronchitis, and didn't suffer any side effects. This time around I've suffered horrible side effects and just about lost my mind!: racing heart, crazy dreams, depression, extreme nervousness, anxiety, lack of hunger, can't sleep, can't fall asleep but always tired; when I'd finally fall asleep l would wake up every 1-2 hrs.; dehydration, taste disturbance in mouth. Being unable to fall asleep is awful! I've been in bed since 3:30 A.M. and now it's 8:30 a.m., and still awake. Why the difference in same drug taken a yr. apart? Wondered if because now manufactured in Israel? Took my last pill on June 18th or 19th. Nervousness has decreased some, but insomnia continues. Package says: "" azithromycin tabs keep on working days 6-10."" Please someone tell me if I will get over this drug and improve, and finally b","Me and drugs ""don't mix,"" but never thought I'd suffer such awful side effects by an antibiotic. Next time I'll stick to Erthymecin.
On top of all this, my computer crashed; it's been 3 weeks and still don't have computer back.",F,67,5 days250MG 1X day,6/23/2010Email
1,Flu,"3rd day: Had red rash all over body. The rash wasn't raised and didn't itch. I stopped taking the med after this.
Around a week or so after stopping the medication, I started breaking out into hives on my thighs, hips and butt several times a day.",,F,27,3 days 1X day,6/19/2010
1,strep throat,"horrific stabbing stomach pains, not my bowels my stomach. nausea, yet unable to throw up. had diareaha and wish for it again to get this painful stuff out of me. i also have chills and a feeling of excess saliva.",,F,41,5 days 1X day,6/16/2010Email
3,ear infection,"The first day I had diarrhea pretty badly. This is day #2 and I cannot sleep due to my stomach cramping. I had mild diarrhea today and a little bit of gas, and now I am nauseated with really bad stomach pains. I am almost scared to take the last dosage tomorrow as it is tearing up my stomach! Also my ribs kind of hurt but that could be from coughing(?) I do not like the feeling in my stomach, kind of like menstral cramps that never go away. A little bit anxious about it, but I am that way all the time and reading this is making me consider not taking the 3rd pill. I am allergic to almost everything else, I keep thinking I need to go to the bathroom. Considering going to the store now and getting a ton of yogurt after reading all the comments. Wonder if it might be the Mucinex I was given. I am so not enjoying these cramps, and I really think I should call the doc but on one is available on Friday night other than the ER. Great! Trade one problem for another.","I found it odd that they went from like 7 pills to 3..could that be what is making the reaction so bad, since it apparently a much larger dose?",F,42,3 days500 mg 1X day,06/12/2010
1,flu,i have had anxiety issues in the past but have been stable for years. i never expected that an antibiotic would throw me into a week and a half long anxiety bout. it was awful and it took me a while to figure out that it might be the medicine rather than me losing it. then i did some researching on the internet and saw that others had experienced the same. if you're reading this and experiencing the same thing it should alleviate some days after your last dose. however anxiety is self perpetuating so keep in mind that you may want to look into what you can do to control it with behavioral methods or a prescription if it's debilitating.,,F,33,5 days250 1X day,06/10/2010
1,sinus infection,"severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, bad dreams, severe stomach pain, dehydration, palpitations","I ended up in the ER 14 hours after taking this. I needed 3 liters of fluids and a lot of meds. 48 hours later I still feel sick. I would never ever take this drug again. Funny though the ER doc thinks I just got the flu, well I was perfect before taking it and my whole family is fine.",F,31,1 days500mg 1X day,06/06/2010
4,bacterial throat infection,OMG ITCH..and mouth sores,"Drink plenty of water, but explosive diahrea and an itch and soreness",F,68,5 days250 1X day,5/31/2010Email
1,Strep Throat,maculopapular rash (looks like acne),"I had flawless skin prior to taking this drug for strep throat. Literally overnight I woke up with HORRIBLE maculopapular rash all over my face. I kid you not it has been 7 MONTHS and i can't get rid of it. I have tried changing my diet, face wash, etc. IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO GET RID OF IT. I am desperate, it is ruining my life. It looks like acne. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG.",F,21,2 days 1X day,5/29/2010Email
1,sinusitis,My 11 yr old daugher is having night terrors to include thoughts that something horrible is happening to her body and she thinks she's going to die.,We will no longer take this drug!,F,11,2 days5 MG 1X day,5/28/2010
2,"sinus, bronchitis, crusting eyes",No real side effects--stomach cramps after each pill last only a few seconds--hardly worth a mention.,"Drops cleared eyes but pills did not work. Started getting better morning of Day 3 and then a complete return of symptoms later that day. Am now on new meds. This may be an outdated drug that no longer works for infections that may get more common. For me, this prescription mostly provided a week of ineffective treatment. Might as well have been a placebo.",M,66,250 1X day,5/27/2010EmailHistory
4,Ear infection,Diahrea/lethargy....increased appetite..has anyone else experience increse in appetite???,HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCE INCRESE IN APPETITE??,F,26,5 days500 mg 1X day,5/23/2010Email
4,Bronchitis,None so far,"Its been over 24 hours since the first dose and I was expecting to have horrible side effects as described by other users but I have not even had any stomach discomfort. I did have a horrible anxiety attack after taking it last night but I suspect it was generated by my fears of taking this medication. One thing I don't like about this medication is the length that it stays in your system, and the relatively long half life. I'm not on a high doseage but someone taking 500mg each day might have horrible side effects due to the addition of more medication.",F,20,3 days200 1X day,5/22/2010
5,,"Little bit of lethargy, but nothing otherwise.","Have taken 'Z-Packs' at multiple points in my life, have never had any side effects. Great antibiotic *for me* (but maybe not for you).",M,28,4 days? 1X day,5/21/2010
4,Low grade fever/sinus infection,"Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, brain fog","I had a low grade fever. It worked immediately, after the first dose, I was already better the next day. However, this medicine gave me diarrhea, not bad, but still annoying. I had a major loss of appetite; I had to force myself to eat meals, because I am not hungry what so ever. I lost about 5 pounds this week. And about 2 hours after taking the medicine, I would get horrible, terrible abdominal pain for about an hour, but then it would go away. I would say this medicine certainly does a number on your stomach, so take alot of food with it. Otherwise, it did get rid of my fever.",F,19,5 days250 1X day,5/17/2010
4,Bronchial Infection,"anxiousness, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite","Had a sore throat for two weeks and a cough that followed, for about a month. Didn't have insurance, so I dragged my feet when it came to seeing a doctor. The cough got worse so I saw one, and he prescibed me a z pak. On the first two days, I experienced mild diarrhea and anxiousness. Reading the reviews on this site and others probably added to the anxiousness. The first night's sleep was very vivid and weird. I think that's because I took two pills that day. By day 3, I started feeling much better, and started coughing up all the mucus that was making me cough. I vomited in the morning a few times, but it wasn't substantial and mostly had to do with my coughing.
I highly recommend taking a pro biotic 2 hours after taking a z pak pill, because the antibiotic gets rid of the good bacteria you need to digest things properly. It could help prevent stomach pains and diarrhea. Also, eat yogurt regularly. Especially AFTER you're done with the z pak cycle, to help get your digestive system back to normal. At least for the first week after your cycle.
I also highly suggest chamomile tea for the anxiety, it helped me. Good luck to those taking the medicine, it was definitely frustrating to get used to but I felt much better after.",M,23,5 days250 mg 1X day,5/17/2010
4,Inner ear infection,"I had some extremely intense stomach pains the first day of taking the medicine, but after taking a nap for a few hours, they went away.","After having to be rushed to the ER from a horrible reaction to another medication I am thankful for my z-pak. Sure I had some bad stomach pains for a few hours but they were absolutely NOTHING compared to the effects from the other medication. Also, the inner ear infection that was causing dizziness/ severe headaches for 3 weeks is now gone! WOOHOO! (the doctor at my University is a moron and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me and just put me on some random medicine she hoped would work so I got stuck with the ear infection for weeks + the worst pain of my life from the other medicine). I would take zithromax again in a heartbeat!!!",F,19,5 days 1X O,5/14/2010
1,Bronchitis,"Headache, stomach pain and extreme fatigue. I felt like I was in a fog all the time and could not think straight. After I discontinued the drug after 4 doses (should have taken it for 5 days),I also began to have heart palpitations a few days after the last dose, or in other words feeling like my heart is skipping beats.","I wish I would have done much more research on this drug. I will never take this again. I took my last dose about 2 weeks ago and have been struggling with heart palpitations ever since. I have mitral valve prolapse, and this drug seems to have set off extreme heart palpitations. My doctor assured me this would be safe. To all people with Mitral Valve Prolapse, avoid this drug. Do not take it. I hope these palpitations stop soon. They are usually short lived for me, but after this drug they have lasted much longer and been much more extreme.",F,47,4 days250 MG 1X day,5/5/2010Email
1,STD,"Horrible Drung! after the 2nd day off taking the Drug, I started feeling Tired and Sick, then day 3 began to hit me hard where I could not Sleep, Eat, constanly going to the toilet","Horrible Drung! after the 2nd day off taking the Drug, I started feeling Tired and Sick, then day 3 began to hit me hard where I could not Sleep, Eat, constanly going to the toilet, after day 7 all Physical side effects cleared, though now after 3 weeks Anxiety or Not getting a good night sleep plus ear sensitive and blocked has still persisted... I would like to ask anyone who has experienced the same side effects how long it takes to clear from your system!!!! PLease Help 31 yr Guy
It has now been 7 weeks - I have tried to email ppl on this website though email not going through please Email me at jjazzini@hotmail.com",M,31,1 times500 x 2 1X day,05/05/2010
1,strep infection,My 6 year old daughter has had a TERRIBLE reaction to her Z-pack. She has been vomiting for 5 days straight.,"The strep cleared up immediately, but 1 day after the last dose, she woke up vomiting, and hasn't stopped yet. It has been 5 days. Her dr. said it stays in your system for 5 days after the 5 day dose, and we are finally on day 10! I really hope she feels better tomorrow, because she has missed school all week. If she doesn't stop by tomorrow we have to take her to the ER for an IV. She has had some diarrhea, but mostly severe stomach pain, vomiting, extreme fatigue and anger (don't blame her). I'm trying to give her probiotics, but she can't keep them down! After it's out of her system, I will give big doses of probiotics to get her system back to normal. Next time I will ask for a milder antibiotic if possible--this one is too strong for a strep infection that could be knocked out by milder ones. All antibiotics cause negative side effects though. Never take them unless you have to!",F,6,5 days 1X day,4/21/2010
1,Abcess Tooth,"If you are reading this, you are probably taking this stuff or want to know what to expect. I did the same thing but now believe I should have been more concerned about the aftermath of taking this drug and try to prevent it! I now have a C-difficile infection of the bowel because I took this antibiotic. You do not want this infection! Knowing what I know now, I would have made absolutely sure that I was taking probiotics with it. I would have tried to start taking the probiotics before taking Zithromax. The 2 I am using now to help rid myself of this infection are FloraStor and Accuflora (they both have different contents and effect and you can get them at drug store over the counter - and both I believe have clinical work showing effectiveness). It can be used before and during your course of Zithromax for protection from this bug.
You can get this infection if you already have some C-Diff in the bowel (you could pick it up in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living, even hotels","The symptoms of my infection started about 7-8 days after I completed by course Zithromax although some people get their infections months after so be aware of what your body is doing. My advice is over the year following taking this stuff, if you feel like you are getting the stomach flu and have diarrhea (i did not vomit), do not wait to see if it runs it course. Go directly to the doctor and get a stool sample done to check for C Diff. Demand the test so you can start therapy. I should have done that immediately and should have taken the probiotics BEFORE and DURING the course of this drug.
I want to pass this along in hopes that you guys can avoid my fate!!!!!",M,52,6 days250mg 1X day,4/21/2010Email
4,Ear Infection,,Update: It has now been a week since I was put on one large dose of generic Zithromax. I still have had no negative side effects beyond what I shared earlier.,F,32,2500 mg 1X day,4/19/2010EmailHistory
1,Respiratory Infection,"Anxiety,loss of appetite,tinnitus","To the male that posted on March 13th, that suffered tinnitus, email me if you would like to chat. I have been dealing with this for 18mths now.",F,49,5 days250 1X day,4/19/2010Email
4,infection,,,F,25,5 days30 1X day,4/13/2010
2,my son for sinus infection,My sons behavior was out of control and he kept crying for no reason very very emotional. Called the doctor he said its nothing probably acting out but I know my son he is not like this! he would cry and say he doesn't know why he is crying!!! I quickly started giving him VitC and mutli vitamins with magnesium and with in five days he got better. NEVER again for my son,,M,5,3 days 1X day,04/12/2010
4,infected tooth,"diarrhea, muscle pains, weakness, flu like symptoms, tiredness","I was originally on Amoxicillin but switched to azithromycin because of stomach issues. At first, my stomach was okay, but after three days, the pains started. I am now taking acicopholus. I feel so sick from this medication. But it did make my toothache go away.",F,39,3 days250 mg 1X day,04/07/2010
5,Bronchitis and Ear infections,"Some gas and stomach cramps, very minimal. This drug works very well for me.","I read these comments regularly because my daughter had a severe rection to this drug that affected her for over a month. Gastric was moderately severe but her brain was the most affected. If this drug works for you great, it does for me. If you have a reaction do not take it again. Azithromax can make you feel as if you are going crazy, and brings out any latent mental illness that might me lurking at the edge of your consciousness. They do eventually go away so have hope.",F,49,5 days250 mg 1X day,4/1/2010Email
1,Clamdia,"Horrible Drung! after the 2nd day off taking the Drug, I started feeling Tired and Sick, then day 3 began to hit me hard where I could not Sleep, Eat, constanly going to the toilet","Horrible Drung! after the 2nd day off taking the Drug, I started feeling Tired and Sick, then day 3 began to hit me hard where I could not Sleep, Eat, constanly going to the toilet, after day 7 all Physical side effects cleared, though now after 3 weeks Anxiety or Not getting a good night sleep plus ear sensitive and blocked has still persisted... I would like to ask anyone who has experienced the same side effects how long it takes to clear from your system!!!! PLease Help 31 yr Guy",M,31,1 days1000MG 1X day,4/1/2010Email
5,Sinus Infection,Slight stomach problem,"I,m very sensitive to alot of Antibiotics.I hate to take them and wont if i can do anything else but i suffer with chronic sinus problems so sometimes there just isnt an alternative.All the nasal flushing and spraying in the world wont do anything.This Antibiotic doesnt cause me any problems except by maybe day 2 or 3 i'll get some stomach cramping .I can live with that. I was given Biaxin and Avalox at one time..Now those are some poweful drugs...I had a severe reaction to Biaxin and ended up in the ER.. Avalox gave me some pretty severe side effects within 45 minutes. So for me the Z pack and another one ,Vantin dont give me so much trouble.",F,51,7 days 1X day,3/31/2010Email
2,severe sore throat,"Nausea and vomiting after second dose, followed for a couple of days of hypertension and pulsating noise in head.",I felt too nauseated to continue the prescription.,F,74,2 days250 1X day,3/30/2010Email
1,acne,"Horrible stomach cramps, diarrhoea, pain in jaw, dizziness, SEVERE nausea and fatigue.",Do not take this drug!! Within 3 hours of taking it I had horrible stomach cramps. Later on in the evening I had v bad diarrhoea and my urine was bright yellow . I woke up thinking I was going to vomit because of the nausea and I've been drinking water to flush this horrible drug out of my system !! NEVER AGAIN. I will not be taking the second dose!!!,,27,1 days500mg 2X day,3/30/2010Email
5,"Strep throat, sinus infection","First day body felt a little uncomfortable, palms were excessively sweaty, but with in 24 hours I was already feeling much better. I experienced a little bit of ringing in the ears but it was tolerable. Muscles a little sore but don't know if it was necessarily from the medication. This is the second time I've taken this medication and Its worked very well.",,F,34,4 days200 MG 1X day,3/29/2010
5,Bacterial sinusitis,I didn't experience any side effects.,"For the first time in my life, I experienced a case of bacterial sinusitis where there was sinus congestion that progressed into severe congestion with purulent discharge. At around 10 or 12 days, it starte to cause pain in my upper cheekbones, head, and by day 14 I had pain in my teeth. I realized this was not the typical congestion I have had in the past and went to see a physician who prescribed the Zithromax. Within 24 hours, there was relief and by day three I was basically cured. First time I took antibiotics in 20 years so I was a bit concerned about side effects but surpringly had none at all.",M,35,5 days 1X day,3/28/2010
5,severe sinus infection,"""gas""",Ive had serious pain from my sinuses for many years. Tried this for the first time and on day 3 I can honestly say Ive felt better than I have in years. Zithromax seems to have worked a miracle for me,M,42,3 days 2X day,3/24/2010
1,sinus infection,"stomach pains in upper right abdomen, which extend around to back. rapid heart beat, headache, nausea, frequent bowel movements, tiredness, feeling of overall being poisoned, stomach pressure, muscle spasm around eyes.","was prescribed 7 pills, once a day for a week. day one, took medicine with food, instant horrible diarheea. day two, took pill, stomach pains. now i have constant stomach pains, back pain, tiredness and the other stuff i mentioned. i flused this poison real quick, afraid of any permanent damage it may have done. is there any thing that can be done to reverse any stomach damage other than probiotics?",M,44,2 days500 1X W,3/24/2010
1,acute laryngitis,"vaginal infection 2nd day
by 5th day: paranoia, headache, crying & depression; totally not myself!",,M,47,5 days 1X day,3/19/2010
1,cervicitis,"15 minutes after taking these pills, given to me by the emergency department, I had such severe nausea and vomiting. My stomach hurt so bad I felt like it was on fire. I vomitied constantly for almost 3 hours and had diarrhoea and still do almost 9 hours later. During the first 2 hours after taking this medicine, I had muscle weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and felt like I was going to pass out.","I will never take this medication again. Apparently, the common initial dose for this is only 1000 MG, but for some reason they thought I needed 2000 MG.",F,26,1 times2000 MG 1X O,3/17/2010
4,Sinus Infection,"Some stomach cramping/bloating, totally lost my appetite!","Well, it gets rid of the sinus infection, but it effs up my appetite.",F,25,5 days 1X day,3/15/2010
3,sinus and ear infection,"After first dose I thought great i feel so much better. 2nd dose, felt terrible. 3rd dose - thought i was going to die and felt totally wasted. Could barely walk to bathroom. I felt scared for my life! Today I went to A and E I still felt so bad!!!",Dont take it!!!!!!!,F,27,3 days200mg 1X day,3/13/2010
1,Tonsillitis,"On fourth day, ringing in both ears began, medication immediately suspended. Also had two episodes of bloody solid stool.","It did not cure my tonsillitis. The ringing in my ears continued for several days until it stopped only in one ear. Saw the doc today and I have suffered significant permanent hearing loss in one ear along with tinnitus. The hearing loss may eventually lead to deafness. I never had any ear problems until taking Zithromax, and now because of taking this drug, I may not be able to live a normal life again. I understand that this is an extremely rare side effect, but it happened to me. I can't understand why this drug is even legal.",M,27,5 days250 1X day,3/13/2010
1,sinus infection,"1st day after taking the 2pills.One hour later severe stomach cramps,lasted 30 minutes.2nd day same cramps.3rd day same cramps now with diarreha.Will not continue after reading everyones side effects.Will never take this again.Who wants to take a med just to get sicker.",terrible drug,F,44,3 days250 1X day,03/12/2010
1,sinuitus,"I am going crazy!! SEVERE ANXIETY!!! Crying spells, weakness, just I can't even describe it!!!!","Went to the doc and they said I had a sinus infection. Was prescribed 2 z packs. Took the first one and was OK. By the first dose of the second one I was having insomnia, anxiety, just wierd feelings. Went to the doc and they said it was not the drug just keep taking your prescription. I kept taking it and now I am losing it!!!! I can not function at all! (I took the generic brand) Please someone help me!! Tell me how to make it go away!!!",F,30,10 days250 1X day,03/10/2010
5,Sinus Infection,None,I've taken this drug countless times - I have 2-6 sinus infections a year (due to a deviated septum & general genetic tendency towards them) and am usually prescribed Z-packs or the generic. No complaints except that occasionally it isn't strong enough...probably have built up an immunity to it.,F,33,5 days 1X day,03/02/2010
1,viral infection,"Approximately 10 years ago, my doctor prescribed zithromax for a viral infection. Until zithromax, I had never had an allergic reaction to any drug or antibiotic. Almost immediately after taking zithromax, I had the worst diarrea I had ever experienced. The closest analogy I can think of is to imagine eating 500 of the hottest chili peppers on the planet in one setting. I was very concerned that I might die and I have a high tolerance to pain. My doctor sent me to a hospital in Houston for a blood test and one of the negative results indicated that 20 percent of my white blood cells had been destroyed by the zithromax. It took six months for my white blood cell count to return to normal. I can't even recall if my viral infection cleared up as a result of the zithromax, because I was in such horrible agony after taking the zithromax that I forgot about my viral infection. I would not take zithromax again even if I were offered a million dollars and I can assure you that this is no exagg","When I took zithromax I was about 57 years old and in excellent condition. I am now 67 years old and am still in excellent condition. To this day, whenever anyone mentions zithromax, I literally cringe and wonder how this product can be allowed to remain on the market.",M,67,1 days 1X day,03/02/2010
4,sinus infection,"Anxiety/panic, loss of appetite, moderate stomach pain","When I took the 2nd dose of this drug I had panic attack after panic attack. My anxiety was 100 times worse. I thought I was crazy until I read other comments. I don't have an appetite and after the 4th dose I have moderate stomach pains. However, it did clear up the sinus infection.",F,31,5 days250MG 1X day,03/01/2010
3,sinus infection,"diarrhea after 1st 2x dose. on day 2 & 3, I got mild stomach pains briefly 1-2 hrs after ingestion. loss of appetite. my ears are muffled. can't really concentrate on anything.","I have Azithromycin tablets, not sure if it's the same or not. it seems to be helping with my congested nose. not bad, I guess. the only thing is that I get these mild stomach pains about 1 or 2 hrs after ingesting. it's bearable, but annoying if I were at work or school. I can't seem to concentrate much either, as I am currently working on a research paper, but that could just be me. I hate taking antibiotics because it always gets rid of all the good bacteria inside of me. can't wait to be done with this. i'll be sure to update if I have anymore symptoms.",F,19,3 days250 1X day,2/27/2010Email
3,sinus infection and congestion,I took the first 2 pill dose right before bed and woke up with water diahrea and severe neusea. The nausea continued until about day 8 after finishing the 5 day pack. I also had some mild anxiety. I have never had anxiety problems before this medicine. Now on day 9 and still struggling with the loss of appetite. Also on day 2 I was up all night with insomnia but haven't experienced it since. Day 3 I took a shower and started crying had this starnge feeling of doom. Thought I was crazy till I found this website. Haven't taken an antibiotic prior to this in 9 years. Was first prescribed keflex and had very little results was then prescribed the 5 day zithromax,Didn't clear up all my symptoms but did help more than the keflex I had already taken.,F,26,5 days250mg 1X day,2/25/2010
4,sinus infection,"Nightmares, awakening in the middle of the night","I initially began taking Ceflex and had an allergic reaction complete with hives and rash. I discontinued immediately and switched to Zithromax. I've taken it many times with very few problems - no dizziness or gastro issues like many report. However, I've awakened twice from heart-pounding nightmares and every night since beginning the dosage, I awaken around 3am and can't go back to sleep. While this sounds life disturbing (and it is), I got relief in only 2 hours from facial pain that was so severe, I couldn't chew. ALL drugs have side effects. I think it's a matter of finding the one that has the fewest for you. We're all different and there is no way one antibiotic will work for everyone.",F,55,5 days30 mg 1X day,2/23/2010
1,ear infection/sinus,"Well my back and legs are killing me as well as my shouldersand every other body part, I tolerate pain very well but this is going to get the best of me I really do believe, Im so sleepy, diarrah, is not as bad, but fatigue and soar muscles and joints, Im allergic to every antiboic I do believe",,M,37,3 days 1X day,2/19/2010Email
2,Middle Ear + Sinus Infection,"ringing in ears, stabbing pain, disturbed dreams","Before taking Zithromax, I had a middle ear and sinus infection for six days. I'm on day four of my five day dosage. I take the medicine with dinner. About five hours into the dosage (approximately 2 hours after falling asleep) I wake up with a stabbing pain behind both ears. The pain lasts for three hours. When I am able to go back to sleep, I have disturbed dreams: I'm late to an appointment ... I can't find my child ... I loose control of my car ... etc. After the second day, my ears began to ring. I feel like my head is full of static and it's slowly starting to drive me insane! I don't feel an improvement to my ears. As a matter of fact, I feel worse because I'm loosing more sleep and the medicine is doing different things to irritate my ears ... but, on the plus side (?!), my sinus infection is gone.",F,31,5 days250 1X day,2/18/2010
5,lower respiratory infection,"I have frequent lower respiratory infections (immune suppressed). Zithromax works like a charm although sometimes requires a couple of extra days beyond the z-pak. Occasional mild stomach upset, but can be headed off with Activia once a day.",,F,66,5 days250mg 1X day,2/17/2010
5,Respiratory infection,None at all,"Generic version, made in Israel",M,48,5 days250 mg 1X day,2/17/2010
1,sinus infection,"racing heart, crazy dreams, sleep walking, eyes hurt, lower back pain, depression, nervousness, anxiety, constipation, acid reflux, lack of hunger, cant sleep but always tired, dehydration, about to pass out I HATE THIS HORRIBLE DRUG",Worst sickness of my life I wish I could have my sinus infection back. This is so horrible that I constantly miss class and Im going to have to withdraw from school. I really wish I could take this mistake back. I NEED THIS TO BE OVER,M,21,5 days 1X day,2/17/2010
4,dental infection,"dizziness,headaches,tired feeling and some stomache cramps the normal side effects u should have with this medicine i took 2 whole 5 packs of the zithromax cuz my infection wasnt completely gone after the first 5 dosage. so extended 4 more pills.","i dont understand all this bad stuff zithromax has always helped me the only thing i had going on is aniexty, feeling tired, headaches contisouly that lasted up to 15 min. out thru the day, and some dizzy spells. but all that is normal for this med. it has always helped in the long run. sorry for who those have didnt think so.",F,20,1 weeks250mg p 1X day,02/12/2010
4,sinus infection,terrible gas pains but the medicine seems to be working.,,F,54,3 days 1X day,02/10/2010
3,bronchitis,"horrible migrane that has not gone away after day one. have not taken an antibiotic in over three years, did not think side effects would be so painful.",,F,39,5 days250mg 1X day,02/07/2010
3,Sinus infection,Its a five day pack and I'm on day 2,I just wanted to say that only day 2 and yesterday and today I have horrible stomacge pains and a racing heart. I couldn't sleep last night either and loss of appetite. I've never taken oral antibiotics before and I've never had a sinus infection before so this is really horrible. My sinus infection is still the same as three days ago too.,F,21,2 days 1X day,02/04/2010
1,Sinus Infection,"Lower back pain (more on left side at tailbone, Change in bowel movements (several times a day, loose or diahrrea),Cramping in the upper G.I. area, Cramping in the lower left G.I. area (ovary?)Some indigestion/heartburn on a few occasions, Gas and bloating, feeling of fullness even without eating,Not weight loss, but weight gain � could of course be unrelated but would love to blame it on something!","I diganosed myself with ovarian or colon cancer based on symptoms I listed (internet WebMD and similar are DANGEROUS for us worriers). Then a family member who is a nurse reminded me I had taken the Zithro and that it can take a while to get the digestive track back in order, even months. The lower back pain was really the concern when combined with all the gastro symptoms, then I saw some others mentioned that and I am relieved that I may not be dying after all! Taken Zithro before with no problems whatsoever. Won't be taking it again, if this is the cause of all those things!",F,40,6 daysAzithro600 1X day,2/4/2010Email
1,Bronchitis,"Severe anxiety and panic attacks, foggy head, dizzy","I had severe anxiety and wave after wave of panic attack on the fourth day I was on the generic. Ended up in the ER. Be mindful of anxiety if you are taking this medication and, if you feel anxious or panic-stricken, remind yourself that it is the drug and not anything else. I would not recommend the generic version of this drug.",M,39,4 days,02/03/2010
2,Sinus infection,"Stomach pains, headache, strange dreams, appetite loss","Just completed Day 5 and infection is still present - reduced but there. Side effects also included spaced-out feeling, lethargy, insomnia but stomach pains were the worst. Took Zithromax twice before for sinus infection and it worked great - no side effects and felt much better by Day 2. Maybe my body has become resistant to it?",F,43,5 days,02/02/2010
4,Chronic Sinusitis,"Abdominal Pain, weird dream, headache","This was actually really helpful. The first day was the only bad day I had and it was because it was double the dose and I did not eat much with the pills. After reading these forums, i was really scared to keep taking them, but this is the ONLY drug that has cleared up my sinusitis. I was amazed that it worked!",M,18,5 days,1/28/2010
5,"Bacterial lung infection, bronchiti","Minimal. Urine did look darker yellow, so I drank lots of water. Took a probiotic pill, though I always do when on antibiotics; that or active-culture yogurt just makes sense, as the balance of beneficial gut bacterial die off, and less helpful organisms are left. Some gas. Big whoop. Part of the die-off. The fever and impacted sinus/hurting lungs/major snottage were far worse.","I'm no fan of antibiotics because they uproot your all-important gut flora. I tried to talk my doc out of it, but when he showed me the chest x-ray, I conceded. I needed help.
It was a non-event. Day Three, I felt a shift. Yesterday was the first day I felt like doing anything. Today (Day Five), I went for a walk, and cleaned the house. And can breathe, I might add.
Use your best judgment, but remember, the folks with a good experience aren't searching the internet for side effects. I did, because I was curious about the striking yellow color of the urine. Someone else on here said it was because the pill contained many salts. Don't know if it';s true, but my experince was positive.",F,55,5 days,1/25/2010
3,acute bronchitis,"mad gas-gross actually! Heart fluttering, frequent urination, upset stomache (not horrible-but uncomfortable)Loss of hearing in right ear....weird sounds like a clothes dryer in my left ear.","first day on the drug I lost hearing in my right ear. Very weird feeling....had some heartburn and the most disgusting gas in the world. My husband was mortified. So gross.
Hearing issues in both ears and feelings like my heart was skipping a beat or fluttering....very weird and uncomfortable feeling. I'm looking forward to getting my hearing back. Oh and frequent urination....to the point I actually ran out and bought a pregnancy test.",F,36,5 days,1/25/2010
3,"sinus infection, strep throat","headache, feel ""out of it"", bad taste in mouth, horrible stomach pains - I described these to my husband as though someone were wringing out my small intestine. Also had diarrhea the first 2 days and gas.","I knew there was a reason I was hesitant to accept this prescription. I plan to stick it out for 2 more days but cannot wait to be done with it. I'll take the 10 day amoxicillan any day over this. On another note, it seemed to be working great after the first day although my sinuses seem to be hurting again so we'll see.",F,30,3 days,1/24/2010
5,Bronchitis,mild stomach pain/upset,worked great for me. side effects minimal.,F,45,5 days,1/23/2010
4,Pneumonia/Strep Throat,moderate stomach pain that subsided. some moderate dizziness that also subsided.,"it cleared up these concommitant bacterial infections, it worked.",F,40,5 days,1/22/2010
5,Pneumonia,None,"I have taken this over 4 times in my life, mainly for bronchitis or sinusitis and never 1 time had even a minor side effect.",M,32,5 days,1/21/2010
3,UTI,"Severe Gas, Nausea, some Diarrhea,...Did i mention Severe, Uncomfortable Gas","I am a student in pharmacy school so of course when i recieved the generic form of zithromax i read all the information about the drug before taking it (ie. directions, side effects, etc.) On day 1, I took both pills at 4 pm with food and by 8 pm that night I was extremely sick. I took some Emetrol to sooth my stomach and finally was able to sleep. By Day 2, I learned that taking my daily dose at night before bed cut down on the nausea and i could actually sleep through the night. I did, however, develop severe gas that has been with me for the past couple of days. Of course, the gas and stomach pain is much more manageable than the UTI, but it is a very unpleasant side effect. I have one last dose to take and I will definitely take that last dose of the drug. TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE WRONGLY ADVISING OTHER USERS TO STOP TAKING THEIR ANTIBIOTICS PLEASE STOP!!!! BACTERIA ARE NASTY LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN BECOME RESISTENT IF YOU STOP TAKING YOUR ANTIBIOTICS AHEAD OF TIME. THIS MEANS THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE PRESCRIBED ANTIBIOTICS THE BACTERIA IN YOUR BODY WILL NOT DIE, ie YOU WILL STAY SICK. Please speak to your doctor or a pharmacist before cutting your dose short.",F,32,4 days,1/18/2010
5,Chlamydia,None except for a couple of days after taking pills had like air bubbles coming out (nurse thinks this was the chlamydia dying off),"Loved it....it worked really well....i actually dont understand why there are so many bad reviews of it. After the air bubbles stopped i felt fine, after months of being incorrectly diagnosed with thrush and living with the irritation...i could not be more happier with this medication and i would definitly take them again if it were needed.",F,21,1 days,1/17/2010
2,pneumonia,"upset stomach,nausea,psychological changes--depression",,M,58,5 days,1/17/2010
2,,Bronchitis,"I was prescribed the Z-pak (5 day) was fine on it the first few days only mild stomach upset. Took 4th day and got anxious and tongue started burning and loss of appetite. I did not take last dose. I have been off it now for 6 days and tongue is still burning and is white. Doc thinks its thrush. Still have no appetite, I have to make myself eat and stomach is all over the place. Doc now has me on nystatin and I'm taking a acidophilus pill. No help yet. It scares me that I still have no appetite. I have lost 5 pounds in a week.",F,44,4 days,1/17/2010
5,"ear, sinus, bronchial infections",Ringing in ears,"This antibiotic has always helped me....whether I had bronchitis, ear infections (which I have had chronically since childhood), strep throat or a sinus infection. Every time I got sick, I always waited at least two weeks before visiting the doctor so that if it was a bacterial infection, it would be bad enough so as to prescribe a strong antibiotic. Well, amoxicillin NEVER, EVER helped me. No other antibiotic has worked for me except for zithromax. I get irritated when people on this forum try to turn people away so violently from this antibiotic...it HAS helped a lot of people, and just because it did not work for you specifically, does not mean it can't help others!! Common sense would tell anyone to take a couple of doses and see how you personally react to this antibiotic. I think people forget the fact that this antibiotic is basically a fungus, and if you eat fungus of course it may cause a little stomach upset and ringing in the ears, but I personally am willing to let this strain of bacteria overtake and destroy the bacteria that causes my terrible sinus, ear, and bronchial infections (sometimes all at once!!). I would much rather defeat the zithromax fungus AFTER it has destroyed the more painful and hurtful infections.",M,20,5 days,1/14/2010
1,Bronchitis,"Anxiety, Muscle Pains, Generally felt bad.","I was prescribed this because I was sick with brochitis the week of my wedding. I have had this before BUT NEVER THE GENERIC. There is something that they put in the generic that is almost like poison. After 4 hours of taking the 500mg dose I woke up in a panic. The next few days were a mixture of anxiety, foggy thoughts, and flu like symtoms (aches and pains). My doctor (who is not the one who prescribed it) said that it had tons of salts in it, and I was possibly having a reaction to that. Also, azithromyocin has a half life of 68 hours so each dose you take takes atleast 68 hours to get out of your system. Luckilly I only took one does and 68 hours later I am finally starting to feel better!! This has to be the generic!!",M,31,1 times,1/13/2010
2,Sore Throat /Sinus Infection,"Upset stomach, diarrhea, severe nausea, headache and disorientation.",I took the first two pills (with a meal) and within one hour I started to feel sick. The following day- I took it at lunch and I had the same symptoms. Years ago I took a Z-pack and remember that I felt very nauseous. I will no longer be taking this medication in the future. It's too hard to function at work when feeling this way.,F,27,2 days,01/12/2010
2,,"light-headed, loss of hearing in right ear, hollow stomach, paranoia, diarrhea and disconnection from reality.","I had a SEVERE sinus infection and was given the generic form of Zithromax, Azithromycin. I took one tablet yesterday evening and went about my normal evening routine with no noticeable side effects. I made a light breakfast this morning and took the 2nd of the 3 tablets. About an hour later I became oddly disoriented. Imagine if you normally go through life in the front row of your own movie and now you're closer towards the back. I felt very disconnected and paranoid like something bad was going to happen. As if that wasn't fun enough, I basically went deaf in my right ear and started hearing weird things and then the diarrhea kicked in. I've been on Z-Packs before, but I'm CERTAIN I've never experienced this sort of hellish reaction. Obviously the makers of the generic form need to go back to the drawing board. I'm just NOW starting to feel normal again after 9 hours. I am, however, glad to report that my sinus infection had basically completely went away by early afternoon. Obviously this stuff cures sinus infections, but I would have MUCH rather have ridden out THAT storm as opposed to enduring the side effects I experienced with this drug. YIKES.",M,27,2 days,1/9/2010Email
5,Sinus Infection,None,"Zithromax is a LIFE SAVER for me every time I get a sinus infection (every few months). A few months ago I was prescribed amoxicillin and had awful stomach complications and problems for weeks after taking the medication. Zithromax has never given me any issues, I am currently on the generic and it seems to be exactly the same for me, clearing up my sinus infection very well (am on day four currently). I've been using it for my sinus infections since I was about 8 years old and I would be miserable without this antibiotic!",F,18,5 days,1/8/2010Email
5,Sinusitis,None,"Great med works quickly, have taken it many times in the past and only one time with severe pneumonia did it not cure the illness right away.",F,44,3 days,01/07/2010
2,Sinus Infection,"Severe stomach pain, nausea",,F,25,5 days,01/07/2010
1,flu,"severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea; tiny pimples/rash/hives on neck, chest, arms","RESEARCH BEFORE USING: I experienced bad cramps and diarrhea daily while taking it. I got depressed each daying knowing I was going to experience the bad symptoms after takeing a pill. Note: I did take strong probiotics while on the medication. Two days after my last dosage I noticed I was breaking out on my neck, upper chest and upper arms. It looked like hives/heat rash/small red pimples with a tiny white head. It has been 4 weeks now and I am still breaking out. They aren't as big but are not going away. When will they go away? I am now doing a body cleanse for 14 days.
I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICATION AGAIN!",F,50,5 days,1/5/2010Email
1,Sinusitus/Sinus Infection,"itchy all over, rash, nausea, stomache pains, diarrhea, heavy eyes,crazy anxiety & dreaming, having weird delusional thoughts, feeling as though death is upon me, feeling very dizzy like my head is a balloon, Loss of appetite, very weak.","My Doctor prescribed me to a Z-pack about 5 days ago my 1st time ever. The 1st day when I took two at once I felt ok but when I woke up the next morning I felt like my entire world had came crashing down upon me. It seemed like my symptoms had doubled. Constantly dizzy & I had no urge to eat because of my stomach complications. I had weird thoughts like a ghost was trying to get me or something. I told the doctors that my skin was itching & they said that ""it was just a minor reaction from the medecine but you will be ok as long as you dont have a rash"" That same exact day I broke out with a rash all over my stomach back & arm!! 5 days later I feel better but my stomach has not yet recovered & I still feel like I am a different person almost.",M,22,,1/4/2010Email
5,Acute Bronchitis & Acute Sinusitis,None.,I have take Zithromax for several illnesses as an adult. This medication has been very effective in everything from UTI's to Bronchitis. For the most part I have never experienced any side effects from Zithromax although the second time I took this medication I did develop a mild stomach ache. If you are truly ill with a bacterial infection a stomach ache should be the last of your concern. I highly recommend this antibiotic.,F,25,5 times,01/03/2010
1,strep throat,"Few hours after first dose of this med (generic version, Azithromycin, 5-day course) I experienced huge anxiety, painful heart palpitations, inability to sleep, horrible burning indegestion/acid reflux -- all of which lasted for WEEKS and some for MONTHS, even though I never took a second dose (they switched me to Amoxycillin).","I ended up with paramedics at my home at midnight checking my heart after just that one first dose, then at doctor several other times over the next week and beyond, checking my heart because of constant painful heart palpitations, miserable existence for weeks after, had to wear a heart monitor for 48 hours, and thinking I was dying from a heart condition. The anxiety was horrible, sleepless nights with continual jumping up out of bed, pounding painful heart, horrible heartburn. FINALLY subsided after more than a month, I began to feel like a normal human being again. THANK GOD I ONLY TOOK ONE DOSE. Do not take Azithromycin. All the docs said these symptoms were not likely from the medication (WRONG!), but they changed me to something else anyway since I insisted. They obviously have a deal with the pharmaceutical companies or have not looked at this site and don't acknowledge how horrible this stuff is for people to take. I will NEVER take this medicine again.",F,48,1 times,01/03/2010
5,bronchitis,Mild loose stools & mild insomnia,"This antibiotic had less side effects of any of the more powerful ones that I have taken over the past two years(Cleocin,Ceftin,Biaxin,Levaquin). I was very pleased with my ""Z-Pak"" and would recommend it for clearing up sinus & chest congestion. As with any powerful antibiotic be sure to take your probiotic capsules and yogurt while taking this.",M,54,5 days,01/02/2010
1,sore throat/thick mucus,"It started out with dizziness and blurred vision the 2nd day I took it and continued so I didn't take the last dosage. I just had a feeling it was related to the drug. I then had severe abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea and vomiting 4 days after stopping with a fever. I have constant nausea, even water tastes bad. I have been very out of sorts, where I don't feel like myself and have been very depressed and weepy. I have been sleeping a lot. Today the back of my neck has been very stiff. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me but have never felt like this before so I decided to look up the side effects and came across this site and others with so many people experiencing the same types of problems. Why don't they warn you of all these side effects on the pamplet before you take it. I have taken Zpack before and had no problems. I'm afraid to drive because of the dizziness which will cause a problem since I have 4 kids to get to school in a few days. I'm hoping it wil",,F,43,4 days,01/02/2010
2,Upper Resp. Infection,"stomach cramps, gas, bloating, heart racing, itchy and rash, panic attacks, nausea","This drug cleared up my URI but not without a price. I was prescribed the 5 day z-pack. Before I took the z-pack I checked online for patient reviews of the med and was not very impressed with all the negative comments but I was coughing really bad, had a growing fever, congested and post nasal drip was making me miserable. The PND was falling in the back of my throat in globs. Just to be on the safeside, I did not take the two pill dose day 1; instead I broke one pill in half and took it. Within thirty minutes or less I felt the med working, so I took the other half about four to five hours later. Dose 1 (Huge panic attack, slight heart racing), D2 (stomach cramps, gas, bloating), D3 I ate yogurt and it seemed to help the stomach cramping alittle ( gas, slight nausea), and D4 (stomach cramps, gas, bloating, serious heart racing and I kept jumping up out of my sleep.) I had two more days to take the meds but stopped. It was just plain awful and I was scared the entire time I was taking the medicine. I could go on and on about this med but to cut this short..... It really, truly works but not without a price. My URI cleared up in the 4 days I took the meds, I felt much better but I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS MEDICATION! One more thing....it has been nearly two weeks since I stopped taking the meds and I have begin to breakout in a daily itchy rash that is driving me crazy!",F,44,4 days,12/28/2009Email
2,Bronchitis,"Very, very unpleasant stomache pains. The night after taking the first dose, I was woken several times (strangely enough, almost exactly three hours between each occasion) by severe stomache pain. Eating helped for the next few hours. I called my doctor the next morning and he advised me to stop taking it. More than 24 hours later, I am still experiencing this pain. It's keeping me awake.
Strange, considering I took the same medication for strep this past summer, with no side effects albeit a rather odeous stench whenever I urinated, and to great avail as far as curing my symptoms of strep.
On the plus side, it relieved my even-more-unpleasant Bronchitis symptoms, within hours.","No prior experience with upset stomache after taking medication. No regular issues with upset stomach/ indigestion/any of the other symptoms that pepto bismol claims to remedy.
Very unpleasant. Difficult to focus at work today. Next time, amoxicillin.",M,20,1 days,12/25/2009
4,taking it for ear infection/sinus,"I am taking the zpack for a middle ear infection and also
have a sinus infection. i have also noticed in the past
it really helps my pimples. i am not sure what the difference
in the drugs are but for some reason my system handles the kind from cvs, VERY well, but when I try to take it from walgreens I can't stand it, and it just seems way to harsh. Although it helps every single time. YOU yourself, need to decide if your going to take it or not. do you really think a lot of people will come here and say it worked great? of course not! this place is really gonna scare people out of taking medicine they need. Don't read the side effects until you think youve had them. most people tolerate this drug well.",,F,27,5 days,12/22/2009Email
4,sinus infection/bronchitis,trouble sleeping,"DO NOT TAKE THE GENERIC!!!! I've taken this in the past and had been fine. Two years ago I took the generic and had horrible stomach pains for 24 hours and did not finish the dose. I got a really bad sinus/ bronchitis infection and was perscribed the zpac again recently. I had reservations about it but I did some research and found that generic drugs have different effects on the body. Generic drugs may have the same active ingredients, but are not time released or absorbed in the blood stream the same way as the name brand. There are also different buffer ingredients and they are not tested the same. There is an artcle on people's pharmacy.com that you should read, they also have over 1200 stories of patients that have had horror stories about generic drugs. I have a very sensitive stomach with IBS and I didn't have any problems with the name brand of this drug. Just take it with a meal.",F,31,5 days,12/17/2009
2,H1N1 & Puemonia,"drooping eye, blurred vision, head aches, floaters in both eyes",i have had this medicine many times with no problems i read your site and saw another female with the same issues over 35 wh had the blurred droopy eye like me. it is very painful,F,36,3 days,12/16/2009
1,respiratory infection,"dizziness, lightheaded, cramping/mild diarrhea, faintness, legs and arms felt very heavy, tingly and numb, racing heart, ANXIETY, weird thoughts, brain was in a fog with weird tightening in the back of my head. NEVER EVER again!!","I have now been to the ER twice. These meds are HORRIBLE. They can't figure out what is going on since tests are coming back fine. This is unbelievable. I don't normally react to meds but this is bad. One day it will be better, then the next day the bad symptoms are back. VERY scary. If it weren't for this site I would be terrified. I thought I was losing my mind.",F,28,5 days,12/14/2009Email
4,Respriatory Infection,Brain fog and constant headache,This is the first time I have taken this medication. I am very sensitive to all sorts of drugs and I am pretty satisfied so far. I have had wierd brain fog and a medium headache constantly that I have been dealing with. I am taking a probiotic with this so may have helped with stomach issues since I have had none yet but this is only my third day on a five day pack. It has helped my infection but I am just feeling the effects today on the third day. I have heard this stays in your system and works up to two weeks after your finished with the pills. I would take it again unless worse symptoms appear.,F,38,5 days,12/13/2009
1,Sinus Infection,"Nervousness, Dizzy, Blurred vision , Acid reflux, much much more Never Ever Ever again..","CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THESE FEELING WILL GO AWAY AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN TAKE OR DO TO GET THEM OUT OF MY SYSTEM.
ANY INFO WOULD BE GREAT !",M,29,5 days,12/13/2009Email
1,upper respiratory infection,"Severe headache, Heart palpitations, heaviness and burning in the chest, insomnia","Had to go for a chest xray last night, my heart was enlarged so they sent me for a cat scan which seemed normal. Perhaps 24 hours of heart palpitations cause this??? would never takes this drug (I had the generic) again. Same thing I read in the posts the doctors never heard of these symptoms due to this drug...really? They should read all the posts here.",F,39,1 days,12/11/2009
2,Strep infection,"Explosive Diahrrea, Extreme arm and leg weakness, Anxiety, Vision weakness, Fever, Higher than normal Blood Pressure, Weird Heart Beat, Chest Pains, Lower Back/Butt weakness, Inability to Concentrate, Dizziness, Near Fainting, Extreme Loss of Appetite, Crying, Depression, Ringing in the ears","I kept saying I felt worse once I started taking the med. I felt like I had every side effect possible. It left me on the couch for days. The dizziness/near fainting didn't hit right away, about three days later. I almost fainted while driving! I'm on Day 9 of it being in my system and still feel jittery with anxiety and still a little weak. I have NEVER had muscle weakness like this. I couldn't even hold the phone or a pen. I could feel the muscle weakness around my eyes, making my vision really off. I have lost 12 pounds since on this medication. It should be bottled for weight loss! I think I have been on Zithromax before, and this time it was the generic. I don't remember feeling like this last time. In general I react to meds easy, so very confused.",F,34,3 days,12/09/2009
4,Bronchitis,Dizzy; Nausea; Diarrhea; Racing heart; strange taste in mouth; loss of appetite; nighttime panicky thoughts,"Add me to the chorus of those who are relieved I'm not dying/going crazy. I had an extremely uncomfortable episode yesterday after exerting myself slightly after a week in bed. I got a gripping head pain across the back, a wave of strong nausea and anxiety. It passed after about an hour, but I'm still nauseous, and slightly dizzy. Also have an unpleasant odd taste in mouth reminiscent of cooked onions that won't go away. And I haven't eaten any onions. Gross. Diarrhea pretty bad - stomach ravaged. I am taking high-end probiotics too. On the plus side, I will say that my violent cough is slowly improving and my week long fever went away after the first dose.",F,49,4 days,12/07/2009
1,sinus infection,"heart racing, heart fluttering, funny sensation in chest area, loss of sense of taste and smell, loose stools, general weakness spells, weakness in muscles, weird sensations in head, ear buzzing, tinnitus","I didn't have any problems with stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, but very scary heart racing, weakness spells, breaking out in sweat. My muscles feel as if I had an extreme work out and I feel weak overall. The symptoms started the second day with complete loss of sense of taste and smell (which I attributed to the sinus infection at first, but it was so extreme, I'm wondering if it wasn't the generic Z-pack. After the fifth day of taking it, I developed weird heart racing and fluttering which comes and goes. That's also when these weakness spells developed.
It's now the 10th day after taking it, and I'm still feeling crappy (weak, heart racing and / or weird sensations in the heart). It's pretty scary and at first I thought I was having a heart attack. This medication should be much better screened. I think it shouldn't be given out willy nilly. In the recent months I've heard of 4 co-workers and my husband taking the same medication for bronchitis, lung infections, sinus infections. Has this become the newest fad?
I recommend extreme caution with taking this medication.",F,43,5 days,12/06/2009
3,tonsillitis,"Some gas. But the weird rushing noise/hearing loss in one ear about 12 hours after I took the initial dose (Which has now moved to other ear) is freakin' me out. Could be illness related, but calling doc tomorrow regardless - I rarely have ear issues.","*Fingers Crossed*..if this ear issue is just related to the initial illness, then I'm not horrified by the medication. It was relatively gentle on the stomach. After reading the following posts, I'm kind of afraid of what might still be in store - otherwise, not the best, but definitely not the worst.",F,31,4 days,12/02/2009
3,"Bronchitis, Whooping Cough","stomach ache, bad migraines","Currently on last day of taking meds. I have had some stomach pain a few hours after taking Zithromax which may be lessened if taken with food. Major headaches about 8 hours after taking which I attribute to the Zithromax. I am also taking Claritin-D, but that should not be giving me the migraines. My bronchitis seems to be less severe, but still have coughing attacks several times a day. This is the first time I have taken Zithromax and do not really see a big difference in it opposed to Amoxicillin or Penicillin except for the price.",F,31,6 days,12/01/2009
2,"upper resp, bronchitis, sinus infec","anxiety, nausea, fatigue, weak",I took the generic and I will never take this again,F,28,5 days,11/30/2009
5,Upper Respiratory/Sinus Infection,None,Felt better within 24 hours. FABULOUS drug.,F,50,2 days,11/28/2009
4,sinus infection,none,"Took the brand NOT generic and also took probiotic Culturelle and ate yogurt while taking it. Two years ago I took a generic form of a different antibiotic and had similar side effects that have been posted here, lack of appetite, diarreah,weight loss, severe anxiety, fatiguefelt like I was poisoned. It took 18 months to feel better. I had never had a reaction to any med before. I strongly believe it was from a generic drug. My suggestions never take a generic drug and always take probiotics with antibiotics.",F,56,5 days,11/28/2009
5,Pneumonia from H1N1,Diarrhea,"I love Zithromax. It took the full five days to really notice a difference. It's been 3 days since I took my last pill and I continue to get better and better each day. I had a little diarrhea, but that was all.",F,24,5 days,11/27/2009
4,Mycoplasma (walking pnuemonia),"Stomach pain (always eat a small snack if this happens), fatigue.","Works great, and you only have to take it for 5 days.",F,22,5 days,11/26/2009
1,Strep throat and sinus infection,"Anxiety, heart palpitations, insomnia, upset stomach",I have taken this before and have had anxiety but I started getting heart palpitations the first day after my last dose. It has been three days now and still have them. They don't happen all of the time but when they hit it is scary. Called the emergency room and they didn't think it had anything to do with the antibiotic. Should I be concerned? I have had heart palps in the past but not for several months now. I will not be taking this medicine again.,F,34,5 days,11/26/2009Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Awful racing heart, anxiety, weird thoughts, fatigue","I HATE THIS DRUG! I was on the generic, so I don't know if that's worse or not, but I will NEVER TAKE THIS AGAIN! I could have died!",M,24,4 days,11/26/2009Email
1,sinus infection,"dizziness, light-headedness, stomach pains, bloating, sleepiness, anxiety","After beginning this med, I realized that I had taken it before with the same effects. I teach and by the end of the school day of the 2nd dose, I felt like I was floating to another world. It was rough. I couldn't eat anything, but felt like I was going to get sick if I didn't eat. I couldn't eat more than a few bites at a time though.",F,27,3 days,11/25/2009
5,throat infection,"Fatigue, loss of appetite","Completely cured my extremely sore throat, which had been bugging me for almost a week and seemed to get worse and worse every day. A few hours after the first dose there was suddenly no soreness left in the throat and I felt great. The only downside was the extreme fatigue and loss of appetite, which I haven't experienced with any other antibiotics. I'm pretty sure these can't be symptomps of the infection itself, as it seemed to be cured by the first dose already. The side effects continued for about 5 days. But I would still recommend this drug to anyone because it was just so efficient.",F,31,5 days,11/21/2009
2,Infection,"Brain Fog, blured vision, Nausea",I thought I was goin crazy until I came across this site. Never experienced brain fog from an antibiotic before. Side effects out weigh the benefits. Stopped taking medicine 2 days ago but side effects are still there. Would not take again.,M,35,5 days,11/15/2009
1,respiratory infection,"dizzy, racing heart, higher-than-normal blood pressure, inability to sleep - woken up many times throughout the night with strange, dark thoughts, weakness in legs and aching in lower back, blurred vision, anxiety, night sweats, lack of energy",have a history of anxiety - but nothing like this. has been over two weeks since last dose and still having side effects. REALLY stressed out about how i feel. side effects seems to be cyclical - feel alright for a few days and then spiral back down.,M,42,9 days,11/15/2009
4,For MAC/ NTM lung infection,"I experiended a lot of the same side effects, especially severe cramps, that people have listed until I started taking Jarro-dopphilus (a probiotic) twice a day. I have to stay on a 500 mg dose of zithromax every day for the next 2 years(!) for this mycobacterium infection but with the probiotics I have no side effects. Absolutely none. And the lung infection shows that it's almost cleared up on my chest CTs. You have to continue with 500mg dose at least one year after no sign of infection to make sure it doesn't come back. This is a non-communicable form of TB like organism and you don't want to get this if you can help it.",Make sure to take it with a strong probiotic like Jarro-dophilus.,F,65,180 days,11/07/2009
1,respiratory infection / bronchitis,"Incredible confusion, brain fog","I have taken z-pack before but do not recall this reaction. This is bizarre. I almost feel like I had a stroke, very difficult to spell & write, extreme difficulty concentrating. I even noticed a lisp temporarily this morning. Wondering if I should contact the pharmacy to see if drug might be counterfeit. The respiratory infection I had is definitely better, almost instantly improved, but I feel like a bobble-head. Concerned about driving.",F,58,2 days,11/03/2009
5,Last time pneumonia this time strep,"None last time, this time crying?","It is better than dying by drowning while you're sleeping. You can always take probiotics later if your tummy gets upset. To people who took this drug for lung infection, you will have anxiety because the oxygen levels to your brain were diminished for so long (not being sarcastic, this is just basic brain function). The anxiety is not from the drug, it is from PTSD and your brain not getting nutrients. I had auditory hallucinations from pneumonia BEFORE taking Zithromax. This drug saved my life and kept me out of the hospital.",F,45,5 days,10/28/2009
4,Swine Flu Pneumonia,"Ok, I gave it a 4 because I am getting over the Swine (H1N1) pneumonia because of the generic z-pack made in isreal. I am happy to have the medication, and believe it probably saved my life!!!! HOWEVER, I have had more anxiety and this strange pressure around my eyes with an odd blurred vision problem. I have sweats and dizziness. I have one more day to take this medicine...tomorrow and I hope I make it.","On day 4 - I have to take it one more day. I am thankful that it probably saved my life by helping me get over pneumonia but man, it has not been easy.",F,41,4 days,10/25/2009
1,C.O.P.D. exacerbation,"the worst side effects ever!,severe anxiety,stomach pains,very vivid dreams, complete loss of appetite, bloody diarrhea and so weak, i cant even sit up for very long, i have to go lay down thats just to name a few!!","i started getting a lung infection, went to my Dr, he put me in the hospital for 3 weeks, i was getting I.V. antibiotic, so i was discharged, with a script of generic zithromax i was to take 1 tablet 500mg. for 10 days, followed by levoquin 750mg. for 10 days, THEN followed by doxycycline 500mg. for 10 days! WELL, on day 1 of zithromax i started not feeling to good, that feeling rapidly progressed up to day 6, thats when i stopped the medicine! i was about to just ""lose it"" my poor husband, thank God for him, had to do everything and he waited on me hand & foot, i was so sick and feeling like i was gonna die, this is really bad! its been 2 days since i stopped this stuff, i can tell it was this medicine zithromax, i still cant eat,still have sharp pains, still have the anxiety,but on a scale of 1 to 10, instead of a 10, right now im at a 9 1/2, i sit here and cry, i cant do any thing, every time i try to do any thing, i get light headed, break out in a sweat, & just feel like im gonna die thats the only way i can explain the symptoms i have, i found this web site, and i just couldnt believe what i was reading! something needs to be done about this medication, i have taken the brand name zithromax before, i didnt have these problems, i sure hope i dont need any more meds, i am sure gonna think twice or more before i take them, i hope this feeling doesnt last long, ive read up here that some people are still dealing with side effects weeks & months after!",F,49,6 days,10/21/2009Email
2,bronchitis,"nausea, sharp cramping pains, diarrhea","Used to love this stuff-very easy to take, only 1x per day for 5 days. I always had issues with cramps on the first day, and attributed it to the double dose you have to take to get your body's level up (the trick is, and I am no doctor so follow at your own risk, to take the first days dose about 6-8 hours apart instead of both at once to minimize nasty cramping) . However, these past two times I used it, the cramps are well into the 3rd day and I don't have a solid stool until I am off it a few days. The cramps are very unusual short tensing pains and nothing like you have felt before, and very obviously from the medicine. Even now as all my bronch symptoms are gone, I keep feeling like I'll vomit. Definitely give it a try but it can be too strong for weaker stomach folks.",M,32,4 days,10/20/2009
1,Ear Infection,I got the generic Azithromycin. On the first day I took the dose of two pills. Four hours later I got really sweaty and my heart started pounding! I thought I was going to die! I'm 5'8 and 105 lbs. and I expected to have some kind of side effects but NOTHING like this! My doctor recommended I stop taking it but didnt think it was from the antibiotic...How could it not have been?! It was the ONLY thing I had done differently for weeks!..... Four days later I have no appetite and am getting random bouts of diarreha.. I'm preferring to deal with the ear infection over taking this drug. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS AGONY TO ANYONE! PLEASE GET A DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTIC IF YOU NEED ONE!!!!!,Terrible drug! Should be taken off the shelves!,F,21,1 days,10/20/2009
4,Strep throat and bronchitis,"Heavy gas after taking it. On day 6, received an allergic reaction (Rash all over chest and back).Helped by lanacaine and yougurt? Previous antibiotics for ths problem and pneumonia never bothered me",I will ask my Dr to go back to amoxycillin when I have these problems again,M,77,5 days,10/19/2009
1,strep,"on day three im experiencing anxiety, restless i wake up in the middle of the night, different thought process.....really really weird",,M,21,3 days,10/16/2009
5,ear infection,none,"I'm normally very sensitive to drugs, but through years of taking zithromax, I've never had a bad experience.",F,17,5 days,10/15/2009
1,sinus infection,"Stomach cramping and burning, inability to eat. Broke out in rash/adult acne on my cheeks, which has spread to the center of my face as well. It's been 2 months after, and I am still suffering from indigestion and the rash.","This medicine made me feel awful! While it cleared up my sinus infection after 1 day, it instantly put me to sleep upon taking it. On the second day, my stomach started burning and I felt nauseous all day long and was unable to eat. That night the pain was horrible and it kept me up all night. The following day it was even worse, and I decided to stop taking Zithromax. My stomach continued to burn consistently for a week after. About 1 week later, I broke out in a strange itchy rash on my cheeks that has now spread all over my face. It has been 2 months since I took this medicine, and I am still trying to get rid of this rash, and get my digestive system back in order. I just purchased Pro-biotic supplements today, and am going to see if that will help. I am convinced that the rash/acne and the antibiotics are linked. If you have any insight in this area, feel free to contact me. I want to get my life back to normal!",F,31,3 days,10/12/2009Email
1,strep throat,severe stomach pains immediately after taking the first pill and then vomited--continued stomach problems from then on,"My daughter was given this anitibiotic 5 years ago for strep. Ever since she has had severe stomach issues. She has always been a healthy child with NO stomach problems what so ever until this medication was given. We have been in and out of docotr's offices, pediatric GI specialists, and hospital visits for her severe stomach pains tha thave lasted hours for the past 5 years!!!. I have always known this was the root of her problems and not one doctor has believed this. Instead she has been diagnosed with such things as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Acid Reflux Disease (GERD), to all in her head. She too has developed lactose intolerances and severe sensitivity too anything acidic which we had to find out on our own. Now she must take Nexium and any other type of antacid to help her relieve her pain. Not the way an 11 year old child should have to live their life.
After finding this site and reading posts with symptoms just like my daughters, I am so relieved that I am not crazy and she was really effected by this horrible drug. I know now that we need to but the natural bacteria back into her stomach that was destroyed. Thank you to who put the name of the Doctor and the book that can finally help us help her heal and give her childhood back.",F,7,1 days,10/09/2009
1,Post ingrown toenail surgery,"Horrible diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, severe pounding headache, feel like it hurts to concentrate, can't eat, bloated and gassy, no appetite","This drug should come with a Black Box Warning per the FDA. I have taken Zithromax in the past with no problem, but this time was a real shock. I guess I should have known: took Erythromycin back in May and wound up with colitis. I have diarrhea all day, terrible stomach pain and a headache that pounds and pounds despite all the Tylenol in the world. Fever won't go away, either. I was prescribed the 250 mg pack-500 the first day, then 250 for four days after. I took it for three days, and it's all I can stand. I cannot even leave the house. I do not recommend this antibiotic to anyone. Even Augmentin is better than Zithromax.",F,45,3 days,10/2/2009Email
1,sinus infection,Severe SOB was in E.R. 3 times felt like I was burning up inside don't know if anxiety is from the reaction or from the drug itself. Took Zpack many times without problems before this was the generic form.I am now on my 13th day of not taking and still feeling effects. Spoke to pharmacist who stated it can be in the system for 15 days. Still feel itchy and occasionally SOB. I am a registered nurse. I took a five day course and had a little shortness of breath by day 4 but I have asthma and thought that might be kicking up. My sinus infection didnot go away so they had me start a second Z pack by 2nd day was in severe distress and stopped medication.,Will NEVER take again,F,48,7 days,9/29/2009
1,Very Bad Chest Congestion,Very Strange Anxiety! Still even 9 months later!,"WARNING! Be very careful of this med. It has been 9 months since I took this med. and I still fight the feelings of anxiety that it caused! It was not a typical form of anxiety! I have suffered from past panic attacks and I have O.C.D.! This medicine caused a type of anxiety that was completely foreign to me and I can't seem to rid myself of this feeling of strange anxiety! It is a type of anxiety that is hard to describe, I'm sure most of you will agree! It has caused me to not be able to deal with stressful situations! I have had past anxiety problems but have never not been able to deal with everyday stress! I am warning people to please be careful of this med., especially if you have had any other type of anxiety! I am not sure if this will ever leave me! I have gone through what some of you have gone through! My doctor even told me it could cause this, but did not believe me when it did! I am not the type of person to shed tears normally either! Since taking this med., I can't get them to stop! It is the scariest medicine I have ever taken! It is one thing to get diarhea or stomach cramps! When an antibiotic messes with the mind it should be taken off of the market! Please DON'T continue to take it if you feel any anxiety at all, you could end up where I am, wondering if your life will ever be normal again! Due to the lasting affects I am looking in to a Law Suit. Feel free to leave me a post if you want to be included! Use the word Lawsuit and I will contact you!",F,55,5 days,9/27/2009
5,Acne,none that i can remember,the z pack is the only thing that has ever worked for my acne. tried almost everything. topically and oral. this crap really worked for me,M,26,6 days,9/25/2009
1,zithromax,Wow this is bad. I have NEVER had problems with antibiotic before. The worst case scenerio maybe a little diarrhea. With the azithromyacin I feel as though I am urinating instead of moving my bowels. I know graphic but true. The anxiety is terrible. I have been on edge since day 2 and feeling very dark. I could handle the diarrhea but the anxiety is so bad I can't take it anymore.,,F,29,3 days,9/25/2009
2,Sinus infection,"weakness, foggy brain, some stomach discomfort, aching hips and knee joints.","I had a zpack, steriod shot and 7 days prescribed of azirthomathin. The first night I felt wonderful by day 2 however I had foggy brain and extreme hip and knee joint pain. When I called the doctor to ask about side effects they told me the pain was not related to the medicine but instead I probably slept on my hip wrong. However, it was both hips and knees that hurt. After talking about any reprecussions with my doctor I decided to immediately quit the azirthomician. 3rd day my leg pain was gone but I am still very weak. I am hoping in a day it will get out of my system. I will not take it again.",M,37,2 days,9/24/2009
1,sinus infection,crippling abdominal pains after taking the pill. frequent diarrhea. fatigue. severe headache,,F,17,5 days,9/23/2009
5,bronchitis,"mild nausea on day 1, slightly foggy brain",I was desperate for relief after 6 days of flu were followed by immediate bronchitis. I felt I would never be well again. I was despondent. This generic z-pac has been a God send. My son took it when he had pneumonia and had no ill effects except a little diarrhea - a small price to pay for relief from a lung infection.,F,39,5 days,9/18/2009
1,Pneumonia,"Depersonalisation, anxiety, severe panic attacks, bizarre dreams, night sweats, stomach cramps, taste/smell distortion","Horrible, horrible drug. Didn't fare well with Erithromycin either. Clarithromycin worked better than both - but not much.",M,29,3 days,9/18/2009
3,Chronic Lyme,"Anxiety, night sweats, strange dreams, weird sound in ears","I have chronic lyme and began a 3 month dosage of Azythromicin (generic zpak) a few months back for sinusitus with tinitus and some anxiety. It took away all of those symptoms but I had night sweats that woke me up 5-6 times a night(on the nights I didn't have insomnia) and heart pounding..stopped taking it and began tetracycline (nightsweats and pounding heart stopped) Fine, until I added Azthromycin back to the mix...severe anxiety at night,waking an hour after falling asleep in complete panic with very strange weird dreams..to the point where I found this website because I thought I was loosing it. Could be the mix of meds, but pharmacist says ""no cross reaction noted in literature""..yikes this stuff can make you loopy!!! I would never mix this combo again. Be careful.",F,47,45 days,09/01/2009
4,upper resp. infection,On the first day I had some sharp pains in my stomache. They were severe for about 20 minutes. I also had a little diarrhea.,The side effects I had were much better then the illness I was experiencing. I am allergic to omoxycillin and therefore have taken many z-packs in the past. I am overall satisfied with the product,F,23,5 days,8/29/2009
1,Respitory Infection,"Extreme Nausea, stomach cramps, anxiety, and lack of appetite","I would never take this again. The side effects are horrible and I only took it for 2 days. Stopped taking it four days ago and I still feel weak, nauseated, and anxious. I am trying to get my strength back but it is an uphill battle.",F,41,2 days,8/20/2009
1,Bronchitis,ANXIETY,Went to ER on day 2 pill of 3. Extreme sweating fatigue feeling morbid. Evil spirit drug made by witches! This is not good. Be prepared for HELL! I am a strong man and this almost killed me. No more medicines for me. I took this in the past and it did not do this. Generics from some place trying to kill people. Maybe Big Pharma getting people sick with mental illness. Stay away to stay sane! Some people dont get the contaminated kind of Z pac.,M,34,2 days,8/17/2009Email
1,sinus/ear infection,"extreme fatigue,dizziness,weak,horrible nightmares,stomach pain",i was prescribed the 5 day pack. i had stomach pain after the first 2 pill dose. about 12 after the second dose i felt like i was taking strong pain pills or something because i couldn't stay stay awake for anything. i slept and slept basically for a day now. i felt like i was gonna die like i wouldn't wake up when i went to sleep because of how weak and fatigued i feel. could hardly move. i had many nightmares while i was asleep. i dont usually even remember dreaming. i was dizzy anytime i got up today. felt kinda like i would faint. very scary. nice to know i'm not the only one. seems like it's more of a poison. i dont want to take the rest. this is my second try i had a reaction to cephalexin too. hope theres another antibiotic because both of my ears are infected now. email me if you would like.,F,26,2 days,8/15/2009Email
3,"strep throat, severe ear pain",i was put on the zpack after using another drug for 3 days that just made my symptoms worse. a couple days ago i noticed little bumps on my arms but thought nothing of it. i just took the 5th and final dose today and the bumps on my arms are getting worse. it has spread to my legs and seems to be getting itchy like hives. the last time i took this drug (about 2 years ago) i never had a reaction.,it helped a lot clearing up my symptoms but if i'm now going to get a rash i won't be taking it again.,F,27,5 days,08/11/2009
1,pnemonia,"Headache, anxiety, feelings of doom, fatigue,",I had taken this drug previously w/o any side effects. Took the generic version this time. NEVER AGAIN. I am still experiencing side effects 7 days after d/c meds.,F,47,3 days,7/23/2009
3,strep throat,"horrible pain in my stomach.. feels like hunger but I can't eat , headache .. bloating and gas ...","I've taken this drug before and never had any probems , however when I started it on July 2nd it was the generic .. today I started the ZPack and just took my first dose.. I'm wondering if the side effects are from the generic brand only ..",F,40,5 days,7/17/2009Email
1,ear infection,"headache, uncontrollable crying, paranoia, emotional hyper-sensitivity, suicidal thoughts, sleeplessness, vivid disturbing dreams, audio and visual hallucinations, easily frustrated","On the 4th night of use I thought I was loosing my mind. I called a number of behavioral health professionals after a sleepless night with 5 hours of crying and wild graphic dreams. I could barely speak on the phone from crying. I looked online for causes of crying uncontrollably since I had no rational reason or sadness and found many people have experienced this same effect from the drug. I would not have connected the two and might have gone into serious psychiatric counseling for no reason. I called my doctor and said I was taking myself off because of the side effects. He didn't think the drug was the problem. He asked me if I had recently broken up with a boyfriend. No. So ridiculous. I told him I didn't get the connection until I looked up my symptoms on the internet. I went down the list of symptoms and even added I had experienced vivid dreams and paranoia while on larium, which paled in comparison. While he knew about the side effects of Larium, he still did not think these effects were related to z-pack- I took the generic azithromycin- and said I should get immediate help from a psychiatrist. He asked if I had recently lost a job or experienced the loss of a loved one. No and No. He just would not accept them as side effects of the drug and kept pressing some ""issue"" that would have caused this experience.",F,30,4 days,7/15/2009
3,Media Otitis,"I've been having stomach pains, diarreah that was blackish in color, and slight dizziness. Besides that, this medication HAS helped the terrible pressure on my ear go away. My ear feels better, but these side effects are taking place now. I am going to continue to take these meds, hopefully this doesn't last though.",I'm giving it a 3 because it did get the job almost done so far.,F,13,5 days,07/05/2009
1,Pneumonia,"Diarrhea, migraine headache, fever, face rash, insomnia, fatigue","The side effects made me feel worse. I called the doctor after the second dose (250 mg Z-pak) and asked to discontinue the medication. They said to take half a pill every other day. It's been 5 days since the last pill and I still have diarrhea and face rash that won't go away. I would not recommend this to anyone, except as a last resort.",F,43,5 days,07/05/2009
5,Infection following oral surgery,None.,"No unpleasant side effects whatsoever. I typically have GI problems with antibiotics (diarehhea, stomach cramps, etc.). Be sure to take an acidophilis supplement and eat lots of yogurt. I did and I had no side effects.",F,34,5 days,07/01/2009
1,Sinus Infection,"Worst diarrhea ever!, nausea, lightheadedness, no appetite, frequent urination, rapid weight loss, emotional (crying, feeling that I was going to die!)","I will NEVER take this drug again! I am a healthy, 24 year old female and have always suffered with my sinuses. My doctor prescribed a Z-Pack to help get rid of the sinus infection. First day I was fine but on second day, I had horrible diarrhea. By day three, I could not go to work and missed over a week and a half. I quit taking Z-Pack on day three and it has been a week already and am still experiencing mild diarrhea and some nausea. Still not eating well either. They are running some tests to see why I am not getting back to normal. DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION! I know I never will ever again.",F,24,3 days,6/25/2009
1,sinus infxn,"dizziness, lightheaded, heart racing, chest pains","Side effects started on day 2, literally thought I was dying at work. Got really lightheaded, felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. Sat down drank some cold water- symptoms went away after about 10 minutes. It is now day 5 and I am still having these episodes. Like an idiot I finished the medication- never again! Thank goodness for this website b/c I thought I was crazy!",F,31,5 days,6/21/2009
3,Inner ear infection,"Stomach pain on the first night, weird taste in mouth",I took my first dose of this stuff yesterday and it made my stomach feel weird but I went to sleep and didn't really notice unless I was awake. I took some more today and it did make me really hungry. My digestive system seems a little off but nothing that severe. I have a headache but that could be from the ear infection itself. Otherwise it looks like I won't have any horrible reactions to this drug. The only thing I can't stand is this bizarre taste in my mouth THAT WON'T GO AWAY. It's gross.,F,,,6/20/2009
2,strep throat,Bad insomnia and sleeplessness. feelings of being unwell like i was dying.stomack dicomfort. nausea.headache and neck stiffness,I have taked z pac before and it didn't do this. it missed up my stopmach somewhat but not all this. i'm on day 5 and my throat is still hurting it looks clear when i look at it but still hurts. I occured to me today that I think this is the first time i'm have been given the generic version. wonder if thats the difference? Am I ever going to be well again?,M,42,5 days,6/13/2009
1,Broncitis,"Insomnia, Dehydration, Urine retention, Anxiety, Feelings of dieing, low self esteem, thoughts of severe depression.","Would never take this drug again. It also reacted with my Acid reflex medicine. Very bad reaction when given pepcid in the hospital. I started to feel that I wasn't myself. I was someone else and I wanted OUT. I had to be sedated with an even worse medication. My parents kept trying to tell the doctors that I had a bad reaction to the Zpak along with my acid reflex medicines, and then the pepcid, but the doctors refused to admit or agree with them. Finally all medications were stopped and I was able to go home from the hospital. The doctors are making me see a phyciatrist before going back to work. No doctor will admit the effects that I experienced were caused by the Zpak interacting with my acid reflex medicine or just the effects of the Zpak. After reading the side effects here, I know now that they are all in bed with the drug companies and they don't really care about their patients. Just wait until something like this happens to one of their children or themselves. I am recovering but still have some anxiety and hope that it will leave me soon. I also hope that I do not loose my job over this. Prayers helped me get through this, and I thank God that he stood by me throughout this ordeal. I know some people can take the Zpak with no side effects, and that is good for them, but I can not and I almost lost my life. Everyone's body chemistry is different and therefore everyone should think twice before taking any medication.",M,28,4 days,06/07/2009
2,Strep throat,"Explosive diarrhea, insatiable hunger pains",Basically the same reaction I had to Erythromycin but out the other end... hyuk hyuk. Stopped taking this junk after 1 dose.,F,21,1 days,5/29/2009
2,Prostatitus,"Around day 5, started having anxiety & feelings of doom, pounding heart, incredibly long-lasting insomnia... I would startle awake whenever I'd start to fall asleep. Chills and flu-like feelings for weeks after taking the drug. Night sweats for about a week. Very frequent urination & thirst for about 3 or 4 days while taking the drug. Fair amount of discomfort in the muscles of my lower back for almost 2 months.","I am reposting for those with insomnia & anxiety to give some hope: After about 3 months, I'm finally getting 5-6 hours un-interrupted sleep w/o the help of a prescription anti-histamine (Atarax). Have taken Azithromycin before w/ no problems, but this was the first time using the generic. 2 months of anxiety- Have never had anxiety like this before; believed I was not going to make it. Had the chills & ""malaise"" for a good 6 weeks. Things were so bad that it's hard to believe they got better. I think the problems might be related to the generic- The first few years of reports in this forum rarely mention anxiety or insomnia, and the generics started coming out in 2006- There are many more reports like mine after that.",M,48,10 days,5/26/2009Email
1,SINUS INFECTION,"TACHYCARDIA-RAPID HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE SHOT UP, INSOMNIA, MUSCLE CRAMPS, CHRONICE FATIGUE, ANXIETY + PANIC ATTACKS, RINGING IN EARS, RAPID WEIGHT LOSE,TOO MANY MORE TO LIST.",MAY 2008 TOOK 2 PILLS ON FIRST DAY OF GENERIC BRAND AND WAS IN HOSPITAL ER 24 HOURS LATER BECAUSE MY HEART WAS GOING WILD AKA TACHYCARDIA. DR SAID I WAS POSSIBLY HAVING A HEART ATTACK. INSOMNIA SOON FOLLOWED. IT COMPLETLEY DISRUPTED MY SLEEP CYLCES WHERE I WOULD AWAKE AFTER 1 HOUR OF SLEEP NO MATTER WHAT I TRIED. DR'S WILL TELL YOU THAT IT CANT CAUSE THESE SYMPTOMS BUT THEY ARE WRONG. I HAD NEVER THE SLIGHTEST SLEEP PROBLEM MY ENTIRE LIFE. NEVER HAVE USED AN ALARM CLOCK MY WHOLE LIFE THATS HOW WELL MY SLEEP/WAKE PATTERN WAS. NEVER ANY ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS EVER IN MY LIFE AS WELL. ALL THESE SYMPTOMS STARTED WITHIN 24 HRS OF MY FIRST AND ONLY 2 ZPACK PILLS. THATS NOT SOME COINCIDENCE. IT HAS TAKEN ALMOST ONE YEAR FOR SYMPTOMS TO IMPROVE ENOUGH TO FUNCTION AGAIN AS A NORMAL PERSON. MY FAMILY LITERALLY WATCHED ME ALMOST WASTE AWAY TO NOTHING FOR FIRST 6 MONTHS WITH NO HELP FROM DR'S EXCEPT TO PRESCRIBE ANTI-DEPRSSANTS OR ANTI-ANXIETY PILLS WHICH MADE THINGS EVEN WORSE AND TO MAKE BIG PHARMA MORE MONEY. IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH DR'S. THEY WONT BELIEVE YOU ANYWAY AND WILL PRESCRIBE STUFF THAT WILL MAKE YOU WORSE OFF. EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT TO HEAR MORE ON HOW I FINALLY STARTED TO HEAL.,M,37,1 days,5/26/2009Email
1,bronchitis,"Anxiety attacks, depression, loss of sleep, don't want to sleep cause i think i'm doing to die,stomach problems, always tired Dont take this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!",I took the five day prescription and i felt worst then before. I finish my 5 day prescription almost 2 weeks ago and I still am feeling the side effects!!!!!!!! The doctor told me it stays in your system for ten days but i think they really dont know how long it does.I dont know what this stuff is but its not good.,M,30,5 days,5/25/2009Email
1,Bad throat,"Severe stomach pain, some diarrhea, some nausea.","I have taken this in the past with no issue, but this time, a few hours after the first dose I got some diarrhea, a bit nauseous, and a seriously unbearable stomach ache.
As I would be travelling within a few days to India and could not have any cough or fever etc (they would quarantine me for 3-6 days to test for swine flu), I decided to take the second day's dosage, this time making sure I ate properly. Bad mistake because I got the nausea and severe stomach ache again, but not the diarrhea (which I hoped for as it would've given me some relief).
This is day 3 (and I won't take any more now). I found this site because I'm looking to see if I can take something OTC to help relieve the residual stomach pain.",M,42,2 days,5/25/2009
1,Ear Infection,"Terrible stomach pains as soon as ingested. it caused SEVERAL YEARS OF SEVERE STOMACH PROBLEMS, for which I just solved by reading posts on this site.","This med was given to my two year old son. After taking this medication my son immediatly had stomach problems so bad that we had to discontinue against medical advice. No one should have to endure this much pain. The constant pain disapaited after discontinuing use. Then he had constant stomach pains, especially at meal time. He was alway hungry in the middle of the night. Every night he would wake up hungry. I was getting irratable with the lack of sleep and so was he. The stomach pain got worse and my son was exhausted. He was always moody and he was not gaining weight. Numerous blood tests did not disclose that the Zithormax had killed all the benifical bacteria in his stomach. He was not able to properly digest the food. He was diagnosed with irratable gut.. and tested for extremely lactose intollerant. He had to take Prevacid every day and Lactose every time he wanted to ingest dairy. He had been to over 10 doctors. Including a Rhuemetologist, as he was now 5 with severe leg pains and non of them knew the cause was the Prevacid. There were a ton of other side effects that he obtained, the root was the Zithromax and the secondary was the side effects from the Prevacid. After reading a post on this site 2 months ago recommending: Sherry A. Rogers MD writes a book on this called ""No More Heartburn Stop the pain in 30 Days Naturally"" , my son is now free of both the Prevacid and the Lactaid.",M,5,2 days,5/22/2009
1,sinus pain,"ELBOWS VERY PAINFUL 2ND DAY DOSE , WHAT A HORRIBLE DRUG",,M,44,2 days,5/22/2009
1,"strep throat, mono","gas, abdominal pains","I took a 5 day pack to combat a little strep throat when I had mono and to ""take care of"" anything else that I might have had. I will never take this again. I took the pack two months ago and I'm still suffering from gas and stomach pain. It's not unbearable but it's uncomfortable enough to cause distress.",F,20,5 days,5/19/2009
4,mumps,"mild diarrhea, stomach cramps","I was diagnosed with the mumps caused by a bacterial infection. The doctor originally prescribed Augmentin but it made me extremely sick to my stomach (nausea, stomach cramps, gas, the worst case of diarrhea ever). I could only stand the side effects 2 days before I called the doctor back and asked for something else. He prescribed azithromycin this time. While I do have some of the same symptoms as I did on the Augmentin, they are much milder and more tolerable.",F,32,4 days,5/17/2009
1,sinus problem,joint aches in elbows,"day 2 on medrol dose pak and z-pak and i wake up with elbow discomfort , not sure if its the medrol or zpak",M,43,2 days,5/17/2009
4,sinusitis/ear infections,Mild stomach upset & diahreea. Slight increase to my normal back pain. Seems to have cleared out the sinus/ear infection very quickly. 3-dayy zpak.,"I typically experience really really severe stomach cramps with Emycin - so was worried about taking this drug. It did cause mild stomach upset & diahreea, but nothing terrible. I also did experience an increase to my normal back/hip pain, but nothing unmanageable. So though I totally believe everyone who has had horrible side effects from this drug (as I have from other antibiotics -namely Keflex), some people can apparently take this drug without terrible problems. Happily, hopefully, I'm one of them.",F,48,3 days,05/04/2009
5,Sinus/ respiratory infection,Dry mouth. little gassy,"This product was a god sent to me, I did not have any of the side effects that where being describe here. In two days I was feeling sooo much better. I would recomend this product. I stumbled on this site because I was looking to see if I could drink beer on day 5 of taking this. Sorry to here about all the bad stuff and GI things, but my experience was very good.",M,39,4 days,05/01/2009
4,Pneumonia,"Stomach upset, gas, promotion of GERD problems such as acid reflux, and because of bloating and stomach pain - and increase in breathlessness and overall shallowness of breath which made the pneumonia worse at times.","You have to weigh pain on pain. If taking the drug is worse than the problem it is solving then stop - find another way. That being said pneumonia is just one of those long, dragging, miserable illnesses that just goes on forever and ever. Weeks and weeks go by and it just takes forever to go away. Zithromax helps by targeting the rather unique micro-organisms (that are not bacteria). How can this not help you? It shortens the duration of pneumonia for most people - but there is a price. Everything has a price. For me, it is upsetting other GI problems I have and it is painful at times. It is even making breathing worse at times because my stomach is pressing up against my diaphragm due to bloating and this is making the breathing harder. But I would rather suffer a few days with this with the possibility that the pneumonia could be wiped out. Theres a reason why people have a strong reaction to the word ""pneumonia"" - it sucks plain and simple. Zithromax seems to be helping.",M,32,5 days,4/24/2009
1,Sinus Infection,"About an hour after 1st double dose the left side of my face (cheek bone)ached, severe headache, teeth and gums hurt on left side. After 2nd dose all of the above got worse but Im now having sweats. Thats when I made the connection. The sinus infection was only aggravating, the pain Im in from the generic z-pack is ridiculous! Besides the pain Im very irritable.",,M,47,2 days,4/24/2009
1,sore throat,dizziness loss of awareness slower heart rate very awkward,no diarrhea took with food sore throat was gone after 1st day but was taken of the medicine,M,20,1 days,4/23/2009Email
5,infected cyst,diarrhea,Began to clear infection after only 1 dose. No other side effects.,F,36,3 days,4/22/2009
4,Possible sinus infection,"Mild nausea on the first day, minor fatigue","I had the generic z-pack. The side effects were VERY mild, and it did seem to help what was only a ""possible"" sinus infection. I'm usually very sensitive to medication, and don't have the strongest stomach, but my side effects were minimal. I'm astounded at all the horror stories listed here! I'm glad I didn't read them BEFORE taking the z-pack!",M,32,5 days,4/22/2009
3,Double-ear infection,"Anxiety, intense stomach cramps, severe nausea to the point of gagging, loss of taste, insomnia, dizziness","I think in the past I have had the normal Z-pack, but this time I was prescribed the generic brand. I thought I was going psycho. On day 3 I developed the stomach cramps and felt dizzy and ill. Today is day 4 and I had to call in sick at work again due to being in intense pain in my stomach and not getting any sleep last night. I'm going to finish the drug because my ear infection is going away. But, wow.. not fun side effects!",F,30,4 days,4/13/2009
1,Resp Infection,"Tightening in Chest, Severe PANIC ATTACKS, funny feeling on head & scalp, ringing in ears, BELCHING, feeling of dread, issues w/sleeping, abdominal discomfort, nausea, feeling like I can't breath....","I just took another dose, before reading this site, so have atleast another 24 hours of hell. I had no idea an antibiotic could cause all this issues. I thank God for this site, cuz I thought I was losing my mind. I will never, never take this again. The Anxiety is almost unbareable. I have literally had 2 panic full blown panic attacks, which are horrible. And feel totally in a fog, like I am not connected to my body. When I sleep it feels like I wont be able to wake up, it like a deep sleep that is actually scary as hell.
I can not wait till this is over. Thank you for sharing you side effects, for at the least I know I aint crazy. Next time just good ole amoxicillin for me. I will make sure this is never prescribed to my son, I pity anyone that ever has to go thru this. I hate the feeling, OMG, I hate it...",F,41,3 days,4/12/2009Email
1,strep throat,"On the first day, I felt intense chest pains that began in line at the grocery store and ended by the time I got to my car. Not making a connection, I took a second dose the next day. Within a few hours, I broke out in hives, started sneezing like crazy, had difficulty breathing, like an allergy attack. Had more heart pains. I thought I might have to go to the ER--I was feeling really baaaaaad. Called my doctor who thought it might be an allergic reaction. I stopped taking it, took another antibiotic, and got better. I'll never take Zithromax again!!!",,F,42,2 days,04/08/2009
1,respiratory infection,"9 y.o. daughter prescribed susp. 200/5ml 1tsp day 1 and 1/2 tsp remaining 4 days. Day 1 experienced extreme stomach cramping - started w/in 5 mins of dose lasting approx 1 hr. slight diarreah shortly after. Day 3 return of stomach cramps and are now accompanied by ear ringing, chest pain, muscle cramps, lightheaded which started on day 4 dose and persisting currently even though last dose was taken 4 days ago (Friday- today is Tuesday)","Given what I've read, this seems to be a terrible drug. I will never allow my children to be prescribed this medicine again. I have been so scared for her the last few days.",F,9,5 days,04/07/2009
1,Chest Cold,Extreme sickness worse than the chest cold,"I would not recommend anyone using this drug unless you like being extremely sick
This is another drug produced to make money not make people well
Made cheaply in Africa",M,44,5 days,04/07/2009
1,Sinus infection,"Strong Anxiety, stomach pain and diarrhea.",This is the worse drug I have ever taken. I will NEVER take this again. The percentages of side effects they have are totally off especially based on what I see here. I took the first dosage of 2 pills and one today and I am done with it. I would rather have the sinus infection. Horrible. Do not take it!!! I would rather be dead right now.,F,30,2 days,04/07/2009
1,bronchitis,"muffled hearing in both ears, pain in upper stomach, excessive belching, diarrhea, nausea, and breaking out in a sweat throughout the day","I took the 5 day dose. During the actual 5 day dose time I noticed the change in my hearing. Otherwise, no side effects during the days I actually took it. Immediately at the 10 day mark when the drug is suppose to begin to leave your system I experienced horrible diarrhea, extreme upper stomach pain, constant belching and waves of nausea. I would also break out in a sweat off and on throughout the day. I took the drug for bronchitis, and although it did help clear up the bronchitis, I will never take the stuff again. It's been 10 days sice I took my last of the 5 day dose and I am still struggling with the side effects.",F,46,5 days,04/03/2009
5,prior to dental surgery,none,my stomach is senstive to lots of antibiotics but i can take this one with no problems...i also like that it's just one a day for five days,F,39,5 days,3/30/2009
3,bronchitis,"stomach cramps, major gas, muscle ache, headaches, fatigue, breaking out in sweat sporadically","really did not want to take this medicine as i have had problems with antibiotics before but bronchitis could be serious so i did. ive had terrible gas and stomach pains and oddly i would get headaches and break out in sweat. i have been eating a lot of yogurt though to prevent what had happened before, otherwise i might have gotten diarrhea. they told me to take it for 8 days but i will be stopping at 5. but i have been getting better i'll say that...",F,16,8 days,3/29/2009
5,Bronchitis,None,I was on the 5 day plan and it worked beautifully. No side effects whatsoever.,M,50,5 days,3/28/2009
3,9 year old son with sinus infection,"2 to 3 hours after taking the medicine, he would get pains in his stomach. On the last nite of taking the med, he had terrible pains and diarrhea..�",,,,5 days,3/28/2009
2,Strep Throat,"Ringing in the ears, muscle pain.","I have taken this drug before w/o any problems. This time, I have terrible ringing in my ears and muscle pain in my lower back and right at the top of my butt muscles. Very strange. It feels like I have worked 24 hours straight in the yard! Tired back and butt muscles. I did not have any of this the first time I took this antibiotic.",F,47,5 days,3/26/2009Email
1,bronchitus,"Soon after the first two pill does, I was warm all over, dizzy and nautious. Lasted for hours so I did NOT take anymore.",I will never take this again!!,F,44,1 days,3/24/2009
5,"chest , throat and sinus infection",diarrhea two times,It works quickly usually one to 3 days and only is needed for 5 days.,F,36,5 days,3/23/2009
3,bronchitis,Occassional diarhea and abdominal pian,Could have been worse I guess,M,26,5 days,3/20/2009
2,Prostatitis,"At day 5, anxiety started. Then frequent urination & very thirsty. INSOMNIA. Flu-like feelings / chills. Bloating.","Have taken Z-Packs before with no problem...This was 1st time for generic (Made in Mumbai, per the packages). It's been just over a month, and can now sleep 5 hours a night, up from 1-2 hours, 3 weeks ago. Have asked others here, they say it will take a couple more months to get back to 7 hours of sleep. Man, I hope so. After sleeping 5 hours, will awaken, and every time I start to return to sleep, I experience an emotional ""jolt"", and return to wakefulness. Miserable.",M,47,10 days,3/19/2009Email
1,acute bronchitis,"severe anxiety, insomnia, feeling of being unwell",I had some symptoms the first two days but on the second night it hit me like a sledgehammer. I was awake the entire night and experiencing acute anxiety. I called my doctor and discontinued the medication. It is now a week and two days since I started the medication and I am still experiencing insomnia and anxiety. I just don't feel like myself and wonder if I will ever again... very depressing. I have a few moments when things aren't so bad and then it is back again with a vengance.,,,,3/19/2009
3,sinus infection,stomach cramps and nausea - tired feeling.,"5 day generic. I had taken it before, but not sure if the first time was generic. It really helped clear up the sinus infection/cough, but the medicine gave me bad stomach cramps and nausea. I finished the medicine on friday and now it's sunday and I still have the side effect symptoms. Will I have to wait until the drug is out of my system to feel relief from the nausea and stomach cramps? I felt like I could tough it out for the 5 days, but when will it end?",F,52,5 days,3/15/2009
1,Sinus Infection,"Nausea, dizziness, anxiety, general ""sick"" feeling.","I've taken Zithromax in the past with no problem, but this time they gave me the generic and I've had all sorts of problems with it. Every time I took a pill I became very sick, and then on day 2 or 3 I started having night time anxiety attacks. I jumped out of bed yelling one night while I was still mostly asleep! I've suffered with general anxiety most of my life, but I know how to control it, and it's never been like this! DO NOT TAKE this medicine if you've got anxiety disorders!",F,38,5 days,3/13/2009
5,ear infection,nothing!,i love this stuff! this is the only medicine that leaves me with no horrible side effects.,F,17,7 days,03/11/2009
1,Bronchitis,"Within 90 minutes of my first liquid dose, horrible and sudden stomach pain followed by bouts of diarrhea. I was up all night with difficulty breathing and heart racing. Got up this morn to a nice rash all over tops of both arms and across my back. Will not continue taking this crap. Will try homeopathic remedies.Alot of doctors are all in bed with the Pharma Companies and their dishonesty and lack of integrity is sickening. Wonder if they would feed their families this poison?",My RX in now deep sixed.,F,50,1 days,03/11/2009
1,Sinus Infection,Man! I thought I had lupus or some kind of kidney problems or something! I went in for a routine sinus infection and have been DESTROYED by this drug. Luckily I work from home...,"Getting into months two now -- SIDE EFFECTS: Anxiety, Fever Dreams, Paranoia, Depression, Intestinal pain, Distorted Vision, Dizziness, Fatigue, Exaustion, Break out on forehead (where I've never broken out before!), joint and muscle aches, and a kind of fungal infection on my hands, making them red, blotchy and scaly (again, I've never had any skin problems in my life!). FOr anyone with the hand issue, Hydrocoritisone helps. The break out goes away with lots of working out and sweating. Drink LOTS and LOTS of water every day. My symptoms have only improved through exercise and H20...
I will never again take an antibiotic that only lasts for 5 days. That's insane! It's only the 4th time I've ever had to take antibiotics in my life! This stuff is designed for antibiotic junkies or something...",M,30,5 days,3/10/2009Email
1,Strep Throat,"Severe Anxiety, dizziness, heaviness in my chest, trouble sleeping, rapid heart beat that feels like it may explode through my chest, fatigue",I am so glad that I found this website because I have been contemplating going to the ER all day but don't really want to because I have never had heart problems and only started having symptoms since I started taking this medicine. I have taken this before with no side effects other than I usually needed a second antibiotic to completely clear up the infection (I am prone to ear infections),F,41,5 days,03/09/2009
5,Acute pneumonia (outpatient),"None, except that it made my brain go on vacation. It was good, I couldn't remember stuff so I just didn't do much of anything for a few days. I MAY have experienced auditory hallucinations in the middle of the night, while in a semi-dreaming state. I don't do well on drugs at all, so I'm surprised and somewhat ashamed that I took to this drug like a duck to water. I did have a sudden craving for organic yogurt so that may have been my saving grace, because I always pay attention to and indulge in food cravings.","I felt much better within a day. :-)
It is a cheap drug and great for people without health insurance who don't care if they wander around the house for a few days in a dizzy state of non-remembering.",F,45,3 days,03/08/2009
1,Sinus infection.,"Dia-freaking-ria, massive knotted stomach cramps at the base of my rib cage, similar to birth contractions that kept reoccuring when hungry.","The first time I took this medication, no problem. However, the second round five months later, forget it! I would have rather taken poison!",F,28,3 days,03/03/2009
1,Sinus Infection,Extreme depression,"I have taken Zithromax several times for sinus infections. The first couple of times I took it, I thought it was just a coincidence-or the sinus infection, that I was depressed while on ZPak. I finally realized that each time I've taken it, I get VERY depressed. I cannot take it.",F,44,7 days,03/01/2009
1,Sinus infection,"SEVERE adominal pain, watery diarrhea, uneasy feeling, insominia, bloating","Did my headache go away? Absolutely! But I will take that 100xs over the side effects I am experiencing now. I have to lay perfectly still to offset the stomach pain I am experiencing. I took 2 pills the first day only to have major diarreah 3 times in half hour. I took the 2nd day dose of one pill and have had nothing but the most incredible gas and noises along with sharp almost unbearable pains in my stomach. I will not continue this prescription! 24 hours since my last pill and I can't wait till this is out of my system. Doctors told me it is very tolerable, but they obviously have to read all these comments. DO NOT give this to a baby or child!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!",F,42,2 days,3/1/2009Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Anxiety, Photophobia, Depersonalization, Dizziness",The worst drug I've ever taken. It's been eight months and I'm still struggling with the symptoms initialized by this drug.,F,41,3 days,2/28/2009Email
2,sinus infection,"For 6-8 hours after taking the medication I feel horrible. I feel as though the medication is kicking my butt....my head is foggy, my energy is zero, almost as though I have a flu or something...6-8 hours after taking it I get better until the next dose. Might be because the medication is strong, only one pill a day",,F,51,4 days,2/26/2009
1,Bronchitis/sinus infection,"Serious diarrhea every day that I took this, usually 20-30 minutes after taking it and 1 or 2 more times during the day, resulting in rushing to the bathroom. I couldn't go to work because it was so bad. Severe lower left back pain, starting on day 1 and getting worse as the day progressed; waking up each day after that, the pain was worse than the day before. I could not sit down anywhere comfortably, walking hurt, I would get severe sharp pains as well as constant pain. Severe abdominal cramps on day 3, which was the last day I took this. When walking, I had to hold my stomach because the pain was so bad. For a continuous 30 minutes on day 3, my stomach made the loudest noises I've ever had. On day 3, my face took on a reddish tint. On what would have been day 4 (except that I did not take the medicine), I developed a red rash with small blisters right over the spot in my lower back that had been hurting since day 1. Fatigue every day. Severe headache on day 1 only. Severe dehydratio",I can stand a lot of pain but I spent most of the evening of day 3 crying from the pain. I took the 250 mg 5-day pack but stopped after day 3. I will never take this medicine again.,F,55,3 days,2/26/2009
3,Upper Respiratory Infection,None noticed.,"I took the 3-dose Z-pack 500mg each. Although I probably have a recurring URI issue, this medication seemed to help for the time being.",M,44,3 days,2/25/2009
5,Bronchitis,Slight nausea on Days 1 and 2,"After reading the comments here (after I begain taking the drug) I was almost scared to continue taking it. However, I consider myself fortunate to have had a positive experience with the medication. While I did have some nausea, I realize that as with road construction, sometimes things have to get a little more bumpy before they get a lot smoother. So I dealt with the nausea. By Day 3, I was no longer showing symptoms of the bronchitis. I was no longer coughing up blood, coughing up phlegm all day and all night. It really ""dried me up"". I'm glad that I took the medication. I guess it really is a patient by patient basis on how people respond to the drug.",M,36,5 days,2/22/2009
2,Strep Throat,"Insomnia, anxiety,diarrhea,loss of appetite Started taking it Monday of this week and haven't slept yet. Had severe anxiety while trying to force myself to sleep. I finally checked out the side effects on-line and found this site. I really put me at ease at 3am this morning when I read other people were having similar side effects. I was ready to go to the hospital!",,M,43,5 days,2/20/2009
2,sinus infection,"Headache, and my face has broken out in a red rash.I am only on the 250mg z pack. I have had 2 doses and I am not feeling much better. I am wondering if this dose is correct for me.",,F,45,2 days,2/19/2009
1,"Severe cough, flu/cold symptoms","I took the double dose the first night with food, and the next dose (single pill) the second night. That night I experienced severe chest discomfort and extreme anxiety that honest almost prompted a call to 911. Now, my throat burns and I am enjoying some moderate to extreme stomach discomfort. I have never experienced a reaction to any drug, so this (pardon the use of the term) freaked me out.","Called my doctor, who indicated that they had never heard of anyone really having a reaction. Lucky me, eh? I will never use this stuff again, agreeing with previous posters who note that the illness was far less of a burden than the side effects.",M,50,2 days,2/19/2009
2,Throat infection,"First dose, diarrhea. Second dose, diarrhea and ""fever dreams."" Third dose, general restlessness.","On the 5 day dose. It didn't even bring down my fever, so the doctor switched me over to Augmentin. Apparently, z-pac resistance is pretty common in Colorado.",F,24,3 days,2/18/2009
1,NGU,Took a one time 1gram shot on 1/26/09. Been trippin for the past two weeks.,Diareha/ANXIETY/ peeking out my window sometimes/ lol Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,M,30,1 days,2/17/2009
2,bronchitis- ongoing cough,"I did not realize I would suffer panic attacks taking this
medication. I was on the five day pack and began noticing
terrible jitteriness and heart palpitations on and off by
the second dose. I could not sleep the night of the 3rd dose
and just finished the fifth dose yesterday, but woke this a.m. with
severe nervousness, racing heart, and extreme anxiety. My body felt like it was in overdrive. Thank
goodness I found this site; otherwise, I would be in the emergency room. I will not take this medication again. It is
too scarey.",,F,63,5 days,02/11/2009
1,bronchitis,I posted on this site earlier with side effects of severe anxiety and horrible abdominal pain. Do not take this drug if you have ever been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder-it'll bring it right back.,"I wanted to tell people out there that have had a relapse in anxiety symptoms that there is hope. Although it took me almost 6 months to get better it did happen. I have been on amino acid therapy for the past 4 months which resulted in an almost cessation of my anxiety. It is amazing. Please E-mail me if you have any questions. This drug has ruined many lives, but it doesn't have to be a permanent thing.
Good Luck To Everyone!",F,29,4 days,2/1/2009Email
1,Bronchitis,"Where do i start Anxiety,Light headedness, Felling tired, Pain in my chest, Pounding heartbeat,Feeling like i was going out of my mind, stomach pain, Diareha.",I work in the medical field i had been diagnosed with Bronchitis. I am a 100% healthy guy.I started taking z-pac 5 pill dose. After the first day i started becoming anxious and having chest pains. Ive never had these symptoms before i landed myself a medical profesional in the ER scared as crap feelings of doom. The dr told me i was having a anxiety attack and that i should continue to take the z-pac i did. WRONG IDEA i had a major anxiety attack started crying for no reason. Major Diarreha. Finished my last dose 2 days ago and im just waiting for it to leave my system. It will take time it continues to work days 6 through 10 so i got 3 more days to freakin go. Ill never take this stuff again. Ya the medicaition states all the above side effects but it says it doesnt happen frequently. Thats why i ended up here sounds to me like it does.,M,26,5 days,02/01/2009
4,strep throat,"Might be experiencing mild headaches due to z-pak, but maybe it's because my throat hurts so bad I haven't been able to eat or sleep very much. Other than the tolerable head ache, no other side effects noticed.","Just took 2nd dose 4 hours ago. Throat still hurts like heck and neck is still sore, but I think the uvula and tonsil swelling is starting to get a little smaller. Neck glands are still sore too.",F,40,2 days,1/26/2009
2,sinus infection,"stomach cramping, by day 3 had severe diarrhea with nausea, by day four had all those symptoms plus a bright redness of my face and a fever",I stopped taking this after four pills because the side effects were worse than the illness it was meant to treat. I recommend going the traditional ten day route of antibiotics!,F,50,3 days,1/23/2009
2,Sinus Infection,"upset stomach, loose stools, severe anxiety, metallic taste in mouth",I've taken zpack before but I believe this is the first time I have had the generic (azithromycin) and it is also the first time I have experienced these side effects. The anxiety is very bad. It didn't start until after my last dose which is why I didn't even relate it to the drug until reading these posts. Each pill has a half life of 68 hours so I'm hoping I feel better in a few more days. I have been on prozac for nearly 15 years for anxiety so I know what it feels like and I am feeling very much like I did before I started taking prozac. How can the generic be so different than the regular zpack. I won't take the generic again. I'll pay full price for zpack out of my pocket if I have to. I will say it did clear up my sinus infection promptly though.,F,39,5 days,1/21/2009
1,Strep,"Worked great the first 3 days, got rid of the strep as far as I can tell. The only side-effect was a headache on the 3rd day. But on 4th day without any warning I broke out in Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome type symptoms, rash from head to toe, burning all over, burning ears, itching, in pain and with no help or relief to be found by doctors. I am sitting counting hours hoping it goes away and doesn't get worse.",,F,28,4 days,1/17/2009
3,Pneumonia,"After the first double dose, extreme headpain, stomach cramps, feeling dizzy & out of it, yet could not sleep. The next 4 days were the same but not as intense.",I have just finished the 5 day dose my illness is much better but I am begining to really feel these side effects. Just finished reading all of the posted comments & I am nervous about the next couple of weeks.,F,38,5 days,1/15/2009
3,Sinus Infection,"Stomach Pains, Disorientation","About an hour after taking the first dose (double) I started feeling really disoriented and had really bad stomach pains. I have never taken this medicine before, but have never suffered any kind of side effects from antibiotics before. I finished my 5th day on January 16th and I still am not over this sinus infection. I feel a lot better, but it's not gone. Today started the diarrhea. It is non-stop. I probably will not be taking this medicine again.",F,21,5 days,01/12/2009
2,sinus infection,"Non-stop headache, chest pain/tightness, joint pain, muscle aches, diarrhea",Zithromax did not entirely clear up my sinus infection and has left me feeling more miserable than I started. Now I have an unrelenting headache and am achy all over along with it. I took the last of the 5 day pack today so am hoping the side effects will wear off really soon.,F,31,5 days,01/11/2009
1,bronchitis,none,I am on my third day......and this medicine hasn't done nothing!!! If by tomorrow morning ....If I still feel ...i am just going to take Theraflu......I need to get rid of this green phylem and snot.....i have to work on monday,F,47,3 days,01/10/2009
1,respitory infection,"Within 20 minutes of taking the 2 pills the nightmare began. It started with a sever hot flash followed by a tightening of the chest. A few minutes later disorientation & my heart started to race like it could pop out of my chest I realized then I was having a bad reaction to this medicine. My heart rate slowed down within 5 minutes - and my whole body was shaking. Now I was cold, clammy, light headed and very weak - but at least I didn't feel disoriented anymore. Just when I thought the nightmare was over... on came the most terrifying stomach pains!!! These sharp burning pains lasted about 30 minutes - the longest 30 minutes in my life! I lay in bed for three hours until the worst of side effects went away. Once I could get my bearings I grabbed the z pack and flushed it! I thought to myself 1% my arse...yeah I read the info that comes with it - adverse side effects and testing states this happens to only 1% of people. Well it appears there is a whole lot more of us out there",Run dont walk from this crap,F,35,1 days,01/07/2009
2,"Strep (suspected), upper respirator","mild headache, very bad abdominal discomfort, diarrhea for the first couple of days","I have taken this medication before without noticing any side effects. It's a different story this time, I feel horrible! My rapid strep test on Friday was negative but the lab test results were not going to be available until Monday. I also had symptoms of a upper respiratory infection. I was put on the Z-Pak just in case. Monday's labs were negative and I feel miserable with abdominal cramps and slight nausea and no appetite. I stopped the medication after day-3 due to the discomfort and negative labs. To be fair, I believe the medication did help with the respiratory symptoms. However, the side effects, this time, are too much. I have become a victim of the cure and, to me, it's not worth it this time. I don't think I will try this product again, The first time it worked well and this time it helped some. It is a mixed bag of results so you have to try it yourself, be your own judge. Good Luck!",M,54,3 days,01/05/2009
1,"ER Doctor thought I had a STD,","Nervousness, drowsiness, headaches, very hungry, no energy whatsoever, blurred vision","I went to the ER for kidney stones, the genius doctor, assumed I had an STD, I knew I did not. She came in and told me that she thought I had an infection and insisted on treating me for one, in other words big mistake!!!! She thought it was alright to have a woman that is 5'1 and 108lbs swallow 15 pills, 2000mg of Zitromax and 1000mg of some other antibiotic at once.
Needless to say, my blood sugar is very low, now I have calcium in both kidneys not just one. I feel that I am getting worst, not better! Oh yeah, my test came back negative for any STD~~~~~~~~
My doctor is in disbelief, I don't think he even believed me until he obtained my records. I have been giving this medicine for absolutely nothing.",F,32,,1/1/2009Email
1,Ear Infection,Rash all over including my scalp. Severe itching to the point of damaging the skin.,I have taken this medication before without complications. I will not be taking it again.,F,41,1 days,12/31/2008
1,sinusitis/bronchitis,"within a short while after taking the initial 2 pill dose, i developed a rapid heartbeat.",i took this before with no problems... i wont be continuing this med.,F,48,1 days,12/19/2008
1,Tooth extraction,"DEPERSONALIZATION, SEVERE ANXIETY, SEVERE DEPRESSION, ABDOMINAL PAIN, ABDOMINAL BURNING.","I want to preface this by stating that I have never had any mental problems aside from occasional depression, and I have never taken any anti-depressants, or similar drugs, or even ever done any illegal drugs, nor do I drink.
I never would have thought in a million years that an antibiotic would have given me such extreme mental side effects. I was given Z-Pak after a tooth extraction as I had a bad (and similar) reaction to Clydamycin.
I was on the 250 MG X 3 days. After the first day I started to suffer from depersonalization. Depersonalization, in my opinion, is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Essentially I felt like I was dead, in limbo. Nothing mattered. I questioned reality. I felt like a ghost. It was so bad that I had to break out the Bible.
I had to take Valium in order to sleep, as I would wake up in the middle of the night and have an utterly terrifying feeling of dread. I would wake up and ""realize"" that I did not exist and have a panic attack.",M,35,3 days,12/16/2008Email
1,strep/ swollen glands,"fever,crazy headache, crazy stomach/muscle pains, diziness, nausea, occasional vomiting, sweating, lack of appetite, dark colored urine, dehydration, making my wife crazy","i would never recommend this medicine, i am still out of it under the zpac, it was the 5day package, i didnt really experience thne full effect of it until after the entire dosage- Watch Out!!",M,22,5 days,12/11/2008
1,Sinus Infection,"Knocked out my sinus infection right away. After the last dose, I started experiencing breathing problems and anxiety, tight chest. Four days after I had a full blown anxiety attack and felt like I was going to die. I have never had anxiety symptoms my entire life. I continue to have problems breathing and sore throat almost a month after taking the medication. I have taken it twice before over the past five years with no serious side effects, other than a yeast infection after the last time.",This really scared me. I won't be using this medication again.,F,45,5 days,12/11/2008Email
3,Bronchitis,"Light-headed, pressure in ears, horrible taste in mouth, very bad upset stomach on 7th day.","This worked on the Bronchitis within 2 days. But i felt so sick teh last day of the medication, I think I would ask for a different prescription next time as I NEVER react to acti-bitotics this way.",F,28,7 days,12/09/2008
1,sinus infection,The only side effect I had was it not working! I've been on this several times and each time I am back at the dr 2 weeks later and end up with bronchitus on top of the sinus infection. Maybe its just me but it doesn't work on me.,,F,32,4 days,12/08/2008
3,sinus infection,Gas and diarrhea,,F,30,5 days,12/07/2008
1,Bacterial infection,"Well, extremely severe stomach cramps, bloating of the abdomen, backache, and then the most unbelievable diarrhoea!","I was taking the single dose liquid .. tasted rather pleasant. BUT, I think it's dangerous.",F,58,1 days,12/5/2008Email
5,STREP THROAT,STOMACH CRAMPING,I WAS SCEPTICAL ABOUT TAKING THIS DRUG FOR STREP THROAT BUT IT HAS REALLY DONE WONDERS. WITHIN TWO DAYS I AM ALMOST 100%.,F,25,5 days,12/01/2008
1,pneumonia,"All over hives which originally looked like chicken pox and mosquito bites. Hot red skin. Swollen red cheeks, wrists and ankles. Loss of appetite. Constipation.","I am angry that this happened to my 3 year old daughter. Two days after her last dose, she developed these hives. Brought her to the pediatrician who immediately put her on Benadryl. By the evening, it got worse. It has to ride its course for a couple of days before you see an improvement. No swelling of the tongue as of yet, but what a constant worry it has been. I was up all night with her next to me making sure that she wasn't struggling to breath. Someone said it should be taken off the market, it probably should be. It did take care of the pneumonia though after the 5 days.",F,3,5 days,11/29/2008Email
5,walking pneumonia,"none whatsoever, aside from a mild yeast infection (which happens whenever i take ANY antibiotics)","worked brilliantly for me. i was feeling better again within three days. after reading the comments here i was rather nervous about taking it, but i couldn't have been happier with the results.",F,31,5 days,11/27/2008
2,walking pneumonia,"abdominal pain, loss of appetite, gas, poor concentration, drowsiness","I had to stop the medication after 2 days, as I felt worse on the medication than before taking it.",M,71,2 days,11/27/2008
1,Sinus infection,"after last day I had severe anxiety attack and since then I am having severe weakness its been 11 days since my last dose!
I am only 21 and had to take term off due to weakness now!",I would never recommend taking this drug,M,21,5 days,11/26/2008Email
4,bronchitis and sinus infection,none,"Currently taking the 6 tablets x 250mg that is taken over a 5 day period. Took 2 tablets, as directed, the first evening, and slept for most of the next day...which could have been due to the drug or just the fact that I needed the extra rest. Symptoms are much improved, and I will finish taking the balance of the Rx.",F,55,3 days,11/23/2008
1,Sinus Infection,"I was prescribed a 5 day dosage. First day to take two pills and 1 pill each day for the following 4 days. I took the first two pills and went to lay my head down while my husband watched the kids, and it is a good thing he was here to watch them because i started having horrible stomach pains, I felt like I was going to vomit, i could not move without almost getting sick. I layed in bed moaning trying to sleep for almost 2 hours. everytime i sat or layed down i felt sick, could barely stand or walk, felt lightheaded and drugged up. I would definitely not recommend taking this medicatoin and after reading some of the other patient comments on here, I will not be finishing this medication but instead calling my doctor about it. Thanks to all of you whom posted about this drug.",,F,23,1 days,11/23/2008Email
1,sinus infection,"I became confused and disoriented. I had stomach cramps, gas and diahrea. I had no idea that it would lead to confusion, till I got to my job and was terminated for what appeared to be forgetfulness,and poor performance.",,F,57,5 days,11/21/2008Email
1,Sinus Infection,"Anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, diahrea, heart racing, thought I was going to die, sleeplessness, depression, loss of appetite, dizziness, confusion. My ears felt stopped up when I laid down, but i don't know if that was the Zithromax, or my sinus infection. (I'm pretty sure it was the Zithromax though.)","Never Never take this drug!! I had the 2 week Z-pac, but the last dose I took was the first dose of the second week. It made all my stress and problems a WHOLE lot worse. I could control them before I took this medicine. Bad stomach pain (gas) the first dose. I couldn't sleep hardly. I had to take sleeping pills. I was extremely depressed. I wanted to die, seriously. I was confused..still kinda am. I'm much better now. It has brought on some phychiatric problems. I never want to experience that again!! it was absolutely the most horrific thing I have ever been through in my entire life...no joke. This drug should be banned. You know, when people die for no reason, somebody needs to check and see what type of medicine (if any) they were taking, because that may be a reason. I'm still experiencing some confusion, but that may be just something that I will have to get over. For those of you experiencing anxiety, I recommend Visaral. (I'm sorry I can't spell, ask your doctor). It has to b",F,15,6 days,11/20/2008
5,Double Ear Infection + Bronchitis,Strange dreams for 5/5 nights after taking the pills,,F,25,5 days,11/15/2008
2,Ear Infection,"minor stomach cramps, joint pain, depression, change in thoughts, anger spells, anxiety, crying.","I have taken the Z-Pak several times before and only experienced minor stomach cramps and joint pain in my hips. However, this time has been very different. I have experienced depression, feelings of doom, anger spells, anxiety, and the urge to cry for no reason! And, the minor stomach cramps and joint pain. It does get rid of the infection but I'm not liking the change in my thoughts and my mental wellness. This is very strange and I'm not too sure I will finish this dose or even take it again.",F,23,2 days,11/14/2008
3,sinus infection,"Anxiety Attack, Stomach pain","I have to say that I feel it has helped my sinus infection, however I am pregnant and am not sure if it is the pregnancy or the zpak that made me have a full blown, SCARY anxiety attack last night. After reading many of the comments, it could be the zpak caused my heart racing, jittery feeling after taking for 4 days, the 5 day pack. I also felt like my stomach hurt.",F,35,4 days,11/12/2008Email
2,Bronchitis,"I�m not sure if these are side effects from the Zithromax or my Bronchitis, but I was experiencing headache, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, loss of sleep, shortness of breath, weakness, mood swings.","I took the first 2 pills as prescribed, took my third pill and two hours later I started to experience a strong headache I took two Tylenols and went back to bed, two hours later I was throwing up non stop with severe headache the worse ever. My husband took me to ER and by the time I got there I was severely dehydrated, the nurses tried to taking blood out to do some labs with no luck my blood was gummy and it was coagulating right away, the nurses had to call the lab nurse and she end up milking my finger like they do with little kids. After a couple hours in ER getting fluids, medications and waiting for the labs results the doctor came to the conclusion that what made me sick was the Zithromax and ordered me to stop taking it. I�m not a 100% sure this is what it was, but I can tell you that I will never ever take it again.",F,33,3 days,11/12/2008
3,STD,"Loss of sleep, terrible anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, shortness of breath, bodily weakness, mild fever and sore throat","1 gram dosage for two days to clear up STD infection. Day number 3 and it feels like I have an awful flu. Anxiety and depression are remarkable. STD has cleared up, but a heavy price paid.",M,30,2 days,11/10/2008
1,Sinus infection,"BAD stomach cramps taking the first 2 pills and almost as bad taking the last 4. Sore muscles, headache, ears buzzing, running hot and cold, diarreah, night sweats, feeling like I'm in a daze. Urinating frequently and having some discomfort as well.","I have been taking these for years with only the stomach ache on the first day without other issues. This time was so horrible I am never taking this again. I didn't feel this bad before I started them. Never expecting this to happen, I continued the dosage until it was gone.....bad mistake. I am so fatigued I don't have the energy to get off the sofa. I did have a reaction to penicillian years ago and had to take steroids to counteract it. I'm thinking this may have affected me in the same manner. I'm having my husband take me to the doctors as I'm too weak to drive myself. DON'T TAKE IT.....it's
not worth all the horrible side effects. I'm wondering if this batch was made in a different culture than the previous ones I've had? It's been 5 days, going on 6 now that I feel awful",F,56,5 days,11/10/2008Email
4,flu turned into pneumonia,"I am feeling better after 24 hours. I have bad reactions from Bactrim and know that Zithro is in the same drug family. I am hoping day 2, 3,4 and 5 are ok. so far, so good. no diarrhea yet, but I do feel a bit jumpy and wakeful. I am happy to be losing this pneumonia .",I haven't taken any antibiotics for 8 years. I usually use vitamins and homeopathy but I picked up this bug while in the hospital with my husband who had ruptured appendix. It took 2 weeks to incubate and I fought it for a week until it was evident the green crap from my lungs and pain on coughing and fever was coming back again,F,58,2 days,11/5/2008Email
1,Sinusitis,"Mood swings, dizziness, pins & needles, stiff neck, agitation, fogginess",Do not take this drug on a single dosage.,M,36,1 days,11/03/2008
1,Precautionary after sinus surgery,"Stomach cramps, diarrhea, anxiety/depressive mood swing, sleeplessness, difficulty with stamina at home and work.","Never again. Still with cramps & frequent, loose stools, all day *everyday* even 10 days after 5-day ""Z-Pak"" Had very bad anxiety / depression during mid to end of dosing - and I should mention that I have a history of Bipolar disorder which has been neatly under control for over 8 years now - until this!!! Fortunately those symptoms cleared about a week after the last dose (I religiously take 100Mg Zoloft & 900 Mg Lithium for Bipolar maintenance, so I trust that these helped me out of a potentially worse mood downturn) but I throw that out to anyone else with a similar history - BEWARE! My greatest hope is that someone on the '60 Minutes' staff gets a blast of this stuff sometime soon... the resulting expose' should then be the end of this demon!!! Oh, yeah... my sinus surgery ( to correct severe sinusitis ) went just fine - very glad I got it - but this antibiotic is something I will never get near again! (Never had any sort of bad reaction to one before this e",M,46,5 days,10/29/2008
1,Strep,"The first dose I had stomach pain. The next day it was better but, by the fifth day I had terribe diarrhea and stomach spasms. This brought on anxiety attacks. I could only eat bland food in small amounts, but this would bring an attack on again. I went to my doctor he said to take Donnatal and Pepto Bismol to try to calm things down. I have lost weight because I have not been able to eat much the last week. I have had to leave work when it gets to unbearable.",This is the worst possible drug to take if you have irritable bowel syndrome. I will never take this drug again. I can only prey that I can get back to a healthier place soon. The doctor said it takes ten days from the last dose to get it out of the system.,F,50,5 days,10/25/2008
4,lyme disease and other infections,"Never had a problem with it. Took it for 35 days straight and as long as I took probiotics, my stomach was okay. Did not cause any mental problems or headaches, like doxy did. While it helped my lyme, it unfortunately did not cure me.",,F,38,35 days,10/20/2008
2,"Bronchitis, Sinus Infection","severe rash across chest (tiny pimples) and scalp. Unexplained anxiety, rash started the day after I finished last dose, anxiety after the 3rd dose. I have taken it before, haven't had any problems in the past.",,F,37,5 days,10/10/2008Email
1,Tracheitis,"Head spinning,disoriented,ringing in ears, stuffy ears,dry mouth,anxious,nervous","Was prescribed 5day. Took the 1st 2 pills and a few hours later had these side effects that were so scary went to ER. They said I was dehydrated.I asked if it cud be reaction to Zithromax, they felt it wasnt. Told me to continue. Gave me fluids,sent me home. Next day called my Dr.told her about my episode they told me to keep taking. Against my judgement I took the next pill, back in the ER 5hrs later. Ringing in my ears for a week now. ER finally told me to stop taking it. Can anyone respond to this if you had ringing in ears, did it finally stop? I will never let anyone in my family take this drug. Stick with the good ole standbys if possible.",F,47,2 days,10/6/2008Email
1,bronchitis,"I took the 3 dose pak and 1 day after the final dose noticed a rash on my face, chest and arms. Today is the 3rd day after the final dose and the rash and itching are now more intense.",,F,44,3 days,10/06/2008
1,URI / bronchitis,"evening of 2nd dose, sharp, stabbing, unrelenting pain in one ear, all sounds coming into that ear sound ""mechanical"", throat fullness","doctor called back, switched me immediately to another antibiotic; i still have severe ringing in my ear, i will follow up with the doc if it persists over the weekend",F,32,2 days,10/3/2008Email
1,Bronchitis,"To the people on this website that are being critical of the people that have posted their extreme experiences...count your blessings it could have been you. My son is currently experiencing a psychotic episode because he took two tablets (first dose) of this medicine. He is paranoid, having hallucinations, severe stomach pain, anxiety, nightmares, confusion and more. He isn't able to work or go to school, can't eat or sleep and it has been a week since he took the medicine. The claim is that less than 1% of the people that take this medicine have an extreme reaction. Based on the posts on this website alone I would say that was underestimating the number of people negatively impacted by this drug.",,M,20,1 days,9/25/2008
1,soar throat,i was on my second day of Zithromax and it all started with Sharp chest pains. i was rushed to the hospital and was told to stop taking it. While in the hospital i broke out in hives. /the next morning while at home i started throwing up and also had severe diarrhea. The next day almost my entire body was cover in hives. They are almost gone now(day 7). last night i woke up in a sweat and fast heart rate I'm weak and have also experienced blurry vision. This drug has just about killed me!!!!! i hope this all stops soon or i obviously have to contact my Dr.,Do not TAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,F,38,2 days,09/08/2008
5,Strep Throat,None,This drug was fast and efficient.,F,40,5 days,09/05/2008
1,possible infected insect bite,"Hot, scratchy, tiny pimple like all consuming itchy rash on upper arms, upper legs, neck base of scalp and all over trunk.","Rash began after 4th day of 5 day dose(generic) - contacted DR but he said nothing about an allergic rxn to the antibiotic so I finished it off. That was 6 weeks ago. Am on prednisone 20mg, Zantac 300mg & Zyrtec 20mg to cut the reaction, not helping yet. How long have folks had the allergic rash continue? Allergists says ""a long time"" yet won't define long.",F,49,5 days,9/2/2008Email
1,Pneumonia,broke out in hives itching all over for 3 weeks straight will not go away. Comes up after I eat certain foods I never had this problem before. Now I have to take claritan,,M,34,3 days,8/28/2008
4,sinus Infection,"Burning,swollen,painfull lips.","satisfied with the way it cleared my infection quite rapidly,noticed improvement within 2 days",F,39,5 days,8/24/2008
4,Bronchitis,"racing heart, insomnia, thirst, frequent urination","yesterday i finished a Z-pack (azithromycin) 3-day treatment. my heart started racing about 24 hours after finishing the treatment. 12 hours more, and it's 4am and i'm searching the web to see if others have experienced similar symptoms. thanks to others who shared their experiences so i know i'm not alone.",F,34,3 days,08/07/2008
1,Pneumonia/Bronchitis,"Awful drug. Within 10 minutes of first dose vomiting and diarrhea, stomach cramps. Side effects continued and included nightmares, hallucinations, incredible abdominal pain. I took only one dose (two pills, as prescribed) and ended up in the E.R. 48 hours later. Difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, continued vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, constant moving, dehydrated (couldn't hold down water). In all, with only one dose, I was down for nearly seven days. Ten days later, I still have little to no appetite. If you have had this type of reaction to Zithromax, avoid Biaxin and other drugs in the same family. BE CAREFUL!!",,F,47,1 days,08/03/2008
1,Strep & Walking Pneumonia,"HIVES! CHRONIC! SINCE SEPTEMBER 2006! I believe a follow-up posting to my Sept '06 posting was needed. My daughter was 9 then & is now 12 and we combat chronic hives on a daily basis brought on by the Zpak. Now she is on daily medication, sometimes must be given twice daily when the hives are severe. There are other alternatives. She has had strep since & plain old amoxicylin (sp?) clears it up fine with no side effects. The Zpak side effects are NOT WORTH IT just to take medicine for a shorter period of time.",BEWARE! Sometimes the side effects don't make an appearance until a WEEK AFTER you have STOPPED taking the Zpak. The doctor will try to tell you it is not the medication - don't believe them. We learned the hard way & my daughter's life is forever changed.,F,12,4 days,7/27/2008Email
4,Pnumonia / Bronchitis,No side effects what so ever!,"It had no side effects, and was very easy to swollow, however didn't completely kill the bacteria in lungs. Definently made an improvement, but didn't kill it. Doctor may recommend Biaxin, read my article on that too. =)",M,15,5 days,7/23/2008Email
4,Sinus and Chest congestion,"Fatigue, nervousness, thought changes, altered mental state, sleeplessness, depression, stomach pain.","This drug works extremely well on the bug but can put the host through the wringer. 1 % experienced severe reaction in trials including anaphylaxis and a few deaths have been related to its use.The only thing I can think of that may predispose a person to this sensitivity is a previous reaction to penicillin, allergy to mold or mold products (ie. penicillin). I take allergy shots for mold and tried penicillin last year for the first time, was weak and shaky, dizzy for 2 days and finally vomited on the 3rd day, had to stop taking it. I had a definite and significant change in mood 24 hours after starting the regimen that I can only attribute to this drug. Had a very difficult time concentrating for work and even reading, very common words did not seem familiar, had to really concentrate. Physical symptoms included joint pain from very old hockey injuries (13 years old, knee, patella and I am now 45). I last had pain from these when I was in my very early 20's. It was arduous to contin",M,45,5 days,07/11/2008
2,Flu-like illness,"Yeast infection, and fine rash all over my chest started on day 4. The rash, which itches slightly and is pustular like little pimples, is still there almost 3 weeks later. First time taking the Z pack, and first time with these symptoms.",Not clear whether I benefited from the drug. I won't take it again because of the odd persistent rash.,F,27,5 days,07/11/2008
1,chlamydia,"i had horrible stomach cramps within 15 minutes of taking the 1G dose, and it lasted for almost an hour. felt better the day after.",i dont think it worked as I tested positive again,M,30,1 days,07/11/2008
3,strep throat,"abdominal pains, cant stand up straight, diarrea, severe nausea, feel heavy/tired, muscle fatigue...decreased cognitive functioning","it works on the strep, the first antiotic didnt help, but the side effects hurt...the cramping and the muscle aches from being hunched over.",F,26,1 days,6/19/2008
4,Pneumonia,"Overall was very pleased with the effectiveness of Zithromax, but after last dose (5th day) experienced side effects.","After 5th day (last dose) I broke out in hot, itchy welts on my thighs, and was tired and ached overall. Welts lasted about 3 days, and then began to feel more ""normal.""",F,45,5 days,6/17/2008
1,bronchitis,"after the last dose--anxiety, feelings of doom and gloom, severe stomach pain","Honestly, this drug has ruined my life. I battled anxiety for years and I finally came out of it--until I took azithromycin. Hadn't had a panic attack in years and then 1 day after taking this drug I'm a mess again. I had the worst stomach pain imaginable from the gas...it felt like someone was kicking me over and over in the solar plexis. I do not recommend this drug to anyone with a history of anxiety and depression--this drug could potentially ruin all of your hard work to get better. Horrible.",F,28,4 days,6/16/2008Email
3,Sinus Infection,"Nausea along with gas, Anxiety, Dizziness, feeling of my head being very heavy.","I had been suffering from anxiety since Feb. I was just gettin back to my normal self, no recent anxiety attacks until i started this medication. I work everyday and every morning is hell for me. I have so much gas in my lower abdomen. I feel nausea alot, so it makes me not want to eat while at work or not want to be there. I will not take this med again. It works but side effects arent worth it. I finished the 5day pill 6days ago and i am still getting the gas and nausea.Should this be happening this long. I need to talk to someone who is experiencing the same.",F,21,5 days,6/12/2008Email
1,strep throat,"at first it made me nauseous, the kind of nausea that feels like your stomach is trying to eat a hole in itself. It's bearable but NOT fun. And then it gave me gas and constipated...so bad that even now, two days after taking it, I'm STILL having the side effects, because it's still in my system.","was given the 5 day prescription, where you take two the first day, the one a day for the next four days. I stopped taking it after day 3. I would not reccomend this to anyone with even a remotely sensitive stomach. My infection is gone, but it just wasn't worth it.",F,35,3 days,06/09/2008
3,strep,"got rid of strep, got joint pain/swelling in lower body, going away but still there after two weeks. . . .",,M,30,5 days,06/07/2008
3,possible sinitus sore throat,tightness in muscles. ringing in ears. dry mouth. difficulty concentrating. spaced out,"The first two days were fine. I took the double dose, then a single, then one more this morning (day 3). My sore throat and other symptoms appear to be gone. Decided to go to work but forget about it. I now feel totally spaced out, alert but unable to focus very well. Ringing in the ears and some muscle pain. Cannot work. Just sitting here, waiting for this bad trip to end. Doctor told me to stop taking it, since my other symptoms seem *okay* so that's what I'm doing.",M,36,3 days,5/28/2008
1,sore throat,Complete loss of sense of smell (anosmia) after 2nd dose (5-day course).,"Discontinued drug after 2nd day, and sense of smell gradually recovered over a 7-day period.",M,65,2 days,5/28/2008
5,UTI,None.,"This worked fast and well for me. I have also taken Cipro in the past, which also worked.",F,46,1 weeks,5/24/2008
5,Sinus Infection/throat infection,"Abdominal pain and slight diarrhea. Feeling of being hungry--but, I have a stomach ulcer, so I think that is why I had the burning/hunger pains.",I have taken Zithromax in the 5 day course and also in the 3 day course for various infections. It always kicks the infection. Especially sinus infections...I was on Omnicef and Augmentin XR with no improvement. As soon as I was switched to the Zithromax...it all got better.,F,34,5 days,5/21/2008
2,Upper respiratory infection,"It helped my URI, but I had a panic attack and suffered extreme anxiety beggining on day 3 which is not typical for me. I also had bad nausea and stomach pains, was unable to eat much for about 10 days. Lost 10lbs..sleepy, agitated, nervous depressed, it was awful. I'll never take it again. My husband also took it for same reason at the same time and had no ill effects. I am ultra sensitive to meds and will never take this again.",,F,41,5 days,5/21/2008
1,Clymidia (STD),"Severe stomach cramps, nausea, intense headache, chills, light-headed, weak limbs - and these effects are still ongoing on day 2 of taking 2x500mg dosage.
Horrible stuff - I would never take it again and I've never had a reaction to an antibiotic before.",,M,50,1 days,5/21/2008
1,sinus infection,"horrible,awful pain in joints- it hurt just to move,also had extreme stomach pain and running to the bathroom ..as soon as i stopped taking this medication the pain in joints went away - took a few more days for my stomach to settle and it never got rid of sinus infection!!",i am hyper sensitive to prescription drugs anyway but this one was severe - had to take 600 mg of advil and hot baths just to get SOME of the joint pain to stop - will never take it again !,F,37,5 days,05/12/2008
3,Ear Infection,"anxiety, yeast infection","The first day I took the medicine I was at work and had to leave early because I was about to have a panic attack. I wasn't going to continue taking this medication, but decided that I would just take it during the week because I don't work during the week, I just have school. I have taken it for 5 days now. Unfortunately, the same thing happened when I went into work today...I got really anxious and started crying. I hate this medicine. The only thing good that came out of it was that it made my ear infection go away, or at least I hope it did.",F,21,5 days,05/10/2008
5,Walking pneumonia,A little diarrhea,I started feeling much better within the first 24 hours - It really knocked out the pneumonia.,F,19,5 days,05/08/2008
1,Strep throat,"Hearing loss, severe ringing in the ears","I'm scared to death after reading about all the others who have suffered this, especially those who have had it for months with no change. I called my doctor and he said he never, in 15 years, has had anyone with this side effect. I asked him to change to a different drug. I took, per instructions, 2 the first day, and am supposed to take one for each remaining 4 days.",F,49,3 days,4/27/2008
2,"cold, concern w/ bacteria infection","diarrhea, hearing difficulty, anxiety, fatigue, disorientation, loss of appetite","i rarely take over the counter or prescribed medications. past usage of antibiotics has been fine, and i always finish the course. i took it because i have a bad cold and am travelling and wanted to protect myself against possible bacterial infection. this was a bad decision for me. had a 5-day dosage prescription, am stopping today on the 4th day (its the weekend, i'm on my trip, i can't reach my doctor). wish i called the doctor earlier or stopped earlier. i kept thinking the symptoms were more cold-related (e.g. congested head=hearing issue).",F,54,4 days,4/26/2008
5,bronchitis,none,"This is very rare for me! I have been told by two doctors that I am hypersensitive to many drugs, meaning I'm one of the ""lucky"" ones to have lots of side effects. Plus I am allergic to several drugs and have gone in anaphylactic shock once - fortunately I was in the hospital when it happened.
Zithromax is about the only antibiotic left that I can take without any trouble (as well as any other erthromiacnyns - can't spell these too well).
I've been successful with this for the past several years when an antibiotic was needed. Hoping it will continue being okay.",F,53,10 days,04/09/2008
2,Sinusitis (Sinus Infection),"Stuffy ears, ringing in ears, partial deafness, some vertigo. Cursory online research indicates it is antibiotic ototoxicity and could last for a month.","Five, seven and ten day courses are likely not a problem. Apparently the trend now is to prescribe a 3 day course, which simple math will tell you can only be a much larger dose in order to leave the required residual amount in your system for long enough to do the job. Large intravenous doses cause ototoxicity (injury to ears). Apparently so do large oral doses. Duh. Whoever approved this treatment modality ought to be compelled to use it frequently...",M,45,3 days,4/9/2008Email
5,bronchitis,none,,F,63,5 days,04/08/2008
5,Upper Respiratory Infection,None,"I just finished the regimen of pills. My chest and throat cleared up for the most part within 48 hours of taking zithromax. There are still some lingering effects of the infection, but I feel way better. When my wife took the same pills a few months back, she had a similar experience (having the sniffles for another week, but feeling much better). No delusions, stomach pains, or anything else that's been discussed in the other posts in my case.",M,26,5 days,04/03/2008
3,Mild pneumonia & sinusitis,"Heart pounding, ears ringing, bad jaw pain. Lasted two hours where I thought I should call 911...then subsided. This is from the first (two pills) dose of Zithromax 250 mg.",Scary !!,F,71,1 days,04/02/2008
3,bronchitis,"fatigue, loss of appetite","Had to take 2 Z-packs back to back, the 2nd pack made my stomach hurt when taken, had no intestinal problems, feel like muy bronchitis was still around after the 2 doses",F,36,10 days,04/01/2008
1,,A few days after I finished taking this medicine I got the worst heartburn - it is constant - this has lasted for weeks. I've located others who have experienced this - the common thread is that we're all allergic to amoxyl.,,M,28,5 days,04/01/2008
4,Acne,"None. My facial skin was dry and itchy, but I believe that this was caused by a facial cream prescription (Benzaclin) to be used with Azithromycin.","I was on this medication for cystic acne (600mg), as a last step before Accutane. It worked fine for clearing up my skin, but after 4 months, acne returned. Rather than try another dose, I'm opting for Accutane.",F,26,4 months,3/31/2008
2,possible sinus infection,"nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite","One hour after I took Day 1 dose, I began vomiting and had severe nausea and diarrhea. I spoke with my doctor who said it was highly improbable that it was due to the z-pak and he suggested I take my next dose the following day. I continued to have much more nausea...could not function throughout the day. I did not take the dose for Days 4 and 5. People rave about this antibiotic, but I won't take this again.",F,43,3 days,3/30/2008
5,Bronchitis,"Headache, dizziness, flushing, nausea, exaustion.","While I agree with everyone's comments about how horrible these side effects are. My bronchitis was so scary and awful and it's now cleared up, so the drug worked, and I am alive and not suffering from an infection anymore. And yes, now I am in pain from the side effects and have been unable to make it through a work day this whole week (I stopped taking the pills 2 days ago). I'm glad I took the medication, but I would recommend that if you're on it, expect to be out of commission, stay home, rest, have treats, watch movies in bed, eat yogurt to get some good bacteria back in your body, drink water. Don't try to live you life like you're cured, because this medication makes you tired and if you push it you will get irritable and anxious.",F,29,3 days,3/28/2008
1,bronchitus,Severe I mean severe pains in stomach. It was like someone was stabbing him. My 12 year old son had brochitus and the dr gave him the z pac and the pharmacy gave him the generic brand. It was down hill from there. Nasau then in the middle of the night he has in so much pain from the pain in his stomach. I was ready to bring him to the ER it subsided after 5 hours. He is sleeping now. I will not give him another dose . He only had the first 2 pill dose. I am asking Dr to change medication. Beware!,,M,12,1 days,3/27/2008
2,Bronchial infection,"Felt ok with first dose,just slightly more chilled,20 minutes after second 2nd dose got a huge hive welt on my chin. Got the worst anxiety feeling of doom and gloom, foggy head , very, very cold feet, had to put my feet in a warm bath. Shaky and pail. Absolutely no appetite, felt like I had swallowed rat poisining and a magic mushroom on top of it. I was too scared to even leave the house to go to Emergency, I will never take it again. My fever disappeared is the only good thing.",Just wont take it again,F,43,2 days,3/21/2008
2,sinus infection,I have been extremely tired and I am currently on day 3 of a 5 day 250 mg z- pack. I feel my sinus infection is still lingering. Does it take awhile for the medicine to kick in? This is my first time on it.,,F,37,3 days,3/19/2008
2,Pneumonia,"gassy abdomen, loose stools, anxiety, anorexia, feelings of doom and lostness, thought i was dying. It definitely knocked out the pneumonia, but the side effects were not worth it.","I was mostly fine during the 5-day course... it knocked out the pneumonia almost immediately.... I did have some gassy, gurgling in my gut...but on the last day, i had growing anxiety, then two days later, a severe panic attack hit and i was gripped with intense fear that lasted for most of the following three days. Alongside the anxiety, i became totally anorexic. Didn't eat for most of the week. By day 5 post-dosage, i was dehydrated and faint, almost hospitalized. I'm three days out from there, force feeding and herbs have brought back my appetite and the anxiety has subsided. I feel like i will be fine now... slowly coming back to normal... but what a rocky ride! It's validating to know it's the drug and that i wasn't just plain crazy! I will not take this medication again.",F,51,5 days,3/17/2008
5,Bronchitis,Heart Racing feeling of anxiety and jittery. Feeling of uneasiness and panic,After about an hour of taking my first dose I felt my heart racing and a bad feeling of anxiety. It felt like a bad panic attack. I felt flushed. I then just decided to take a nap so I slept for a few hours and woke up as a new person. My symptoms from the Bronchitis were about 75% better and the heart racing and anxiety feeling were gone.,F,35,5 days,3/15/2008
2,pneumonia,Unbearable stomach pain with nausea and sweating.,I have taken Zpacks many times before and been fine. It looks like from everyones posts that the side effects seem to go along with the condition. Everyone who has pneumonia has a really bad experience with it! This pain woke me up out of a dead sleep and had me screaming for my boyfriend to call 911. He looks at the box and sees stomach pain is a big side effect. (So much for the nut below claiming there aren't side effects from Zpack!) Hopeully this doesn't happen again!,F,25,1 days,03/10/2008
3,chlamydia,"Nausea, stomach discomfort, fever, itching within 1 hour of taking a 1 gram dose.",,F,20,1 days,03/03/2008
1,strep throat,Started having the worst headache 8 hrs after the first dose of 500mg. By the time my headache was gone I took another dose and could not get rid of the headache. Spent 14 hrs sleeping on and off with a headache. Also having extreme fatigue. Will not be finishing this med. Will call dr to get another antibiotic on Mon.,,F,47,2 days,3/2/2008Email
3,bronchitus,"heart racing, flushed face","I finished the Z-pack a few days ago. I have been feeling odd lately, and the only thing I can think to attribute it to is the z-pack. I feel jittery but tired at the same time. It's hard to get to sleep but I don't feel very alert either. Hopefully this goes away soon.",M,26,4 days,03/01/2008
3,Bronchitis & Ear Infection,"Diarhea, nausea, and loss of appetite.",,F,25,5 days,2/25/2008
3,Strep Throat,"Severe stomach cramping, migraine, dpression/anxiety","I have used the (Z-pack) in the past, but do not remember the anxiety feeling so present. I have to say though, I am relieved to read that I am not the only having these side effects. I take zoloft for anxiety, so I was worried that it had stopped working until I came to this sight and read that it clearly has this effect on many others. To those who are saying ""Zithromax is great and I don't know what all the fuss is about"": maybe you should understand, what most of us learned in second grade science: EVERYBODY IS MADE DIFFERENTLY! So obviously it will effect different people in different ways..for lack of a better term-Duh!!! To those who are saying ""Maybe you should have read the possible side effects in your pamphlet"": Maybe you should read it too! It says nothing about increase in racing thoughts and/or depression. ALSO every medication we take as human beings come with warnings (that effect a small amount) and when you are miserable with an infection you",F,26,5 days,2/21/2008
3,sinus/upper respiratory,extreme fatigue & feeling cold (Reporting for my 13 year old daughter.),"My daughter had this med. in the fall and had weeks of anxiety which cleared up recently (in the past month or so) - Had stomach flipping/nervous sensations when either worried or happy, even if it was a mild thought it triggered this hyper-anxious reaction. Sometimes had them without any thought or concern triggering them. After reading all these comments, am now putting 2 and 2 together & thinking it was this drug. Today she took the double pill dose at 2 pm and has been knocked out (asleep) since except for briefly when she woke & complained of extreme cold feeling even though fully dressed and wearing super plush/thick bathrobe too- It's currently 9:30 pm. I took her pulse (at the very low end of normal (65) and she didn't wake, which is REALLY unusual, she usually sleeps much more lightly. Am calling the doctor now. I don't think she'll be taking the rest of the med. It's always worked wonders for my infrequent sinus infections (I'm 41 & female - I take the 5 day p",F,13,1 days,2/21/2008
2,Bronchitis,"Diarrhea, hard and fast heart rate, inability sleeping.","My Wife and I both took this mediction and we both experienced our hearts beating very hard and fast at night. I'm usually less malleable by side effect warnings and suggestions from other people's experiences... so when I experienced the same side effects my wife did, I know for certain this medication has some issues. I'm glad I didn't take it today, because my heart is pounding from yesterdays dose. We both lasted 4 days.",M,2,4 days,2/18/2008
2,Cough and Sinus Infection,"Day 1 - No problem. My symptoms seem to clear up overnight.
Day 2 - No problem.
Day 3 - Dizziness, nausea, foggy head, trouble concentrating, anxiety.
Day 4 - Dizziness, nausea, foggy head, trouble concentrating, anxiety.
Day 5 - Didnt take the last pill.","Overall, it seemed to help get rid of my cough and sinus infection, but it came with some pretty severe side effects. I had to leave work on Day 4 and go home to lay down because of the nausea. I'm not sure I would take this medicine again.",M,27,4 days,2/18/2008
2,Flu with Sinus Infection,Ached all over. Stomach upset. Flushed. Heart Palpitations/Anxiety/High Blood Pressure very elevated.,Be very careful taking this medicine. It has LOTS of side effects,F,53,6 days,2/13/2008
1,bronchitis,Very high anxiety started the 2nd day. I stopped the medication. It felt like a nagging unwanted energy akin to bad drug trips I have heard described.,The postings on this sight seem well balanced and well intended. I hope the drug helps you and that you weather any side effects well.,M,52,2 days,2/10/2008Email
3,Bronchitus,"Severe stomach pain, slight nausea and diarhea",THESE SIDE EFFECTS ARE ONLY FROM THE GENERIC KIND. I took the Z pak about a month ago and had NO side effects and it worked beautifully to get rid of the bronchitus. DON'T ACCEPT GENERIC!,F,19,2 days,02/08/2008
4,Strep Throat,"Took the five-day Z-Pak. Diarrhea, but not intolerable. I have an itchy rash, but I had a rash with the strep. I can't tell if the rash is still from strep, or if it's from the Z-Pak. Joint pain in my knees and burning leg muscles. I can't think of what else would cause this, so I'm blaming the Z-Pak. Tonight I take my last dose.","Worked like magic on strep. I think I would ask for an alternative antibiotic in the future, but I'm allergic to Sulpha and Amoxicillian, so I think I'm running out of options.",F,33,5 days,02/05/2008
2,Tonsil infection,Cleared my tonsil issue but has left me with loose bowels for more than 4 months. Seems to have totally killed whatever good bacteria once existed in my bowels. Haven't been successful in rebuilding good bacteria. Looks like a 2nd trip to the MD will be required.,A stronger warning about possible side-effects should be given to patients.,M,47,3 days,2/5/2008Email
1,EAR INFECTION,"HORRIBLE ANXIETY, DOOM, DIAHREA, STOMACH CRAMPS, FELY LIKE I AM IN A FOG, NO APPETITE, GROUCHY ON EDGE, FEEL LIKE I AM DYING",WTF IS WRONG WITH THIS STUFF? WHEN DO THESE FEELINGS END?,F,37,3 days,2/1/2008Email
1,Doctor not sure just wanted me to,"WATERY diarrhea, no appetite, LITERALLY brown watery substance, lots of gas too.","I've had a virus for a month now, and my doc told me to take this 5 day pack 'just to cover our bases' he says!! he's not even told me if I have an infection, but cause I'm sick and not getting better I'm taking it, I'm coughing up yellow mucus, but he said that doesn't mean I have an infection. I never thought I could have such a watery substance come out of my behind! Like clockwork after taking pill two hours pass, then BAM run to the nearest toilet! the first time it happend my husband thought I was throwing up! and everyone knows what that sounds like! HORRIBLE and I don't even know why I'm taking this, I'm calling my doc in the morning for an explanation! Meanwhile I'm going to buy some yogurt to see if it helps!",F,22,2 days,1/31/2008
4,sinus infection,"Started with 1000mg/week taken all at once. Skull-crushing headache for the first 2 days. Physical anxiety symptoms (increased heart rate and blood pressure, palpitations, sweats, cold hands and feet) but not psychological. I feel calm, almost sedated. Feel feverish at times but temperature is normal. Foggy head. Decreased appetite. Increased thirst. Second week I changed to taking 250mg every other day. No more headaches. Still some anxiety and chills but not as bad. No digestive problems but I take probiotics so I think that helps.",I get frequent sinus infections and am usuall prescribed Augmentin. It works but takes 3-4 weeks' worth and symptoms take a week or more to improve. With azithromycin my sinus infection seems to have cleared up within the first few days. Noticeably improved sense of smell and easier breathing through my nose.,F,45,14 days,1/19/2008
4,Pneumonia,"Extreme nausea, vomiting, explosive diarrhea. Stomach cramps.",Did the trick in stopping the pneumonia; was great to breathe full again! But the nausea and vomiting are absolutely horrific. Couldn't eat for five days.,M,44,5 days,1/19/2008
4,sinus infection,"nausea, dizziness, hot flashes","I have taken this many times for sinus infections. It works quickly and effectively cured me every time. However on the 4th and 5th day I get the symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and hot flashes usually in the evenings, severe enough that I nearly pass out.",F,23,5 days,1/14/2008
4,Sinus Infection,"Thirty minutes after taking the first pill I experienced a ""pins and needles"" feeling in my stomach which subsided after about and hour. On days 2 and 3 I also had the ""pins and needles"" feeling after taking the pill. Would have moments where I felt swimmy-headed, but the feeling never lasted long, maybe three minutes at a time. I did have diarrhea several times while I was taking the Z-Pak, but this could have been from something I ate. After completing all 5 days of the Z-Pak I woke up in the middle of the night soaked in a cold sweat. I had to change my clothes and flip my pillows over. I noticed my chest and neck beginning to break out. It is now 5 days since I finished the medication and I have a pimply rash all over my neck and chest which seems to be getting better. Other than that, I feel fine.","The side effects were not a huge deal, but I will let my doctor know about them if I ever need an antibiotic again. There are so many alternatives. I would not want to take Zithromax again, just incase my pains, diarrhea, rash, and swimmy-headed feelings were all caused from taking the Z-Pak.",F,30,5 days,01/12/2008
3,sinus infection,"My son has severe behaviorial reactions after even one dose. He can't sleep, has nightmares and becomes extremely emotional and violent over small things that don't normally bother him.","The first time he used it, I thought he had a sleeping disorder and talked to the doctor. We figured out it was probably the medicine, which she said has a different half-life than other antibiotics, so it would take about 30 days to get out of his system. I marked the calendar and it was exactly that long. A few years later we tried it again, thinking he might have outgrown the reaction, but was affected after just one dose so we quit it.",M,5,1 days,01/10/2008
1,ear infection in 1 year old son,diarrhea-foul smelling and child did not want to be wiped so I assumed it burned. He then went into a developmental regression and diagnosed as being in the autistic spectrum,This antibiotic and those in the same family should not be given to infants,M,42,5 days,01/07/2008
5,Sinus Infection,None - This was a surprise because I have always had side effects with other antibiotics,"This was my first time to take Zithromax. I know everyone is affected differently by medications, but so many things people listed are obviously symptoms of their illness - fatigue, headache, teeth hurting, sinus pressure, etc. It's hard to trust feedback from the many entries blaming everything wrong with them on taking just one or two pills.",F,42,5 days,01/06/2008
2,a bad cold,"diarrhea,terrible headaches, racing thoughts, nausea, muscle spasms, cough","I'm so relieved to read others comments, as I thought I was going nuts on this med! I have M.S. & the side-effects made it so much worse! I won't take the last pill of the Z-pak!",F,55,4 days,01/06/2008
1,possible recurrent sinusitis,"The first day after finishing the five-day course, I became very fatigued, dizzy, had a headache. After 3 days I became extremely sensitive to cold, hands and feet becoming so cold it was painful, cold legs, unwell feeling, constant headache and fatigue. After over 2 weeks I am having trouble falling asleep still. I havent suffered from anxiety in 10 years, but after taking this medicine, I am feeling symptoms of anxiety.","People should try to take the more mild antibiotics first before resorting to more powerful ones such as Zithromax. Bacteria is becoming more resistant so soon we'll all have to take the powerful ones, and some, like me, will feel even worse after taking it than we did before. I will not take this again.",F,44,5 days,01/02/2008
3,sinus infection,This is the second time I've taken it and this time I didn't have any side effects which makes me wonder if the side effects I had before weren't caused by Zithromax. However it seemed to improve the sinus infection it didn't get rid of it - I'm still congested almost 1 month later.,,M,46,5 days,12/19/2007
1,sinus infection,"yellow eyes and skin, bloated stomach, swelled feet and legs, stomach pain. Took the 5 day pack, the side effects started about the sixth day. It is now about the 12th day and still have some side effects left. Has anyone else had this and how many days did it take to get out of your system. Doctor has mentioned taking diuretic, but I'm concerned about taking more medication at this point. Are there any other remedies?",Don't take!,M,45,5 days,12/18/2007
4,Ear - upper respitory infection,"Two days after finishing the Z-pack, painful red lumps appeared on hands, fingers and mouth interior, including tongue. Twenty minutes after taking each dose - I had to RUN to the toilet. Explosive doo-doo ensued. On the last day of the pack, I had an upset stomach for about three hours after clearing my bowels (and that end of the house). Other than the rash, it seems to be working quite well. However, the rash is a sign of an allergic reaction and my doctor banned it for future use on me.","Zithromax is a powerful medicine and works well. Care should be taken to monitor your body's reaction to it. You should expect SOMETHING to happen, like the loose stool, but if unusual stuff crops up, notify your doc as soon as possible. From what I understand (I am NOT an expert or even in healthcare), allergic reactions can pop up days after you finish the medicine - it is still in the bloodstream several days later doing its job.",M,39,6 days,12/17/2007Email
3,URI,GI problems were tolerable...not being able to sleep and having nightmares for 3 days was horrible.,,F,25,3 days,12/07/2007
2,Laryngitis+fever,"Day 1: fine (two pills). Day 2 (after the second dose): experienced nausea and terrible dizziness, to the point where I couldn't walk.","I'll never take it again, and indeed did not finish the whole course. Never done that b/f in my life. I took it b/c I was attending a wedding far, far away and the trip promised to be grueling. It was.
Normally, I have no problem with antibiotics.",F,60,2 days,12/04/2007
4,Strep Throat,"Nausea, strange thoughts/dreams","I am glad you have this website so I can see how other people are reacting. Right now the side effects seem tolerable. I do remember taking this antibiotic years ago and not having any mememorable problems, so maybe it is harder on your body when you are older. Or maybe you just don't relate what is going on in your head to a drug. I took Cipro a few months ago, and had very strange thoughts/anxiety. I am just going to not get sick anymore!!",F,45,3 days,12/02/2007
5,strep,Slight stomach upset but a great med to take if you are like me and can't remember to take a full 10 day course of antibiotics. Zithro is only 3 days!,,F,32,3 days,11/18/2007
1,infection,"Anxiety, crawling feeling in muscles, nervousness, jumpy, night sweats, shaky inside and tremors. Complete loss of appetite. This is the worst experience of my life. Anxiety!!!!!","I feel like I'm in a fog, I am so off balance. Please, if you have gotten over this post again so the people like me who are going through this now could see a light at the end of the tunnel. How long does the anxiety last? I've been off this stuff for a week now and nothing is better yet. I will post again to let other know how long this takes to get past, even if it is months from now.",F,37,5 days,11/18/2007
4,lyme disease/bartonella,"abdominal cramping/mild pain, loose stools. some anxiety. i take this 2 days a week.","while i have had some (tolerable) side effects from zithromax, my 13 year old daughter took it for 5 days last month for strep throat, and reported NO side effects, even from taking it on an empty stomach. i guess when you are younger you can handle these things better :-)",F,50,2 months,11/17/2007
3,STD - gonohorea,"nausea, light headed, stomach aches/burning, tiredness.",i took a single dose of 2 tablets.,F,16,,11/07/2007
2,sinus infection,"last night (day 6), i drank about 20 cups of water in a row... had terrible heart palpitations... was freezing cold despite having on full winter coat, scarf, gloves etc. in a heated building packed with people. today (day 7) is the worst. lost my vision when i stood up... still have a rash up my neck and over my stomach (that came up the first day or two)... dizzy and cannot read... sounds seem very loud and are making me jump. crying on and off for no apparent reason. skin on my face is peeling off, and my ears feel like they are on fire. sudden bouts of serious fatigue... i hate this medicine, and i will never take it again.",,F,20,7 days,11/04/2007
3,prevent post-surgical infection,"nausea, indigestion, frequent BM's. Worst is feeling like drugged up, lightheaded, dizzy.",I have taken Zithromax in the past without reactions that I could recall. Worst side effects did not start until the day after I finished the 5 day course.,F,36,5 days,10/27/2007
1,bronchitis,"2 hours after taking first dose(2 pills)had terrible stomach pain followed by explosive diarrhea and severe intestinal bleeding, ended up in ER over night. Doctors would not say it was from the Zithromax but I have NO DOUBT. Will never take again!!!",,F,46,1 days,10/25/2007
5,Sinus Infection,"I tend to have reactions to medications, but can take Zithromax without issue.",Zithromax has always cleared up my sinus infections as long as I took the entire z-pack.,F,37,5 days,10/24/2007
1,Anti-Biotic,Swollen hands and feet. Hospitalization,"I took Zithromax about 3 years ago and it landed me in the hospital. My hands and feet were swollen to about 2 times their normal size. I will never take it again for that reason. However, I have heard it works very well with those who aren't allergic to it.",M,24,1 days,10/22/2007
5,strep infection during childbirth,none,Saved my life (literally).,F,38,2 weeks,10/18/2007
5,bronchitis,on 3rd day I had a massive headache and slight fever,"I am very pleased with the results of taking this 5-day pack. By day 2 my cough had subsided and my voice was back. I did have a bad headache that sent me home from work, but I was not surprised as taking this medicine is the equivalent of taking 30 doses of conventional antibiotics. When bacteria is killed and it floats in your blood it can cause your body to have a fever. The headache was not pleasant, but the bronchitis was much worse. I was coughing a lot and that could also cause a headache.",F,36,5 days,10/16/2007
5,Sinus Infection,None - and I am usually sensitive to medications.,,F,50,,10/16/2007
2,Bronchitis,"Within half an hour I had a MASSIVE panic attack! I am very sensitive to medication side effects. I thought I'd made that perfectly clear with the Dr. and pharmacist. I told them of my history of anxiety problems and concerns. They assured me that there was NO SIDE EFFECT! So, I took it. The panic attack was so horrible. I thought I was dying. It started out with me getting a little flushed, then racing heart, then racing thoughts, dizziness, confusion, terror...","Be very careful with this or any antibiotic. An interesting article was published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry called Antibiotics: Neuropsychiatric Effects and Psychotropic Interactions, by Harvey Sternbach, MD.",M,41,1 days,10/14/2007
4,sinus infection,"little stomach sensitivity, little tired.","This is my 2nd time using this drug. The first time was awesome, the magic bullet. I am on day 2 and much slower recovery/results. I am eating yogart to help restore my digestive tract.",M,39,5 days,10/09/2007
2,bronchitis,"slight nausea, insomnia, irregular heartbeat,anxiety, itching, peeling skin","It cleared up my brochitis in 3 days, but after 4 pills of a 5-day course, the side effects were too bad, which surprised me because I had taken this anitibiotic before with minimal side effects. This time I could only sleep 2-3 hours a night with the help of Tylenol PM. The itching was so bad that it felt like bugs were crawling in my ears, eyebrows, scalp and genital area. Thank you to others who wrote in this column about this - I thought I was losing it. It's been almost a month since I've been off the medication, and I'm still itching and not sleeping well as a result. Hope this clears up by itself.",F,49,4 days,9/23/2007
3,"Sinusitis, bronchitis","Headache, diarrhea, nausea, Anxiety","I'm on my third dose of Zithromax for a terrible sinus infection. The medicine has cleared up the majority of my symptoms, but the side effects are a bit rough. I have generalized anxiety, and this medicine has made it much worse. The headache and nausea are not that bad. Today was the first time that I had watery diarrhea. I plan on finishing the treatment, but I do not think I will use this antibiotic again.",M,32,3 days,9/22/2007
1,potential sinus or ear infection,"Shingles. I had a cold and was taking cold medicine which includes an antihistamine, and had been working out the morning before I felt pain on the right side of my back. I thought I had some sort of scrape or sore, but there was no sign of anything on my skin. Later that same evening I had very sharp pain on the right side of my back and had great difficulty sleeping as the pain was intense and unrelenting, even breathing hurt it and bed sheets or clothing touching the area. I thought I'd probably pulled a muscle working out since I had just started a new workout routine. I went to the doctor the next day who prescribed muscle relaxants and prescription naprozen for pain and to apply heat compress to the site. He also prescribed z-pak (i.e. zithromax) for potential ear, throat or sinus injection as I had been coughing up sputum and had congestion. The next day I had some mild pink rash running along my right side. The following day the rash was red and forming small blisters and the p","Sure enough I was later diagnosed with shingles. I believe the cold medication might have been masking the onset of shingles, and that the zithromax, probably along with the cold, may have weakened my immune system bringing about an outbreak of shingles after only two does of zithromax. Given the comments I read on this site I felt compelled to write my experience related to shingles outbreak soon after taking zithromax. I have stopped taking zithromax and am following up with antiviral medication and narocotic pain med for the nerve pain, and topical applications of calomine lotion and cool compresses, not heat. I also was told to avoid contact with anybody who has not had chicken pox, including my soon to be new grandchild unitil the affected skin blistering and liquid rash has stopped and is dried up and flaking. Thanks to your information I have saved my grandchildren from an outbreak of chicken pox that would be detrimental to their health. I was also told not to travel for at lea",F,54,2 days,9/22/2007Email
5,Sinusitis,"Some ring/buzz in the ear at first, but I am stuffed up anyway an it's not like it lasted more than a couple seconds.","I take this for every sinusitis or sinus infection I get. I am on the 3 day dose right now, which I have taken before and will take again. It stays in your body for 10 days past the 3 day dose so there is no constant pill taking or overdose possibility. I like this verses amoxicillan because amox upsets my stomach horribly and zithromax doesn't really have any side effects for me. It depends on the person. Every persons body chemistry is different. I am also on birth control, so I don't have to worry about yeast infections as with zithromax like I would with other antibiotics. Zithromax works great and I will definitely use it again. Out of all the antibiotics, any doctor will tell you this is the least of the drugs to give you diarrhea problems while treating a sinus infection.",F,26,3 days,9/21/2007
1,Chest cold,"Random pains, jaw pain when able to eat, anxiety, palpatations,heavy feeling in arms and legs, chest pains, stomach bloating, tingeling in arms, lighthead, disorientation, restlessness, overwhelming fatigue, inability to sleep,blurred vision and too many more to remember due to confusion.","It was supposed to be a 5 day treatment, but I only took it for 4 days. At first I noticed palpitations that lasted for several minutes, then progressively got worse. Stomach bloating to the point that I had to sit in positions to alleviate the pains. Terrible pain in my jaw when I ate hard food, to the point that I thought I dislocated my jaw. Anxiety was overwhelming. Feeling of unwellness. Blurry vision. Disorientation, burning feeling to skin, but no signs of rash. Shivers and cold hands. Back pain, feeling of swelling in my neck and arms. This started when I began to take the meds and has continued now for 3 days since ending treatment. The weird dreams are exciting at least. Although I haven't gotten a full nights sleep in a week. Irritability and a sense of doom. As for the ones who believe that this is a consiracy theory concocted for what ever reasons, I just want you to know that perhaps you've lost your ability to reason or read then understand COMMON side effects. This is n",M,44,4 days,9/20/2007
5,sinus infection,No side effects.,"I'm surprised to see all the negative comments. I've taken Zith several times, for bacterial respiratory infections (sinusitus, bronchitis) and have never had a problem. My doctor said it is slow-acting, so I didn't really feel it kick in strongly until today (day 3). But today I feel *much* better. I noticed a slight improvement the day after starting the 1st dose, and I was starting to worry if I was taking the right abx, but I think this is going to do the trick.",F,43,5 days,9/18/2007
1,Throat infection,"HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!! About an hour after the first set of two pills came terrible diarrhea. The next day was ok, just slightly loose stool, so I thought everything would be fine. The third day, i took the pill and about two hours later I was doubled up with the worst stomach pain of my life, extremely nauseous and thought I was going to die. I was gasping for breath and kept swooning, couldn't get up off of the bathroom floor. It lasted about an hour and then the symptoms suddenly faded. That was last night and now only slight stomache pains remain. I will NOT take the last two doses, that stuff is death in a capsule.",,F,18,3 days,9/13/2007Email
3,Throat infection,Side effects bearable. Slight nausea and loose stool. Some heart palpitations a few times the first 24 hours. Decreased appetite.,"I took a 3 day prescription of the generic, azithromycin at 500mg a day. It was finished 2 days ago, and my throat is still itchy. I am wondering if the medicine worked. It did help, the symptoms have improved compared to what they were when I went to the doctor. I hope this clears up soon. As for the medicine itself, I have no complaints. It upset my stomach like most antibiotics do. I am surprised I didnt have panic attacks like others have mentioned here, even though I am very prone to having them and I usually have them when I try a new medicine (medicine in general scares me, haha!) but I havent experienced anything more than mild palpitations with this medicine. One thing that I did appreciate about this medicine is that it did not require me to avoid being in the sun, so I was still able to enjoy my outdoor plans on the weekend while taking it (as much as a person can enjoy being outdoors while sick, haha!). I am thankful I didnt have to cancel my weekend for the sake of my fam",F,33,3 days,9/10/2007Email
2,sinus infection,"My stomach became a bit upset, but the worst side effect was the tingling all over my body. I felt like bugs were crawling from my head to my feet. This went away about 3 days after I stopped the medication.","My sinus infection got better after 3 days of the 5 day course of medicine, so my dr took me off of it. It worked well, but the side effects were too nasty for me to ever take it again. After being completely freaked out, I looked online and found that many others had the same side effects. I really think this should be better communicated to doctors and pharamcists, since neither knew about this in my case.",F,31,3 days,09/06/2007
3,8 mos. old with Bronchitis,"After giving my son ZITHROMAX for 4 days out of 5, I noticed a bad rash on my son's face and then began to notice tiny bumps all over his body. I contacted the doctor and she suggested not to give him his last dose. But now that I look back on it, he did seem more irritable, cranky, not wanting to sleep, sometimes out of it, and at times he even seemed to belly ache. I hope that there was nothing else going on that we do not know about. I really don't like giving medicine to my son because he can't tell us how he feels. I think I am going to try harder to follow the naturopathic and homeopathic route.",,M,,4 days,09/04/2007
1,adult strep throat,"Although my throat cleared up quite fast, I have been so sick otherwise. I have two more pills to take and I cannot sleep, wake up in hot sweats and have diarhhea every couple hours. I am miserable. I will finish the two days and I will never take this pill again.",,F,26,5 days,8/23/2007
5,Throat and Lung infection,"First day I had nausia that was pretty strong, about 6 hours after taking my first two pills..but I think part of it was because of the vitamins I was also taking. So STOP any usual vitamins, fish oils, B vitamins etc. The reaction should be less. My second day was small amount of intestial distribance, but totally dealable.","WOW!!!! What 5 days of pencillin could not help, this stuff stopped dead in it's tracks. Day two, my cough is now productive, my throat is only mildly annoyed, no more horrible fighing just to swallow water and I can stop taking the strong pain meds that I had to take the previous 5 days. I am already starting to feel better. Still tired, but wow is this better than the last 5 days of my life. It is worth dealing with the nausa in the beginning. Just keep taking it. I have 3 more days left. Will continue the treatment and continue to rest. 10 stars!",M,46,2 days,8/22/2007
4,GENERIC,"Stomach cramps and diarreha 30-40 minutes post dose (common). EXTREME extremity itching once antibiotic course was finished (ears, fingers, ankles, face and genitals).",Some research on generics in general leads me to believe that some of the fillers used inthe generic vs. the branded medications have this very common itching side effect. I have taken the Z-pak 4 or 5 times (branded) and never had this side effect. It is brutual itching,M,35,5 days,8/22/2007
2,Pneumonia,"Anxiety, insomnia, racing heart, etc.","I was taking Tussionex cough syrup which contains Vicodin last week for about 3 days when I started having hallucinations, high anxiety, and panic attacks. My doctor stopped it immediately but had me continue with Biaxin. It seemed to work as my fever stopped, which is great. However, I have continued to struggle with anxiety mostly when I try to lay down (I start to doze off when anxiety hits out of nowhere about nothing and I get tense and start sweating) but also sometimes while awake. I have never had problems with anxiety until now. My doctor started me on Z-pack yesterday and I am still having the same problems. I can't tell if I am still reacting to the Vicodin, Biaxin, or Zithromax.....or if I am nuts. I haven't slept now for 27+ hours.",M,28,1 days,8/22/2007Email
1,Bronchitis and Sinus Infection,Hives all over my body. Swelling so bad I had to have my wedding band cut off. Horrible stomach pains.,"Be Careful! I took this medicine in the past and had no side affects. This time, I had to go to two doctors visits, the last in the ER having my rings cut off due to swelling.",F,32,4 days,8/21/2007
1,Pneumonia,"Watery diarrea, burning stomach, hot and cold flashes, severe anxiety, depression, rapid pulse, feelings of coldness all over my body. A wired feeling followed by extreme tiredness. feelings of impending doom. Also very weird dreams, when I took a nap.","This was given to me at the ER. I was diagnosed with pneumonia, which can be life threatening, So I agreed to take the 2 pills the nurse gave me. I also recieved a prescription for the 3 pack to take, but I don't think I can continue this medication. This medication alone, feels life threatening. I only took the first double dose. I am sitting here so dizzy and anxious, and feeling unwell. Even with the Pneumonia, the side effects of this antibiotic, are greater than the benifits for me.",M,34,1 days,8/20/2007
3,Possible Mono or Strep,Insomnia- NAUSEA!!!- and Diarrhea-if you get this DRINK A LOT OF WATER!! it helps so much seriously and stay away from caffiene and fried foods or dairy. Also keep dramamine nearby it helps (even though it may knock you out),it usually works but beware!,F,20,2 days,8/19/2007
3,Strep throat,"Sweats fatigue and general disorientation, probably caused by the strep. Loose stool.","Took 10-day amoxicilin treatment, then strep came back. So the prompt care doc prescribed a 10-day cephalexin treatment and same thing, it came back after i finished treatment. Now im on day 3 of this 5-day azithromycin and it seems to be working, but slower than the previous 2 antibiotics even though my doctor said it was supposed to be stronger than the previous 2???!!",M,25,5 days,08/10/2007
3,skin infection,"1 hour after first dose explosive water from rectum-,some sweating at first- that went away, insomnia, bloated stomache, gas","I have taken this medicine before but am now reacting to it differently, i took two benadryl-which usually knocks me out and I can't get to sleep-stay close to home!!I was on job interview-had to use bathroom right next to his desk-embarrassing!Then left had to stop 3 blocks down at deli, then again when i got home-drink plenty of water and eat yogurt",F,33,5 days,08/04/2007
4,Strep Throat,"I took a 3 day regimen, two 250mg tablets by mouth once a day for 3 days. My throat felt better on day 3, all pain gone on day 4 but today is day 5, two days OFF and I have broken out into a horrible rash all over my neck, chin and chest and upper back/neck. So, I was pleased with the relief from the strep but now I got another problem. I have taken Benedryl, I hope that helps!!",,F,35,3 days,7/26/2007Email
5,Sinusitis / Ear Infection,"No side effects whatsoever. I did experience ringing in the ears, but this was likely caused by the infection, not the drug.","One day after taking the first dose, my ear infection had subsided considerably with one ear draining completely. Within a few days it was totally gone. This is the second time I have been prescribed this medication and I would definitely take it again, as it works fine for me. I am confused by some of the other comments on severe anxiety and other effects; didn't experience anything of the sort. You may want to consider causes other than the antibiotic if this is the case.",M,20,5 days,7/20/2007
3,sinus infection/ear infection,"loss of appetite, abdominal cramping, tiredness, funny dry taste in mouth","I have used this medication before. Didn't remember feeling this way when I took it, however. I do feel better in terms of the sinus infection/ear infection but I have a persistent cough especially at night. Could be post nasal drip. My appetite is not good. Can't really taste food. Water seems to be the only thing I crave. I did have severe, doubling over type abdominal cramping after the first 2 pill dose on day 1. Not so much now. Just took my last dose this morning. Hope to begin to feel better now that I'm through with it. Would not say that I would not take this again, as it usually takes care of the infections I have one to two times a year. Still hoping for an effective antibiotic that doesn't make me feel so yucky.",F,56,5 days,7/15/2007
2,Inner ear infection,"While on the drug I was knocked out, dizzy, and sleepy for about 3 hours after each dose. I mean out... All the way asleep. My fever went down and the pain in my ear felt a bit better. I had some stomach problems, mostly not appetite and loose stool while on the Zmax. Other problems started at the end of treatment...","The problem for me is that on day 3, the only time I slept was right after the pill. It has been a week since my last pill and I am still up every night and am only sleeping a few hours a night with the help of a sleeping aid. I also still feel sick and got a blistery/pimply rash all over my neck, chest, and back (2 days after the last does)which is gross and the fever came back. Went back to Urgent Care, but the doctor didn't know why all that was happening. Is it possible that Zmax is so strong that once you get off it your immune system goes into shock or something.",F,26,5 days,7/14/2007
1,ear infection,"LOUD ringing, high pitched ringing, constant.. in my ears, making it difficult to hear people speak. Started after first dose. Days later, I still have the ringing. Its the generic version of the drug. Should have used cephalexan instead.",,F,52,1 days,7/9/2007Email
4,Sinus Infection,None -- while taking the medication,One week after finishing a five-day perscription of Zithromax I experienced vaginal bloody discharge.,F,46,5 days,07/08/2007
1,Sinus Infection then Bronchitis,"I started taking this medication for a sinus infection. I took one round and began experiencing anxiety, racing heart, feelings of doom, stomach craps, etc...I attributed this to being sick for several weeks and taking too many over-counter meds. It got so bad that I went to a cardiologist just to make sure I wasn't having severe heart problems. Everything was fine in terms of the heart, but the anxiety lasted about a month after finishing the Z-pack. I had to get a prescription for Zanax. Fast-forward two months. Another sinus infection, this time with Bronchitis. I started another Z-pack and 2+@ finally came together. This time I HAD NOT been taking any other OTC meds, and the symptoms CAME BACK. They started after day three. I called my doc, and he told me to not take the remaining two pills.",Pay very close attention to your reaction to the drug. If you experience any of the side-effects contact your doc. immediately,M,37,5 days,6/25/2007
4,Bladder infection,I've taken zithromax 3 times and each time I get severe stomach cramping and diarrhea about 2-3 hours after the first dose. This last time I was given just 4 pills to take and a shot of antibiotics - and this time was the worst. 2 days later and I still have an upset stomach... UGH!!!,I have to say it does work though!,F,35,1 days,6/14/2007
4,Sinusitis,Fatigue. I just didn't want to move or get out of bed while on the drug; it was a bit hard to figure out that this was an effect of the medication rather than the sinusitis. Otherwise I was fine.,"I took this drug (generic azithro 500 mg bid) to get rid of an 2+ week old sinus infection that did not clear with decongestants and antihistamines. The drug made a substantial difference within 2 days. I'm a physician and needed to return to work, and the tiredness was just excessive, so I stopped the drug after 48-72 hours. The infection did not return.
I would take this drug again if I needed to kill off an infection. I don't expect to feel good all the time. If a drug is making me healthy in a particular way, it's up to me to weigh that benefit against the cost of side effects.",M,45,2 days,6/13/2007
1,AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL!,"Nausea, diarreah, vertigo and feelings of faintness, anxiety and a hot, prickly sensation all over my chest/arms... NASTY stuff despite what that guy below says!","The pack says ""may cause stomach pain"" but I had SEVERE stomach pains/cramps, to the point where i was curled up in a ball. Feeling as though I was going to be sick every few minutes, but nothing would happen - when I finally started to, I was in incredible pain in my stomach. The pain was unbearable, and there is no way I would take this ever again. I honestly felt as though I was about to die. It is an AWFUL drug, and the side effects are in no way worth it.",M,37,5 days,06/10/2007
5,Sinus infection,none,"What is wrong with all of you people? Anxiety attacks? Why would an antibiotic biochemically cause an anxiety attack? Zithromax's mechanism of action involves blocking specifically BACTERIAL protein production. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with neurological function or neurochemistry. This is the worst website ever created - it's basically a bunch of overly anxious patients who can't just listen to their doctor's advice and has to read other peoples' conspiracy theories about how every single drug out there should be taken off the market. You people need to see a psychologist, not a medical doctor.",M,34,5 days,06/09/2007
5,sinus infection,"slight dizziness, slight stomache/side/back cramps at differing times, chest heaviness",I had a nasty cold/flu for a week before the sinus infection and had missed two days of work. I was unbearably congested and I began to feel better within hours of taking this drug. It cleared my sinusitus and the residual coughing from post-nasal drip. I took a Prilosec early in the morning and had the antibiotic about two hours after lunch and did not have bad stomache problems. I took 500mg pills and found this medication extremely effective with very minor side-effects.,F,39,4 days,06/07/2007
4,strep throat; sinus infection,"None, so far","I started taking the 5 day z-pack yesterday (2 pills 1st day), and today I already feel much better. Yesterday, my throat was so sore I could hardly swallow. Today there is no pain.",F,40,2 days,06/05/2007
1,Walking Pneumonia,"HUGE panic attacks, anxiety, dread, terror, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia, diarrhea, loss of appetite, clouded thinking, hallucinations, pure hell!","I took Zithromax for pneumonia last year and it was THE WORST experience of my life! I was given 3 pills that are supposed to last for 7 days. I went to the ER 3 times and tried to explain what was happening to me but no doctor or nurse believed me. They checked my blood and heart and said I looked fine so there was no allergic reaction and tried to send me home. Obviously doctors are not really well informed about this drug. After the drug finally wore off I returned to normal and everything was fine for about 1 month. Then suddenly one day I had a full blown panic attack that brought all the horrible feelings back. Now the doctors think I have anxiety disorder but I'm sure that it's much more than that. I have dizzy spells, depersonalization, lightheadedness, and roaming pains all the time. I lost my job and now feel so ""out of it"" I can't get another. Has anyone else experienced something like this? Any long term effects? How did you get over it? Please email me!
And if",M,36,7 days,6/2/2007Email
4,Sinus Infection,"Fatigue - but this is most likely due to the sinus infection itself, not the drug.","It amazes me that people think that drugs should be taken off the market because they had side effects from it. ALL DRUGS come with side effects. It is up to YOU, the CONSUMER to consider the benefits vs risks and make an informed choice as to whether or not you want to take the med. There will NEVER be a SIDE-EFFECT-FREE drug, people. Antibiotics save lives. And for heavens sake dont just stop taking them mid-course. That's what is creating all these drug-resistant strains of bacteria.",F,37,5 days,06/01/2007
1,std/nsu,"was given 4 250mg tablets as test showed i picked up std after unprotected sex 4 weeks ago, after 2 days i had a few night sweats, heart rate was fast,my skin is still itching and sensitve and have woken up at night with burning sensations on my skin especially arms and shins, my head is a bit fuzzy and feeling tired around eyes, my mouth and throat seem a bit raw in feeling. i hope it is the tablets and not hiv infection, getting a bit nervous as this has gone on for about 10 days now. would appreciate any thoughts, how long does this drug stay in your system for and affect your body?.",4 x 250mg tablets,M,47,,5/25/2007Email
1,infection,"Nausea,disorientation,dizziness,anxiety,racing heart,diarrhea!! All these symptoms occured directly after taking the one time liquid dose.","I thought I was going to pass out in the Doctor's office. I pretty much had a full blown panick attack. The nurses acted like they had never seen symptoms of this sort and said that this medication should only cause nausea. I thought I was crazy until I got home and started reading that I had the exact same side effects as a lot of other people on this medication. This is only the first day that I have been takig it, and I am scared to death to see what the next few days are going to be like...I will NEVER take this medicine ever again! I probably did not really need it in the first place. I wish the nurses would present the dangers/side effects before administering medication of this sort!!! I think I have to PUKE!",F,25,1 days,5/25/2007
5,chronic Lyme Disease,none at all other than tiredness after several months on the azithromycin. Great antibiotic for my very serious illness.,"I took this for about four months after first starting on Doxycycline. The azithromycin was so much easier on my system- no nausea or anything. I did lots of yogurt and probiotics- important for any antibiotic use and might prevent your diarrhea.
I eventually got very, very tired and thought it was the Lyme- it turned out to be the side effect of the zithromax and went away three days after I stopped. I've continued to treat with herbs successfully and this antibiotic did a lot to knock out what had been a disabling case of Lyme. See www.ILADS.org for more Lyme antibiotic information, most doctors dont' know how to treat this disease long enough.",F,35,135 days,5/20/2007
2,sinus/ear infection,On day three of taking the zpack the side effects started and reached extreme levels the day I completed the 5 day treatment. I experienced severe stomach pain and cramping. This in itself I can deal with. The unexplainable anxiety that would last for as long as three hour periods is something few could handle. The anxiety would cause my blood pressure to go through the roof.,"The infections did clear up. However, I would take the infections over the anxiety any day. This is the second time this has happened to me after taking zithromax. Two years ago the anxiety lasted for three months and the stomach problems resulted in being perscribed previcid and lasting 9 months off and on. Once again, I consulted my Dr. and a pharmasist, and once again I was treated as if there is no way this could happen. So I researched this on the internet (including this site) and came up with a long shot. ACTIVIA! Two days after completing the zpack I started consuming Activia in large qtys (10+ a day). I had instant results. Truth be told it was the only thing I had eaten in 3 days (any food / water/ drink would start my stomach and anxiety problems). If my stomach started acting up I would eat 2-3 and my stomach would instantly settle down. It is now 5 days after completing the zpack and I am eating 2 a day and not experiencing any side effects.",M,40,5 days,5/19/2007Email
1,Bad sinus infection,"Two hours after I took the first dose, the nausea and a general feeling of crappiness (even worse than I'd felt from just the bad sinus infection) started. By that night I'd also become dizzy, started sweating profusely, and couldn't sleep, and I almost blacked out at one point.",I hate this drug. It was worse than the horrible sinus infection the Z-Pac was supposed the treat. I will never take it again. The mere thought of getting near Z-Pac makes me recoil in horror.,F,34,1 days,5/17/2007
5,sinus infection,"stomach upset for 2 hours after taking pill, mild dizziness, went away after done with medication",It helped me immediatly. I was on augmentin before I began taking this drug and wasn't getting better and had horrible diarrhea. Within two hours of taking zithromax I felt MUCH MUCH better. I don't think any drug is a wonder drug...I think they all have a price to pay in side effects. I was lucky however and ended up with some stomach cramping and a bit of dizziness. I had very bad vertigo the second day but I really think that was because I was being treated for a sinus infection and my frontal sinus was finally draining. I have a feeling it was draining to my ears. Other than that who can complain about feeling completely better?!,F,26,3 days,5/15/2007
5,Bronchitis/Sinusitis,Minor cramps that could've been caused by anything.,"People on this site are complaining about how horrible this drug is but must realize that much of what they were experiencing could've been caused by any number of things... not necessarily the Zithromax. Some people seem to just need a scapegoat... anyway, great safe drug... I've used it several times with only very minor problems",M,23,5 days,5/15/2007
2,a nasty little bug,"I am having terrible heart palpatations, flutters, and extreme anxiety...all of these symptoms are getting worse..",HAS ANYONE TAKEN THIS FOR AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME??? Please let me know if anyone has more useful information about long term side effects and if they stop once you are finished with the prescription- I have been taking it for three months now and am seriously considering stopping...I am supposed to take it for one more month.,F,38,3 months,05/07/2007
3,Sinus Infection,"Slight diarrera. Only side affects is that it did not get rid of the entire infection, but I have tend have very strong sinus infections. I believe for the vast majority of people with sinus infections this drug does the trick. Take the mediciation with plenty of food and include yogurt in your diet. This will go a long way to helping with side affects. Don't be dumb and take the med on an empty stomach or very little food.","Don't be mislead by some of the comments posted here. First, there is ALWAYS side affects to meds but that does not mean they are bad. Yes, this is a powerful antibiotic but then again if you were placed on it you probably have a nasty bug so the need for a powerful med is warranted. Welcome to the ""practice"" of medicine, its not called the ""perfection"" of medicine. I had sinus surgery, which is extremely painful, and here is my two cents worth. Trust me when I say, if you have a bad sinus infection CRUSH it. When you get a sinus infection your sinuses are swollen and the longer they stay swollen the more difficult it is for your body to get them healed. The more times you are sick with an infection or if they last long then your sinuses have more and more trouble getting back to normal and this can lead to conditions that warrant surgery. Clearly not getting sick in the first place is your best route. Trust me, dealing with some side affects from antibioti",M,33,4 times,05/05/2007
2,Pink eye/Sinus Infection,"Gas,disrupted sleep and now I smell smoke in my nose all the time (2 weeks after taking meds)Dizziness, seeing spots and overall feeling like crap","My son had a bad reaction(hives, ect) Now I will not let ANY of my kids take it. It hurts more then it helps.",F,31,5 days,05/03/2007
1,Lung infection,"Anxiety, heart racing, insomnia","I started taking Azithromycin (Zithromax) to halt a possible lung infection. Within day 2 of taking it, I could no longer sleep at night. Every time I would be close to falling asleep, I would spasm and wake up. After the 3rd day of taking it I called the doctor and was told to stop taking it. I am now into my 2nd day of not taking it, but am still having total insomnia, my heart races like mad, and the anxiety is murder. Hoping this goes away soon, as I'm currently on vacation!",M,35,3 days,4/25/2007
4,Severe sinus infection,"Extremely effective, but anxiety.","I get severe sinus infections every year or two. Other antibiotics never clear them up, and they progress to where they are quite painful and approaching the life threatening stage. Zithromax knocks them out great, it's very effective. Like others, I am experiencing heightened anxiety... while it's really unpleasant, I can't complain too much - the pain is gone, the sinus infection is clearing up, and the anxiety will pass. Oh, also like others I'm dealing with the GI issues with a lot of yogurt (which I make at home anyway).",M,37,5 days,4/19/2007
1,sinus infection,"Two days after taking the last dose developed extreme diarrhea, stomach cramps, anxiety, panic attacks, and constant buzzing/ringing in the ears followed by sinus pressure, ear pain, and jaw pain. Even my teeth hurt. 1.5 months later all side effect subsided except constant buzzing in ears. 4 ER trips later I am being treated for TMJ through OBI dentist and seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week to adjust stiff neck trying to get rid of noise. Wow! This drug has turned my life upside down. Sleeping with a rain maker at night to mask noise in the left ear. Oh, I forgot to mention 2 weeks after last dose developed sensitive hearing to the point that I could hear the back of the TV when noone else could. No showers, running water hurt my ears, and heaven forbid anyone drop something, it would kill my ears. During that week of hyperacousis I just wanted to lay down and die. Still hoping this noise goes away starting to let up a little. I have good days and bad days and hyperacousi",Warn everyone you know to research this drug before taking it. For some it's not worth the risk of the side effects.,F,36,5 days,4/17/2007Email
4,sinus infection,"I took the first two pills just today and it started out working very nicely. I felt considerably better after just a couple hours. Right now, however, I'm experiencing so much emotional distress. I'm starting to feel really paranoid and scared. My heart has started to beat irregularly. It's a really scary feeling.","It did the job on my sinus infection. However, the side effects have become rather difficult to handle.",F,17,5 days,4/13/2007
5,Bronchitis,I had some stomach trouble and the runs but other than it being really hard on the stomach nothing else.,"Great drug works every time I take it and much better than BiaxinXL which after being on for 3 days straight I still have a horrible fever (which I have had now for 7 days, horrible. I have to continually take Tylenol with the BiaxinXL but with the Zithromax there was none of that it just stopped the bronchitis dead in it's tract. GREAT DRUG!!!! Sometimes the 5 day course wasn't enough for me.",F,43,5 days,4/8/2007Email
1,sinusitis,"COMPLETE loss of appetite, horrid anxiety, weak legs, anxiety, anxiety, anxiety!!!","If I continue to feel like this, I will need a prescription for Xanax. I have four kids and cannot walk around like a basket case.",F,34,5 days,04/05/2007
1,ear infection,"dizzy, nausea, disoriented, sleepy, vomited, headache",this stuff is nasty! i will never take it again. i only took 2 doses and then stopped. i still feel sick 3 days later.,F,37,2 days,3/29/2007
3,chest infection,"No side-effects while taking the 5-day z-pack. My congestion and coughing went away. However, the day after I finished the pack, I awoke with extreme pain when attempting to swallow, with a deep red back of mouth and upper palate and white, raised spots on back of mouth. Went to MD the next day when pain and redness got worse. MD said I had an oral yeast infection and prescribed Nystatin. I've NEVER had any yeast infection in my life.",I never had any side effects with other meds. The back of mouth looks disgusting. Feels like you are getting cut with a razor in the back of the throat every time I swallow. Did the Z-pack screw up my immune system?,M,50,5 days,3/27/2007
1,Sinusitis/Bronchitis,"Diarreah, Nausea, Vertigo, Nervousness, ""jittery"" feelings, constant itching in my arms and upper extremities, night sweats, insomnia, loss of appetite, just all around feeling lousy...","NEVER AGAIN. The side effects of this medication were worse than the condition I was being treated for. I'm still not over my sinus infection, and I have an upcoming doctor's appointment to discuss what this medication has done to me. I haven't felt the same since taking it, and I'm worried that I may have suffered an adverse reaction to it. After doing some research into the background of this drug, I came to the conclusion that this is pretty powerful stuff, and I would give serious consideration and weigh the risks before agreeing to take it for ANY reason. I definitely ruled this one off my list of antibiotics, and I usually tolerate these drugs VERY well. It's interesting to read all these other comments, and just how many of us have experienced the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, this medication should be immediately reviewed by the FDA for its safety margin, and for risks of developing serious drug complications(especially if you have a liver disorder).",M,47,5 days,3/26/2007
1,Sinusitis,"abdominal cramping, gas, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, ringing in the ears, rapid heart rate.","I was prescribed the 5 day Z-pack. The first day, I took the first dose (2 pills) and had no side effects. I was also eating LOTS of yogurt and taking acidophilus after ever meal to help with the side effects. I have NEVER experienced serious side effects when taking an antibiotic, so I was surprised when on the second day, after taking the second dose, I experienced severe abdominal cramping and diarrhea. I also had ringing in the ears and a rapid heart beat about 4 to 5 hours after taking the second dose. I quit taking the antibiotic. I would rather deal with the sinus infection than these horrible side effects. It's not worth it! It's been 3 days since my last dose, and I still have ringing in the ears. Because of the ringing, I am having a very hard time concentrating and getting to sleep. My sinusitis has cleared up somewhat, but I wish I would have just taken amoxicillin. I will NEVER take this antibiotic again!",F,23,2 days,3/26/2007
5,bronchitis and whooping cough,I took the 5 day 250mg Zpak. I usually am very sensative to any antibiotics. It wasnt till day 7 that I got a red burning face. When I did the reading here I realized I had other symptoms earlier. Then I put 2+2 together and realized it has to be the drug. The exploding head everytime I coughed. The joint aches on day 3. However it did clear up the coughing by day 6 so this burning face just makes me look like I got sunburned. I did have a bad stomach ache last night. For as sick as I was. The cure wasnt so bad,,F,57,5 days,3/21/2007Email
1,sinus infection,"abdominal cramping and pain, diarrhea","I was fine for the first three days. The morning of the fourth day (I was taking the medication in the evenings), I had a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea --it's a good thing I was home at the time. I only experienced the one bout of diarrhea, but the pain and cramping lasted for two days; the first night the pain was so bad I considered going to the ER. During those two days, any food I ate other than dry toast upset my stomach. It's the fourth day now, and although my stomach is still unsettled it's not nearly as bad as it was; at the same time, I have eaten only bland foods today: oatmeal and banana. I stopped taking the medication when I started having the abdominal/intestinal problems (i.e., I only took it for three of the five days I was supposed to) and I will never take it again. I still have my sinus symptoms; whether that is due to the ineffectiveness of the meds or because I didn't take the full dosage I cannot say, although I did read an a",F,43,3 days,3/21/2007
2,bronchitis- pneumonia,"I was told by pharmacist to eat something when taking this. I have irritable bowel and many things can really tear up my tummy. I ate a piece of toast, then took the one mega dose (2000 mg) of the liquid Zmax. I still suffered a mild nausea in which I ate some crackers and went to sleep. I was okay the next morning and I never vomited.","This medicine really did nothing for my pneumonia nor bronchitis. It was not able to kill the bacteria that I was experiencing. The liquid dose is supposed to last several days, but it really did not work. Maybe if I had taken the medicine over a longer period of time. The liquid is just to drink the whole bottle and then it is supposed to work. Unfortunately, it did not. Omnicef finally got it along with a shot and 3 days of steroid. I know of several people who really vow by this medicine.",F,65,1 days,3/17/2007
3,"Strep Throat, acute bronchitis","First time (strep throat)- no apparent side effects. Second time - nasty rash over neck and chin and cheeks on day 4. Also, muscle pains (feels like burning) along rib cage","It cleared up the strep throat on day 2, but now I am on day 5 for accute bronchitis (supposedly a bacterial one) and it only helped in eliminating fever, my cough is still as bad",F,33,5 days,3/13/2007
3,viral and sinus infection &pink eye,within a few hours I had major diarhea and thought it was because of the viral infection. I have been on it four days and four times already I have been hit with instantaneous diarhea to the point I did not make it to the bathroom in time. I had nausea and a headache starting from one temple across my forehead to the other and it didn't slack up and I had it all day and couldn't hardly lift my head. Got out of bed only for my frequent trips to the john.,"It apparently cleared up my sinus and viral infection within a couple days, but I am to take two pills a day for ten days. I am afraid now to continue after reading all the comments made about the drug. If it weren't for the side affects it would be a great. It was hard to rate because it has solved the problem I originally went to the doctor for, but it gave me a butte of a problem that I am going to have to deal with when I return to work. I have been off work already five days and I really don't want any accidents at work like the ones I have had this week.",F,54,4 days,03/10/2007
5,respiratory infection,"I threw up within one hour of taking it and had some stomach cramps after that. The second day I ate before taking it and only had mild cramps and nausea. I've also had some diarhea, not too bad, but it is green.","The only side effect I wasn't warned about was the green stool, and that's not really a problem, just weird. The drug cleared/minimized my symptoms by the second day (of the 5 day dose). The side effects were worth it due to the severity of my symptoms but I probably wouldn't take for more mild illness (I have taken it for pneumonia). This is a powerful drug:
READ THE WARNING LABELS if you're not sick enough for the side effects to be worth it, don't take it (this is true of any drug, you are the ultimate gatekeeper to your own health).",F,27,3 days,03/08/2007
4,Sinus Infection,"Have taken two doses of 5-day dose so far, and have experienced gas and constant diarrhea, along with constant ringing in the ears. I have taken this medication before, but never had severe side effects as I am now. I know they say that generic is no different from brand name, but I never had these problems when I took the brand name.",Don't know how I'm going to go to work with this constant diarrhea!,F,44,5 days,03/06/2007
1,Sinus Infection,Four days of terrible diarrhea. By the end of the week my doctor said I developed irritable bowel syndrome and since then have not been able to eat any lactose and even still have terrible gastric disturbances. This is now two years down the road with no improvement.,"This antibiotic did so much damage to my digestive tract that I can no longer digest foods properly. I�ve been to several specialists and there seems to be very little that can be done; other than a total diet change. I know of three other people (unrelated to me) who have taken zithromax and developed similar problem. The worst part about this is that the doctor misperscibed this for a viral infection. Long story short, this medication should NEVER be prescribed for such a minor ailment like a sinus infection.",M,22,3 days,03/06/2007
5,"Still unsure, Mon/Strep/Diff. Breat","I'm not sure if this is even a side effect, please contact me via e-mail if Gum Soreness IS a side effect, but I read someone else here had SORE GUMS. Ever since I've been taking this bs my gums feel like they were ripped open with a knife. I missed school thanks to this drug. I'd rather have a cold than this :O!","I gave this a 5 only so if you know GUM SORENESS is a Zithromax side affect, please contact me :( I can't talk to my doctor for a good few days. I could have mono for all I know :(",M,15,5 days,03/03/2007
5,Strep Throat,"The only side effect I experienced was a mild upset stomach, but I am 100 pounds and took the medication on an empty stomach as I was walking out of the pharmacist because of the horrid soreness caused by strep. Today is day 2 out of a 5 day treatment, and I don't know whether this is a side effect of Zithromax, Strep Throat, or maybe I developed something else along with the Strep, but I woke up this morning with [it's gross so beware] bloody, green, and gross lumps in my nose and throat, every time I cough up phlegm or blow my nose. [I warned you it was gross]","Azithromycin (zithromax) was the only thing that helped!
On day one of my sore throat and nose/throat congestion, I thought it was just a common cold, so I took some Nyquil, Ibuprofen, and Chloraseptic. On day two, I developed a 104 degree fever, I could hardly swallow, and I had the chills (while still working at a daycare) so I added Aspirin, Throat Lozenges, Hydrogen Peroxide (for my ears because I had earaches), and Sudafed to my daily regimen. I woke up on the third day and went to work, and not only were all the symptoms from the previous days present, but they were worse. On the third day, I could hardly even speak without sounding like a deaf person because speaking scratched on my throat which caused great pain and to swallow hurt beyond belief. So on my lunch break on the third day I went to the doctors where they took my temperature (101 degrees) and did a strep test (throat swab = gag!) which obviously resulted in a positive reading. My doctor prescribed Zithromax and of",F,21,5 days,03/03/2007
3,possible STI,explosive watery diarrhea within 30 minutes of taking 2G dose. Rapid heartbeat for about an hour. No side effects after that. Took on an empty stomach (didn't eat all day) so a little worried that I didn't absorb any of it,Does anyone know if absorption would be affected by this?,M,25,1 days,03/02/2007
4,earache,bright green stool,,M,3,5 days,03/01/2007
1,sinus infection,"Oh gosh, on day one, I got really nauseous and threw up a couple of hours after the first dose. I thought MAYBE it was because I took it on an empty stomach..so today when I took the second dose, I made sure to eat something. A few hours later, I got really bad diarrhea. It came on very suddenly, just like the nausea and vomiting. I usually take medication pretty well, but this one...gosh. I don't recommend it for anyone. If you must take it, be sure to stay around the bathroom. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?",I'm calling the doctor tomorrow to see if I can take something else.,F,23,2 days,2/27/2007
3,middle ear/sinus infection,"Completely drained of energy on day 3 dose; dizziness, heavy limbs, general unwell feeling, tingly, itching ""hot"" skin especially on arms, between shoulders. Cold hands, numbness in hands I just felt really bad within hours of taking it and continued to feel bad for 10 days.","I took the Zpak and felt awful from the night of the first dose through day 10 of the drug still in my system -- on day 11 I felt considerably better.
I'm allergic to penicillin so I was prescibed Zithromax; I would avoid taking it again though -- the side effects seemed worse than the illness!",M,46,5 days,2/22/2007
2,Sinus Infection,"Had diarrhea for a month following treatment. Also had anxiety and felt nervous for no particular reason, and on day 3, I broke out in hives, both my arms became itchy, and it felt as something was crawling under my skin. Overall, I didn't tolerate this one very well. Back to plain old Amoxicillin for me.","Think long and hard before giving this one a shot. Although it cured my sinusitis in a relatively short time, I didn't care the psychological side-effects that occured. I NEVER had anxiety/nerve issues until I took this medication, and I had no idea that an antibiotic would cause this... Overall, not a good experience.",M,42,5 days,2/22/2007
4,ear/sinus infection,"After first dose of two pills, two hours later had a weird chest feeling. Irregular heart beat and lower heart rate for 5 days. Some diareaha, but inconsistant.","After the first doese, called the office and the nurses said to keep an eye on things and drink fluids. Contiue to take it, but stop if it gets worse. Ear ache and swollen glands have gone away, but still have unusual chest feeling, especialy while resting. Am taking Zoloft, but Doc said ok to combine. Although I've read zpack not good with antidepressants. Feeling better, but hope chest feeling is not permanant. Will follow up with doctor if continues for few more days. Zpack has 68 hour half life.(2.5 days to get out of your system) Would only take again if I really really had to, Alergic to penicillin/amoxicillian and get rash... However, zpak only dry skin and tiny redness around neck.",M,36,5 days,2/21/2007
3,Bronchitis,I was dizzy and feeling in a daze. Like I took nyquil. Also the first 2 days abnormal stools.,My coughing has seemed to improve.,F,26,5 days,2/19/2007
2,Chronic Sinusitis,"No significant GI side effects except a few belly cramps, some slight nausea, and loose stools, all of which were easily tolerated. It's important to eat a LOT of yogourt while taking any antibiotic. I personally use Activia, since it helps restore the ""healthy"" bacteria in your gut. I DID however experience strange ""feelings"", insomnia, anxiety, hot/cold flashes, night sweats, and a sense of impending doom while I was taking this drug. These all appeared on day 3 of treatment. I also experienced some tightness in my chest and brief feelings of lightheadedness and ""passing out"", as well as fatigue and lethargy. I also noticed some mild vertigo, loss of appetite, low libido, and a dry, hacking cough(which may or may not have been related to the sinusitis or drug itself). I usually stick with the Cephalosporin and Penicillin type antibiotics, but the doctor convinced me to give this one a try. I think I'll pass next time. Didn't tolerate this one ve","Not recommended. My advice, if at all possible, is to stick with the older class antibiotics. They have a much safer history, less side-effects, and a much better track record with regards to potential allergic reactions, adverse effects, etc...",M,32,5 days,2/17/2007
5,sinus infection,None,"This comment is for the person who posted just prior to this. Hopefully, you might read this. Sinus infections don't cause ""night sweats."" If you're having night sweats you need to see a doctor. You might need to be ruled out for more serious infections, like tuberculosis.",M,28,5 days,2/16/2007
5,sinus infection,"Tired, but how can one say if it's the illness of the medication?
Sweats!!!","ZITHROMAX knocked out the fever quickly with little or no side effects, best antibiotic I've had. Except for the sweats, never had anything like this happen, a couple of hours after I fall asleep at night I wake up soaked in sweat, like I just got out of the pool, I now have to sleep in bath towels and change them for dry ones half way through the night.",M,41,5 days,2/13/2007
1,clymidia,"extreme psychotic reaction, hallucinations. On two occasions I developed clymidia (within a 5 year period) and was given high
dose of zithromax each time. Shortly after taking medication
developed the above symptoms and was admitted to psychiatric ward for a brief time.",would never take it again.Took for 1 or 2 days each time.,F,32,2 days,02/02/2007
4,Walking Pneumonia,"Extreme drowniness, and in a ""daze""","It got rid of simptoms by day 2, however, cough is still present.",F,18,5 days,1/31/2007
1,Bronchitis,"Wow! Lets see, runs right after taking this, terrible stomach pain, dizzness, when i layed down to go to bed i am experienceing XTREME anxiety, sweats, aches..This medicine is terrible and Im not finishing it~",,F,21,5 days,1/23/2007
5,Walking Pneumonia,none,Great Help! Wonderful medication,M,14,5 days,1/22/2007
4,Bronchitis,"None, so far.",Seems to have improved my condition 24 hours after first dose....,F,17,5 days,1/17/2007
1,Sinus Infection,"Back pain, dizziness, severe itching, lack of sleep",My daughter (9 year old) had severe reaction. She had generic substitution (azithromycin) for zithromax. Never would recommend this product or give this to my daughter.,F,9,5 days,1/16/2007
1,STD HIV prevention,"Severe diarrhea, Body aches, fatigue, mental confusion, blurred vision, vaginal burning...so far...","I had been given a one gram dose (four 250 mlgms)at the hospital after going through a physical for a rape. I was told the pills were used for preventative measures just in case I'ld picked up an STD or HIV/AIDS. It's been 3 days now & I still have all these problems. After experiencing what I have and reading what's written on this page, I wish I had not taken it!
I'll let you know how long this lasts...",F,56,1 days,1/8/2007Email
4,sinus infection,"stomach pains, cramping, nausia, dehydration for all 5 days that I took it, and on the second night of taking the medicine, I felt very out of my mind as if I were hallucinating.","My infection cleared up, but it's not something I would take again. Too many side effects for me.",F,24,5 days,1/6/2007Email
1,Ear Infection,"Let's see...chest pain, stomach pain (severe), unending diarrhea, seizure, tingling in face, nausea, and now ringing in ears.",I'm thinking that all of the 2-3% have found this website.,F,49,10 days,01/03/2007
5,Chronic Sinus infection,No side effects at all,Zithromax works great!,F,37,10 days,1/2/2007Email
3,sinus congestion,"ZITHROMAX SEEMED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TRAEATING THE INFECTION, BUT THE 2ND DAY I WAS VERY IRRITABLE,ANXIOUS,NERVOUS,SHAKY,ETC.... TO THE POINT OF BEING CLINICALLY DEPRESSED! VERY STRANGE. MY SIDE EFFECTS WERE MOSTLY EMOTIONAL AND/OR PSYCHOLOGICAL, BUT VERY, VERY SEVERE WITH SUDDEN ONSET.",,F,45,3 days,12/21/2006
3,"Strep, Bronchitis","3 days of prolonged periods of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and muscle aches that on a scale of 1-10, mine went to 11. (intense and almost where I could not function at all).
Worked for me but not what I expected since I never read warnings.",I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING ANY RX MEDICINE WITHOUT READING THE PRECAUTIONS. Almost everything you buy comes with a warning. Why? Most people have enough common sense not to spill hot liquids on themselves or jump off a roof and whoever does is at fault...only a fool would need a warning so why blame someone else. Ignorance is very dangerous.,M,42,3 days,12/20/2006
3,Ear Infection,Slight tummy ache on day 1 w/loose stools.,"I had the most horribly painful ear infection to the point I was in tears. Within a day of taking the drug, my pain went from a 10 to a 5. I am hoping it will be a 1 or 2 tomorrow.",F,38,5 days,12/20/2006
1,Sinus - 500mg,"1st 500mg azithromycin generic dose no problem.
2nd 500mg dose all hell broke loose. Within 2 hr of taking tablet, sweating, dizziness, stomach pain, headache followed by projectile vomiting. Could not keep it down. Been feeling awful all day. Dizzy , headache, nausea. Took tablet after breakfast and 2 cups of coffee. Previous post mentions possible interaction with caffiene. Be aware of possible reactions - don't go to work until u are sure u are ""stable"".",Sinus seems to be in remission. Talked to doctor - switching antibiotics. Advised not to take 3rd dose.,M,36,2 days,12/19/2006Email
5,STD,No side effects! Took 4 250mg at once... on an empty stomach!,,F,26,1 days,12/16/2006
4,Chlamydia,The worst diarrhea ever for about 2 hours. It calms down and flairs back up. My stomach is now in knots.,"My doctor prescribed Zithromax for the common bacterial infection. She said to take 2 pills immediatly and then 2 hours later take one more and one more 2 hours after that. I forgot the time frame and ended up taking all four at one time. I think that is why my stomach is killing me. But the one day dose is very convienant and i would recomend it to anyone who can do it. If you are given the 4 pills in one dose, definatly do the timed intervals, it will be easier on your stomach",F,23,1 days,12/16/2006
4,throat infection-- maybe strep,intestinal cramping and diarrhea beginning 1-3 hours after taking on empty stomache.,"Swollen neck glands began subsiding within 12 hours after taking first dose. Felt back to normal by the time I took the 4th dose.
I took my first, 2-tablet dose on an empty stomache 5:30 PM, 1/2 hour before dinner. Starting 45 minutes after the meal, I experienced bouts of diarrhea that went on all evening. I had been feeling run down for 3 weeks, so I did not connect it to the medicine. Took next dose 9AM on an empty stomache, ate 1/2 hour later. Intestinal cramping began 3 hours later, finally culminating in diarrhea 6 hours later; intestinal ""irritation"" continued until 13 hours after dose.
Did a little internet research, learned it stimulates gut motility. Decided to dilute the medicine by taking the next dose on a full stomache. No problems with 3rd dose.",F,42,5 days,12/04/2006
5,Pneumonia,Diarrhea but not intolerable. The diarrhea I am experiencing is worth how much better my lungs feel!,I have been coughing up a lot of thick brown colored sputum for 6 days. I called the doctor on day 4 and he refused to call in an antibiotic thinking it was viral. On day 6 I called again because nothing had changed and finally the on-call doctor prescribed Z-Pak. I took the first 2 pills at 3pm and by 10pm I was no longer coughing up anything and was finally able to breath! This is great stuff! Just wish I would have been prescribed it sooner.,F,28,1 days,12/03/2006
5,Walking Pneumonia,"A little stomach discomfort....but only because I took the first dose on an empty stomach. Suppressed appetite, but I am sick so I don't feel like eating much anyways. Drink plenty of fluids. It helps to push the medication where it needs to go. I do break out in heavy sweats but I know that is the medication forcing he infection away. This is my second bout with walking pneumonia.",I am on day four and my throat irritation is gone and my chest is not feeling as achy and tender. My cough has subsided substantially. I beleive the benefits of this drug out weighs the side effects and I am happy to be feeling some relief.,F,30,4 days,11/30/2006Email
2,Bronchitis,"I'm not sure if its a side effect, but i took the 2 pills for the first day, and then the night of the second day i had this really bad earache! it was unbearable! and that lasted throughout the whole night, making it impossible to sleep. Then after the little sleep i managed to get, i woke up with this really bad headache! it was the worst headache i have ever dealt with! everytime i coughed it would feel like something was trying to burst out of my head, or like someone shoved a spike through my temple, IT SUCKED! and now its 5 days later and i still have the headache! i dont know if its because of the anti-biotic, but according to all these other complaints i'm sure that it didnt help any.",If the doctor mentions zithromax! RUN!!!! or something! it does more damage then good!,M,16,5 days,11/23/2006Email
5,sinus infection,none- suppose to be related to erythromycin which gives me sever nausea with and without food...i had no side effects taking this product --the 2 tabs first day followed by 1 tab for 4 more days each 250 mg's total of 5 days...is.. usually feels better by day 3,i perfer this antibiotic over the 3-a-day for 10 day drugs out there.... i get sinus infections everytime i get a cold....why cant they just give me this drug the first time instead of amoxicillian for 10 days it never works and then give me the stuff that works,M,35,2 days,11/10/2006
2,baby's ear infection,"He threw up immediately after the first dose. The next day I tried to give it to him again (based on the doctor's recommendation) and he threw up both times I even put the dropper in his mouth. He has had other medicine before, but never done this!","I have no idea if this works, but I know that my eight month old cannot even tolerate the smell/taste of it after it made him throw up the first time. I don't recommend it - i can't get him to eat or drink much and now I am worried about dehydration.",M,0,2 days,11/10/2006
3,Bacterial Infection,"nausea, slightly severe stomach cramping for 4 hours, dry mouth","1gram of azithromycin seemed to be a little rough on my stomach. luckily it was a single dose regimen. I have a sensitive stomach, but I dont discourage anyone from taking tis medication. It worked!",F,25,1 days,11/07/2006
3,Chronic Sinus Infection,None,"It worked good for the 5 days I took it, but it didn't last for the extra 5 days they say it will after you stop the 5 day course. I have taken this several times and the same thing has happened more than once. I end up taking another RX about 2 days after I stop the 5 day course.",F,47,5 days,11/02/2006
1,possible flu or std... dr not sure,oh my god.. would never take again... the worst unrelenting headache for days and days.. i was prescribed the 5 day pack.. i've had nonstop headache since taking the first dose of 2 pills.. i was feeling less headache pain on 3rd day.. end of day.. then took my dose and headache started up again.. i'm so miserable right now.,,M,47,3 days,10/28/2006
5,Maxillary Sinusitis,None,"For some ungodly reason, I have suffered with sinus infections for years, with my sinuses becoming backed up at the ears causing ear infections. On two separate occasions, I have actually suffered from ear infections in both ears at the same time.
I was prescribed Augmentin on a Wednesday, when I went to the doctor with an infection in my left ear. By the time Friday rolled around, I had an infection in my right ear. Needless to say, at the end of the 10-day pill-popping period, the infection had disappeared in the left ear, while remaining in the right ear. The doctor then called in a refill on my prescription.
Three days later, I felt itchy all over. I also broke out in hives, and welts would appear all over my body. Out with the pills and onto Benadryl.
This time, the sinus infection put terrible pressure on my upper left teeth. It began as sensitivity, eventually leading to terrible pressure and pain. I literally felt as though I had been kicked in the teeth.
My",F,37,1 days,10/19/2006Email
2,sinus infection,"bad stomach pain,diarrhea,nausea,weak","i get sinus infections often so this isnt the first time i've taken this but i never had these effects before, just the stomach pains. i woke up with bad pains and sweating then i had diarrhea, i got really nervous.",F,13,5 days,10/18/2006
1,child diagnosed with bronchitis,"My 14 year old daughter has been experiencing bloody diarrhea since taking Zithromax approximately one month ago. Unfortunately she didnt tell me until last week, at which point this had been going on for several weeks.She complained of severe stomach cramps upon taking the initial dose ( 2 pills ) and when I informed the Dr's office of this reaction we were told to continue the 5 day course nevertheless. Now she has had to undego uncomfortable blood tests, she has been forced to take another medication , Flagyl, specifically to treat the bloody stool.Parents, NEVER give your child an antibiotic unless it is a matter of life or death. The drug companies arent going to relinquish the extraordinary profits from potent medications with serious side effects ... nor are the doctors going to stop prescribing them, It is a one size fits all mentality with near fatal results.I'm outraged, disgusted and scared for my daughter.",READ ALL THE WARNINGS AND TAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK,F,40,5 days,10/17/2006Email
5,Sinus infection,None- all symptoms were infection related.,,F,41,5 days,10/14/2006
1,Bronchitis,Severe nausea after day five with tightening in the chest and back and shoulder pain. Feel like I have the worst stomach flu of my life and am now feeling like I am having a heart attack. I have never felt sicker. I would much rather have kept the bronchitis. This medication is dangerous and the company who makes it needs to spend a lot more time speaking with consumers of this drug and develop a new medication that treats the same things but doesn't do more harm than good.,Take it off the market!,F,28,5 days,10/12/2006
1,prostate infection,"Ringing of ears terrible felt like my head would explode, racing heart felt like it would beat out of my chest, nausea, dry heaves, insomnia, anxiety, sweating - at one point felt like I was dying.","Just finished day five. Hope symptoms subside soon. I had just moved to a new apartment with bad water and thought I was being poisoned by hydrogen sulfide gas, but after reading others reactions I think it is the Zithromax",M,53,5 days,10/09/2006
2,"Respitory infection, laryngitis","Yeast infection, explosive burning diaherra, stomach pains, and extreme vertigo - can't drive or walk - basically can only lay down and watch the room spin. I think I'm on a low dose too....250mg","Seemed to clear my infection up by second day. I'm not taking my last dose because I've already missed a week of work being sick, I can't afford missing more on the side effects.",F,31,4 days,10/08/2006
1,sinus infection,SEVERE stomach pains and severe diarrhea w/in 4 hours of taking 1st dose -- really scary -- wish I'd found this site b4 taking. I am usually the last person to take antibiotics but I had to fly this weekend and was scared about ear pain -- wished I had toughed it out -- this stomach pain is unbearable!!,,F,35,1 days,10/04/2006
5,sinusitis,Some mild dizziness.,I usually don't do to well with antibiotics. Amoxicillin rips up my stomach and I had a reaction to bactrim prior to going on the 5 day z-pak. This was well tolerated and improved my sinus infection by about 80%.,M,41,5 days,9/28/2006
4,Sinus infection/bronchitis,A little nausea but that is all.,I felt better the 2nd day but still have tooth pain and it's been about 12 days now...,F,24,5 days,9/24/2006
3,Uknknown type of ear infection,None,"It is a much better medication than its cousin, Biaxin, which has many side effects and has to be taken longer than Zithromax. For subborn infections, a double dose appears to help more.",,46,5 days,09/11/2006
5,unknown bacterial infection,None,"I had some sort of bacterial infection following a virus, according to the doctor. Symptoms were runny nose, congestion, coughing, tiredness. Felt better within 2 days.",M,47,5 days,09/05/2006
4,Cellulitis,"Took the 3-Pak treatment. About the 3rd day, felt like I had the flu...feeling like crap, run down, mild sweats and always sleepy. Occasionally had slight abdominal pain. This went on for 3 or 4 days. Weird thing was that I didn't have a temperature.","Took this in conjunction with Bactroban. So I'm not entirely sure it was just the Zithromax. Also, I expected some diarrhea...nothing...as a matter a fact, my dumps were pretty healthy size. Infection stopped spreading and began clearing up. Overall I'm satisfied.",M,45,3 days,09/02/2006
4,dental infection,"While taking the medicine I had some abnormal bowel movements which isn't unusual for any antibiotic but by day 5 I had developed an acne like rash on my face and neck which lasted @ 2 weeks, and also by day 5 an ache in my right hand that has developed into a persistant, unpleasent, and miserable pain: pinching, burning, itchy, needlepoint pain in fingers and palm, gripping is nearly impossible, even 4 weeks later.",I feel the drug works good to treat the infection it was prescribed for but an acne rash and horrible hand pain seem like odd side effects from an antibiotic,F,34,5 days,8/18/2006
2,throat infection,"After two days, my face swelled up severly, I had severe hives all over my body, loud ringing in my ears, painful hives in my hands...I immediately stopped taking the medication and took a lot of Benydryl.....I hope the reactions will go away!!",,F,29,2 days,08/11/2006
4,sinus infection,"really bad stomach pains, then get sweaty and crap my brains out. It is a horrible feeling. I am pregnant, so it made me worry about the health risks for my baby. But they say it is safe.",My congestion and cough started clearing up the first day of taking the med.,F,26,5 days,08/09/2006
3,upper respritory infection,"well I had taken this medication many times before but the last 2 times I was prescribed it the pharmacy gave me generic, took only took 3 pills made me feel very dizzy, lightheaded, agitated and shakey intestinal pains and gas although I was feeling better with my URI the side affects were too much to bear I had trouble functioning during the day.",Maybe the generic versus the name brand has a different chemical makeup? dont think I will take it again!,F,42,3 days,08/09/2006
1,sore throat,"Unbearable stomach pains. Rash on palms and sole of feet. Two trips to emergency with side pain. Admitted to local hospital by family doctor with spleen bleed. Five days later ambulance ride to Mayo. Zithromax caused bleeding disorder, inhibitor to Factor V necessary for clotting. Doctors didn't believe me when I said it was the zithromax. They were sure it was cancer. Half a dozen cat scans, hundreds of blood draws and thousands of dollars later: guess what?-It was the zithromax!!!",I'll never take this whole family of drugs again.,F,,5 days,08/05/2006
5,"unknown sore throat, recurrent",none,"only thing that's worked for recurrent, very painful sore throats. in a day or two it's gone, when other medications took a week.",F,18,5 days,08/04/2006
2,Bacterial Infection in Throat.,"Dizziness, nausea, violent diahhrea, swollen throat, swollen neck glands and vicious pox-like hives on face chest, shoulders and back.",I guess it might have cleared up my bacterial infection. But I felt much worse as a result of the terrible side effects.,M,42,5 days,7/31/2006
1,bacterial infection,"While taking: lost all appetite,dizziness, confusion, and basically unable to wake up---it was like being in a five day coma.After completing Z-Pack: chest pains, racing heart, anxiety, depression.",Thanks to Zithromax I lost 3 months of work due to all of the tests I had to see what was wrong with me---only to find out it was caused by my course of this antibiotic! Had to endure a 24 hour halter cardiac monitor so the doctor could find out why I was having chest pains and atrial fibrillation. The verdict: zithromax! I went from being unable to stay awake for more than an hour at a time while taking the Z-Pack to being completely unable to sleep after the course was completed. Then I had anxiety so bad any noise would make me jump. Just the phone ringing would cause my heart to start racing! I would much rather have the illness I took this medication for than ever take Zithromax again. As a nurse I'd highly recomend avoiding ANY antibiotic that delivers 10 days worth of medication into your system in 5 days time. It's better to wait longer for the cure than to be stuck with a double dose of the medication in your system if you start to experience side effects. WHY this medication,F,30,5 days,7/18/2006
4,sinusitus,"First day, good bowel movement. Next 4days, constipation. But each day, tremendous fatique. First time in one year and 9 months I had to call in sick. Too tired for my demanding sales job. Some agitation also. The medicine, combined with Nasonex, has made me feel as if I am well. Nasal congestin cleared immediately but still sound, when speaking, as if I am stuffed up. The overwhelming fatique, has been the only problem I can't handle well, but I only have one more day to be on this med. Feel as if I cannot even think straight. Unusual for this gal, who is seldom ever sick with anything.",,F,65,4 days,07/08/2006
1,supposedly PID,"Diarrhea and soft stool, cramps, bloating, stomach pains, loss of appetite, and weight loss 1 week after having 1 shot and two pills...its not stopping","This was a horrible misdiagnoises, and I'm horribly frightend for my health at this point. Anything I eat or drink turns to much and I get the urge to make a Bowel movement which exits very soft, mushy, and furry looking. Supposedly yogurt is supposed to return things to normal but I fear I have permanent damage to my stomach, intestines and colon. I did not even need this drug and I am very upset that it was prescribed to me. I feel it is very dangerous, and should not be given.",F,26,1 days,07/07/2006
3,Bronchitis,Whoa. First day was incredibly dizzy and almost falling down. Days after I had sense of vertigo and big time sleepiness.,Not sure how much it really helped. I've never had side effects like this before and would probably consider not taking this stuff if I had to again.,M,30,5 days,07/04/2006
1,,Zithromax Linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome,,,,,6/30/2006
5,sinus infection,NONE,I prefer for my doctor to perscribe the Z pack. It is the best antibiotic that I have taken.,F,29,3 days,6/19/2006
1,strep throat,no side effects but DID NOT do anything for my sore throat. Caused me to lose a whole week at work because of waiting for it to take affect- which it never did. I went to doctor and he said it does not always work against strep. Peniccillin is still the antibiotic of choice so now I am on that. That and lots of Tylenol which really helps with the symptoms.,Does not always work against strep. After day 4 of not feeling better I had to change to a different antibiotic.,F,32,4 days,6/17/2006Email
5,SINUS INFECT &BRONCHITIS,"STOMACH CRAMPING MILD, GAS PAINS I GUESS, GAS","I TOOK THE 3 DAY PACK A BIT STRONGER THEN THE 5 DAY PACK, 5 DAY NEVER BOTHERED ME. BUT I BELIEVE 3 DAY IS 500MG AND 6 DY IS 250MG",F,35,3 days,06/09/2006
1,Strep Throat,"Multiple PANIC ATTACKS, which I'd never experienced before [first attack occurred after pill-2/day-2 and attacks continued over the following two weeks]. TINNITUS (high-pitch whistle/ringing sound in ears - not due to outer stimulus) and hearing loss [onset day-3 and continued for several months].","My one and only experience with Zithromax [TRI-PAK] was an absolute NIGHTMARE. The panic-attacks were seriously terrifying and the hearing problems lasted so long, I actually thought my ears were permanently damaged. NEVER AGAIN will I ingest this horrific medication.",F,36,3 days,06/08/2006
4,bronchitis,Had 1 bigtime run and hour after taking and thats it,"MD gave me new oral zithromax, powder in plastic bottle and add 1/4 c water then drink the whole thing in one shot. Yucky fruity taste. 1 hour later, I have one big run and thats the only side effect. This one shot deal is supposed to last 10 days. Felt better after 3rd day, then seem to have some sort of relapse on 7th day. Cough, fatigue, pain.",F,71,1 days,5/30/2006
1,Bronchitis,"Nausea with vomiting; severe diarrhea; sporadic fevers in 101-102 range; extensive, angry rash over lower face, torso, back and upper legs; headaches","Zithromax does not seem to be addressing the bronchitis, merely creating a multiplicity of side effects. Took 4 out of 5 days of medication, stopped due to fevers, rash, diarrhea. Would never take again.",F,40,4 days,5/27/2006
2,Whooping Cough,Constant throat clearing & dull stomach ache.,"Mis-diagnosed for 10 months!!! Will take some time to kill bacteria I have. Can't seem to get enough in me to make a difference. But, wouldn't suggest taking 2 pills at once...too rough on the digestive system - 1 per day is sufficient.",M,50,7 days,5/20/2006Email
3,STD (Chlamydia),"Major bubble guts (Gasy), and felt like vommiting within 10 mins. Do NOT take on an empty stomach. And do NOT take alone. I felt very light headed, and honestly my liver felt like it was failing. But the next day, I was okay. The discharge went away about 50%, so I hope it clears up more.","I've taken this med 3 times, and all 3 times it didn't work. Everyone time I was retested for STD's, I was positive, and I didn't even have sex after taking the drug. I suggest take the med, wait 7 days & get retested to make sure it actually went away.",F,19,1 days,4/25/2006
5,infected throat and glands,loose stools for 1 day,I cannot take more than 2 or 3 antibotic pills without serious stomach trouble (I am diabetic) The 1 dose pack does not effect me so much that I cannot deal with it.,F,66,1 days,4/24/2006
1,Lyme disease,"Severe, wrenching abdominal pain for 6 hours on 4th day. In fact, a month later, tried zithromax again, same thing happened again, on 4th day.",,F,60,4 days,4/23/2006
5,strep throat,The first time I took zithromax I experienced no side effects. This time I am rather drowsy and have had stomach cramps and some diarrhea.,"The small side effects I experience were very worth while, because the morning after taking my first dose, I had nearly no soreness in my throat.",F,19,3 days,4/19/2006
2,Sinus Infection,"Extreme Fatigue, Disoreintation, slight nausea. Ended up going to the Emergency room the first night of dosage because of I felt like I was goin to pass out.","Im not taking this again, Im on the last day and have been miserable for the past few days. I usually feel fine in the mornings until I take this drug around noon and the day just goes down the crapper from there, I can barely function at work.",M,25,5 days,04/12/2006
5,Bronchitis,None whatsoever.,I've taken Zithromax many times over the past decade and it has almost always cleared up my bronchitis symptoms by the end of the 5th day. I've never had any side effects. This is by far the best antibiotic I have ever taken.,F,59,5 days,04/06/2006
4,bronchitis,"Abdominal pain/loose, green stool after first dose. Moderate lethargy.",Symptoms started to clear up after second day. All in all I am pleased so far.,M,41,5 days,3/16/2006
1,Sinus Infection,"Terrible diarreah, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain.","I had a similar reaction to Augmentin last year, but I didn't realize it until this reaction to Zithromax. Last year I ended up in the ER for severe dehydration. This year after the first dose my stomach was definitely unwell, but I have reflux and thought it was that. Gradually the pain got worse, the nausea started and then the diarreah and finally the vomiting. I can't even drink water. It is 2AM and I still can't sleep due to the nausea and diarreah. The side effects are TERRIBLE! The sinus issue cleared up very quickly, but I can't finish the medicine.",F,43,1 days,3/15/2006
3,PNEUMONIA,"my wheezing, crackling, and singing infected lungs calmed down somewhat in frequency and severity. My fever went from 101 to under 100 without Advil. However... read on next over ...","Day one double dose no problems, and I am sensitive normally. Day two very dehydrated, and I have been drinking and was drinking before and during the perscription large amounts. BEWARE...DO YOURSELF A FAVOR...AND EAT AN HOUR BEFORE NOT WITH OR AFTER..I found out the hard way and accidently took it without food and within MINUTES..I thought my head was gling to fall off and I was going to vomit...I ate two bowls of soup really and yogurt and was okay. Day Three...three strikes and I'm out !!!! Within two hours...I was just sitting upright had no other perscriptions except the Zithro...and all of the sudden..I felt this numb, thick, swelling sensation that went from the base of my neck up my lip, nose, forehead, and up my scalp my brain felt fuzzy... I knew it was anaphalactic shock..fortunately I had childrens liquid benedril on hand and have experienced this (shock) before with red grapes with seeds and pesticides (non-organic-pesticide free) and my lips and tongue swelled up. KEEP",F,46,3 days,3/14/2006
1,STD,"severe nausea, vomiting","My prescription was the four pills (250 mg), all taken at one time. I've taken zithromax twice. first time, i threw up and doc said it was cause i didnt eat anything So i took it again, AFTER I ATE , and threw up about 10 minutes later. I dunno whats goin on, but im sure as hell tired of vomiting and the doctor's office. thank you zithromax.",F,21,1 days,03/09/2006
2,Bronchitis,"BAD stomache pain, diarreah, nausea, dizzyness, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite",Helped couging alot. Still had to take tylenol because of high fever. Tried to go to ice skating lessons after taking it and almost passed out! Where was the warning label!!!!,F,12,5 days,03/04/2006
5,Sinus infection,"Bizarre, never encountered anything like this before. Everything smells like antibiotics, and tastes funny. This has started on day five, no further doses required.","This stuff worked great for me, I felt better almost immediately. I'm told it'll stay in the system for 10 days total, will have to see if my sense of smell and taste are normal after that.",F,36,5 days,03/02/2006
2,pneumonia,"no side effects..........................
I took the entire doseage, as I have in the past with upper res-
piratory infections once a year.
IT has worn off...had to take a new antibiotic.",Ketek worked with better results........800 mg.-2 tablets at once daily for 5 days!,F,48,5 days,3/1/2006Email
3,respiratory/sinus infections,"Though I'd never experienced many side effects with this medication before, this time it is unbearable, but it's too late, because the worst effects didn't even appear until I was done taking the drug. Now, (three days after last dose), I CANNOT stop scratching my entire body. I have never experienced itching like this, except in local areas where I have had poison oak. But now I have the intense itching EVERYWHERE, including palms of hands, soles of feet, and places I cannot scratch in public. The only relief comes from ice packs and taking enough Benadryl to pass out. The mild side effects were dry mouth and slightly loose stool (which turned into Wicked constipation after taking the last dose). But that was nothing compared to this itching. I've been sobbing all morning, and am taking myself to the doctor rather than going in to work.","I was prescribed the generic version of the five-day pack after two weeks of horrid coughing and nasty green phlegm/snot. Although it cleared the infections up (as it had before), it appears I have developed an allergy to this drug unlike anything I have ever experienced. I will never take it or anything related to it again.",F,39,5 days,2/23/2006
3,sinus infection,Chest Pains in middle of chest starting with day 3 dose.,No other side effects- just chest pain for 3 days.When I finished the 5th dose the chest pain went away.I also take verapamil for heart beat problems.Could the combination have caused the chest pain?,F,47,5 days,2/22/2006Email
1,sinus infection,"Within 10 minutes of taking this medicine (1 dose of powder mixed with water) I felt severe nausea and started sweating. Within an hour of taking it I had such severe diahrea I could not leave the bathroom for hours. Plus, it took almost 4 days for my symptons to clear up.",I DO NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THIS DOSAGE. I have taken the 3 and 7 day before and did not have any problems. Only try it if you do not plan on leaving your house for about 6 hours.,F,26,1 times,2/18/2006
1,strep throat,"all over body hives. look like huge chicken pox. given at Urgent care facility ( one dose) in liquid form, within 1 day red pimples formed. Day 5 the hives continue, swelling of hands and itching.","my 15 year old son was given one dose to drink for strep throat. Was told this would cover 5 days. Within 1 day hives broke out. He looks like he has the chicken pox. He is allergic to penicillin, and erythromiacin makes him very sick. Tried Benadryl, no change. They wanted him to have a chemtology shot and or prednisone. More side affects possible, strep is gone, hives increase (raised and red) Didn't want him to be subjected to more so I went on line and searched out natural remedies. Found a product called Lacitrex. Lacitrex.com Lacitrex is for the hives. Ordered it and there are no side affects. 100% guarantee. We are a family that rarely uses antibiotics or drugs. We use homeopathy and alternative methods. This was an exception. This drug should be removed from the market. Too many side affects and could be deadly. I will post my results after using this alternative product. One more thing..if I had been able to research this drug I would never have allowed it to be given to our",M,15,1 days,02/10/2006
1,bad congestion with fever,"Frightening hearing loss. Ringing in the ears after taking the last pill. I got a terrible sore throat, headache and was sicker than when I started. I will never take this again. I am praying my hearing is going to come back.","I have an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor in the next 2 days to determine if this hearing loss is permanent. Beware of this drug if you have any ear problems.",F,51,5 days,2/2/2006Email
1,pneumonia,lost all sense of smell after 3 days. 7 months later it has only partially returned.,a miracle drug for curing the pneumonia but I think it was overkill considering the extreme side effect.,M,77,3 days,1/26/2006Email
4,Sinus Infection,"Continuous headache - no meds have helped my headache. Skin itching mildy on first day ... 2nd day, I want to rip my skin OFF! Very dehydrated, too.","I'm taking a generic version & this could be the reason for my reactions. I took Zithromax 4 months ago & didn't have any problems. But, this generic started working almost instantly - so that's good! I'm taking a 3-day dose ... one more day!! Woo-Hoo!",F,28,2 days,1/24/2006
3,bronchitis,"First day, abdominal pain and diarrhea that continued to day 3. On day 3 I experienced sensitive skin, needle pinching at different parts of my body. Same symptoms on day 4. Day 4 continued with sensitive skin, itching and needle pinching pains.
Tongue got numb and and I suspected hives under my skin and throat. Also, itchy scalp and skin.
Took benadryl and then ALLEGRA-D. Symptoms still continue 7-days after my last dosage. I never took the antibiotic for the 5th day.",The antibiotic did treat my bronchitis but caused too many side effects. I will never take it again.,F,37,4 days,1/23/2006Email
1,bacterial infection,"diarhea, headache, nausea, weak, tired","took pill for 5 days... first day 2 pills...
felt ill, after round of antibiotics, still feel ill, went back to doctor, side effects worse than the original problem
sore back, weak, tired, pains in chest, nausea, dizziness. I will not be taking this again!!",M,33,5 days,1/20/2006
5,Sinus infection,Ringing in ears - not sure if this is from the meds or a result of the infection beginning to break up. I've taken this several times before with no negative reactions.,"It usually does the job for me, and I'm confident that I'll feel better soon. I took the new single dose version this time instead of the Z-pak.",F,50,1 days,1/18/2006
3,Sinusitis/Pneumonia,None,"A particualarly nasty infection, tries 14 days of Levofloxacin with no relief, now Zithromax with Amoxicillin, chest is feeling much better, sinuses still ache though, hopefully on the right track.",M,31,4 days,01/07/2006
1,POSSIBLE STREP,"WICKED DIARRHEA AFTER THE FIRST DOSE, NAUSEA, URINE BECAME DARK.ON DAY 3 DOSE MY SORE THROAT STILL EXISTED. CALLING DOCTOR TO CHANGE",After years of schools these doctors are guessing and prcaticing. this ZITHTOMAX IS A WASTE OF RESEARCH TIME.,M,40,3 days,01/06/2006
1,sinus infection,"day 2 little ball loose stools started and feels weird when i take a dump ..like my bowels are not emptying fully...5th day off antibiotic and still making little loose balls , anyone experience this?",cleared sinus infection,M,51,5 days,01/06/2006
3,"bronchitis, pharyngitis","Terrible diarrhea after two hours and then red, itchy hives along my stomach.",I only took the first day of a 5-day pack and started to feel better. But now I'm scared to continue because of the hives which can end up in my face and throat -- I'd rather have the sore throat thanks!,F,43,1 days,01/01/2006
1,bronchitis,"I experienced a severe allergic reaction including really really itchy hives ALL OVER MY BODY (ended after a week & a half after stopping the medication), swelling of the body(neck, face, arms, & feet), and an increased irregular heartbeat (for the 3 days I was on it) & severe stomach discomfort. It was the worst 2 weeks of my life.",NEVER TAKE ZITHROMAX. THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE DISASTROUS.,F,24,3 days,12/30/2005
2,chlamydia,"2nd day some loose stools. I took 1000mg of zithromax in one
dose three and a half weeks ago. I am experiencing fatigue,
chills, low back ache and wake up during night with some
anxiety. How long does it take to get well and regain energy?
I am still experiencing some burning in the rectal area.
Burning during urination and urge to urinate frequently are
no longer experienced.",,F,64,1 days,12/19/2005Email
4,Urinary Tract Infection,"My UTIs tend to be stubborn to treat (and sometimes progress to kidney infection), and although Zithro isn't usually proscribed for this, it works really great. The Z-pack.","I've had zithro before without any side effects at all. I also have no allergies. This time (after the third dose) I ended up in the ER with a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, tingling in my fingers, tight throat, and a strong feeling I was going to pass out. The doctors there said I was NOT having an allergic reaction, although I MAY be having some side effects from the zithro because I also took some period pain medication that contained aspirin, acetomeniphine and caffeine in it. Apparently caffeine and zithro doesn't mix so well for some people (not on warning label). They refused to give me an alternate antibiotic, so I'm still taking zithro (unless I want a serious kidney infection), and I'm feeling ok. Upon doing more research I learned some things. Zithro is known to cause anxiety attacks in some people (same symptoms as described above). I'm a really mellow person who's life is going extremely well right now, so there is no reason for such an attack except",F,29,5 days,12/15/2005
3,ear infection,the first night i had to take double the dose. I felt very sleepy after. When I woke up an hour later my legs felt very heavy and I was droggy. I feel a little sick to my stomach but havent thrown up.My mouth feels like my tongue is a little swollen and I feel like a need to go to the washroom but dont.,,F,40,2 days,12/13/2005
4,Bronchitis,"Wow, umm lets just say that I have never had so much loose stool in my entire life...and I am lactose intolerant!","It did make the pain in my chest from the bronchitis go away, but the diarreah was horrible.",F,16,5 days,12/11/2005
1,treatment of std,within half hour of taking a 2000mg dosage I threw up and had major diarrhea. I am also experiencing chills.,"It's been 1 1/2 hours now, and I'm still sitting on the toilet. I had to use the breathing techniques taught in Lamaze class to get me through this horrible nightmare. I wish I had found this site before taking the medication as I only took this as a ""just in case you are infected"". I don't think this medication should be prescribed unless you definitely need to take it.",F,32,1 days,12/11/2005
2,Bronchitis,"SEVERE (excruciating) upper abdominal pains. Pains began with 2nd dose, and came on within 1-2 hours after taking the medication. Felt like someone had punched me in the gut and knocked the wind out of me. Relentless, stabbing like pain lasted 5 hours.",I'd rather have bronchitis than suffer the side effects. I stopped taking the medication.,M,48,2 days,11/30/2005
5,"sinus infection, sore throat","I had the Z-pak of 6, 2 the 1st day and then 1 ea/ for 4 days.
About 2 days into it, i had to pooh every time i ate, and it was burny-poo. That was wierd - stomach acids coming out?? who knows?
I really disliked that part of it.",I started to feel better 3 hours after taking the 1st dose of 2 pills...then about 1 1/2 days later my sore throat went away and the sinuses became unplugged. I am still in the 10 day period..technically the 8th day and I feel virtually normal. I always have a sinus condition but as long as they are open and running freely I am well. Thank you Z-Pak!,F,58,5 days,11/26/2005
1,antiobiotic treament for RA,"Terrible back pain with abdominal pain. Low energy, fatigue, digestive upset and depression. Pain has awakened me most nights since I began taking zithromax. I have been taking long-term as an alternative treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Other antibiotics (minocycline) have been beneficial to me. Doc keeps wanting me to take zithromax, but as of today, I am done with this drug. After almost three months, I have done nothing but go downhill.",,F,52,10 weeks,11/24/2005Email
1,bronchitis,"BABY! low energy, diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, loss of appetite, gas, bloating, excessive pain & vomiting only in evening. I think he has an ulcer.","my 18mo grandson took this stuff to get over the bronchitis, it worked for that, but caused him horrible bouts of pain, loss of weight due to vomiting and lack of appetite!! WHY GIVE THIS TO BABIES?? They can't even tell you what's going on! I'm so glad to have found this site & get him OFF THE STUFF!!! NEVER AGAIN!!! How long does it take to get over this?",M,2,4 days,11/22/2005Email
4,sinusitis,Moderate stomach pain that sometimes persisted or returned in milder form hours later.,"Give the drug time to work. I was actually worse the morning after starting the drug. Fever began to diminish in 24 hours, though, and in a few days I was much better.
For me, stomach side effects were less severe (though more persistent) than with erythromycin. Taking food with the drug helps a great deal. Dairy products seem especially soothing. Try ice cream.",M,50,5 days,11/21/2005
1,upper respiratory problems,tinnitus and lost some of my hearing; hearing loss is irreversible,no other problem other than hearing loss-would not take it again unless it was a life or death situation,F,58,3 days,11/20/2005
1,sinus infection/cold?,"felt horrible hollowness in my head after 2-3 pills, still have a ringing in my ears 4 months later and my sense of smell has been decreased as well","waiting and hoping that these side effects will eventually recede and not be permanent, can I sue for damages if they are permanent??!",F,51,2 days,11/19/2005
3,Ear Infection,"This is my first time trying this medication. I am on my 5th day & have diarrhea, nausea, fatigue. The ear infection went away but I just hate the side effects it left me with. I will NEVER EVER get this medication again. =(",,F,,5 days,11/17/2005
5,Strep Throat,Bad stomach ache. Stomach hurt (like a burning ulcer) the entire time I was on it.,It helped clear the strep. Grateful for that!,F,37,4 days,11/16/2005
1,infection prevention after surgery,"None until day 5 (the last day of my Z-Pack) with a headache, disorientation, dizziness, and nervousness that I am still experiencing ALL of on day 8. Not to mention, a horrible rash that started developing on my upper arms, back, chest, and stomach on day 5. When will this go away? I feel drunk or high everyday, minus the euphoria.",I can't believe how expensive this antibiotic was...Now you couldn't pay me to take it!,F,24,5 days,11/12/2005
4,Pneumonia,"Sharp stomach pains that were most severe on the first day. Red, dime sized circles all over shins that feel like bruises; the rash has a minimal itch, mostly just painful when standing.",,F,22,5 days,10/30/2005
4,bronchitis,"extremely loose stools and more frequent bowel movements than normal, horrific gas for now going on my 6th day, very unpleasant, other than that it worked great",took for 3 days and cleared up all symptoms,F,46,3 days,10/27/2005
1,pnuemonia,"Diarrhea,Terrible acid reflux","I never had acid reflux before taking this med.
It has continued off and on for 2 months now.
I have it 1 or 2 nights a week and can't sleep all night
except in a recliner.",F,44,5 days,10/24/2005
4,"ear & sinus infections, bronchitis","Ringing in ears that intensified as the days went on. Very dry and itchy skin that was painful, especially on my hands. Fatigue. Mild stomach cramps.","I had ringing in my ears before taking the z-pack supposedly from the ear infection. But as the ringing just got louder and louder to the point I was not hearing well, I looked up side effects. My skin just gets worse no matter how much lotion I use. Everything has pretty much cleared up except for my throat. The pain is more tolerable but still there. Hopefully the side effects will fade soon since I just took day five. Also, was never told to not take it with antacid until I saw it on the Internet. Does that include Prilosec? And totally forgot about the effect it has on oral contraceptives...uh oh.",F,35,5 days,10/19/2005
3,Pneumonia,"-Fatigue ..Some loss of hearing ...A dime size rash on my left bicept that was surprisingly quite painful. Dehydration was the worst!
Very lucid dreams. Best sleep i've had in years.","Cleared up most of the fluid build-up in the lungs but made the fever come back with a vengeance.
Those with problems dealing with panic attacks might want to ask for something else. Intake prescribed: 2 the first day. 1 for the next 4 days",M,27,5 days,10/19/2005
4,Sinus Infection,"Fine the first day or two, but I took acidopholis with it to avoid diarrhea. Should have kept up with it, because today, day five, the stomach pains and diarrhea began. At least I'm done.","The sinus pain is all but gone, but there is some residual pain in my teeth. No more fever, phlem almost entirely cleared up. Probably allergies complicating the rest.",F,,5 days,10/18/2005
3,Dental abcess,Diarrhea and loose stool. Also developed an agressive vaginal yeast infection.,"I was originally prescribed Amoxicillin, which had little impact. Zithromax was prescribed next, and had more of an impact. The infection finally cleared with the third antibiotic, Clindamycin. My tooth has no lingering symptoms... but I'm STILL (3 weeks later!) trying to clear up the yeast infection I developed in my underarms. ARGH!",F,45,6 days,10/17/2005
5,"bronchitis, sinus",Severe diarrhea the first day and loose stool thereafter. Large red blotches on back with no itchig. Stomach ache first few days.,It seemes to have cured my bronchitis and my sinus dried up. I am now on day 8 of the Z/Pack. Hope the side effects will go away!,M,79,5 days,10/12/2005
3,Urinary Tract Infection,"I guess the intial infection is clearing up but I have been experiencing weird feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Moreover, when my heart rate increases I get a cold rush to my ears...? Hard to explain this one, but when I get a little stressed at work I get a cold feeling in my ears that scares me. I have never felt this before. Also, my co-worker made me laugh really hard at work yesterday, and that same feeling came over me. I won't take this stuff again.",,M,35,1 days,10/12/2005Email
2,bacterial pneumonia,"Yeast infection, kidney and/or irinary tract infection.",Still have bronchitisand the kidney issue and now on Levquin.,F,34,5 days,10/10/2005
2,Resperatory Infections,Explosive diarrhea on day 4 - 5 hours after taking. I did two days of the 500 mg and am on my second day of 250 mg. Already have an ulcer...would not take this medication again.,,F,24,4 days,10/07/2005
1,tooth infection,"nausea, extreme diarrhea within 20 minutes of taking each doseage, was on the 3 pack, 1000mg/day. diarrhea lasted for at least 4 hours after each dose. sporadic episodes after that. major intestinal cramping, could not stand up straight. left me feeling worse!!!","am allergic to penicillins, so must take strong meds to get rid of infections, zithromax did NOT clear up my infection. dr. put me on another antibiotic. do not take this evil stuff.",F,26,3 days,10/06/2005
1,Sinus Infection,"I was OK during the 3 days of taking it but it is now day 5 after finishing the pack. I have nausea, gas, lots of running to the potty, flushing of the face, sweating and low-grade fevers. This stuff is POISON. I regret that I allowed my son to take take it as well. He is suffering from nausea days after as well. It seemed to help with the sinus infection but now I feel like I have a flu that just won't let go. It was NOT worth the sinus relief. Also, decreased appetite.",Can anybody follow up and let me know how long your reactions to this medication has been going on? I'm on day 5 and still experiencing nausea and flushing of the face.,F,46,3 days,9/27/2005Email
1,strep & walking pneumonia,"after 1 week of taking first dose (strep), broke out w/severe hives over entire body, swelling of feet & hands. went to dkt & dkt stated it wasn't from zithromax because a week went by & it's been too long since the last dose, did bloodwork & found walk'g pneumonia - back on zpak. hives still present. dkt recommended rheumotologist. found this website on day 4 of 2nd zpak. i strongly believe it is a severe reaction to zpak & have stopped taking it. currently on zyrtec in am & benedryl @ night for the hives. giving a week to go away - hopefully!!",This reaction was on my 9 year old daughter. Extremely frustrating for her & myself. I am thankful I found this website!!,F,9,4 days,9/26/2005
2,Strep Throat,No side effects. None!,"I took it for 5 days, I thought a potent drug like Azithromycin would do the trick. However, I did not feel any better with Zithromax then I did with Advil. I have taken Zithromax twice before for the same illness in the last 3 years, and it worked great. I guess my body now have a tolerance to it.",M,23,5 days,9/21/2005
1,Not sure,"Dizzy, sick, arm pain, numbness in left arm, heart racing and very jittery.","I spoke to a few doctors that told me after 1 day of taking this pill it would take 3 days to feel these side effects. Went to er to be told I was not having elleric reaction to this pill. Put me on Bactrim, which made me feel really sick. I will never take these drugs again.",F,32,1 days,09/06/2005
3,Not sure,"I am feeling a little better but I still feel like
have to puke, on and off, although some of the
dizzyness has went away. My Stomache is still upset
and I am having some problems breathing, but not as
bad.","However I did take a very high dose, like 500
milligrams of antibiotic, like how I spelled that
word. I did not die on it before after taking 8 pills
in the emergency room. I am sure I will do ok, just a
high dose make me feel sick. I hope the cures whatever I have. I
noticed some of the discharge went away, not running
down my leg anymore. I did post last night about taking this
drug again, so today I took 2 pills. I never remembered going
through all this stuff before with the breathing difficulty
but it is getting better. I feel a little stoned. LOL
I must say is much better than last drug I took.",F,32,1 days,09/04/2005
4,STD,Stomache pains and some direrrea,"I was taking Nitrofurantoin and had the symptoms of being sick, sore throat, feeling like I had to throw up, chest pains and
arm pain. With ZITHROMAX I had very bad stomache pains and direrra.
I had to take 8 pills at once in the emergency room and this is when I felt very sick. Had high fever of 104, had to keep going to the bath room. I had the runs and very bad stomace pains.
However when I took the lower doses at 1,000 millagrams I just had bad stomache pains and some direrrea. I am taking this med again tomorrow 500 milligrams, so I see how I do.",F,32,5 days,09/03/2005
5,bronchitis,"Slightly looser-than-normal stool, nothing uncomfortable.","I was put on Zithromax after coughing for 5 weeks and taking a full course of Amoxicillin. I wish they'd started me on Zithromax -- Amoxi did nothing at all and just delayed my recovery long enough for me to pull some rib cage muscles from coughing. No cough now, but the pain in my ribs still makes it hard to be fully functional.",F,33,5 days,09/02/2005
3,Flu,"Severe, sudden stomach pain. Feels like a knife in my stomach. Slight confusion. Made me very tired, I almost fell asleep at work.","Cleared my flu right up so I went to the gym while still on day 3 of medicine, bad idea. Do not work out when taking, will cause major nausea & dizziness. Will cure you, but can you take the pain?",F,23,5 days,09/02/2005
1,Laryngitis,"Severe lower back and lower abdomen pain, so bad that I could not bend at the waist without sharp pains. It started the morning after the first 2 pills on day one and continued through the 5 day treatment. I have to go for further follow-up to see if any damage is done.",Got my voice back after 2 days of taking this drug. But still congested.,F,42,5 days,09/01/2005
3,Possible Lyme,Can't recall any noticeable side effects. This is an antibiotic that's more easy on my system than others.,,F,44,4 months,8/30/2005
3,strep throat,I broke out in a tiny pimple like rash all over my neck and up about halfway on my face. It did clear up the strep throat.,"I had the same reaction to Biaxin years ago. They are both macrolide antibiotics. So if you have a problem with this, you may have a problem with Biaxin and vice versa.",F,31,3 days,8/28/2005
2,bacterial throat infection,consistently flushed w/ bouts of 'the sweats' from day one;severe diarrhea first 2 days; significantly fatigued since second day,*severe* sore throat is only minimally improved -- Tylenol has been bigger savior than the z-pack -- back to dr tomorrow --will refuse this medication in future,F,44,4 days,8/25/2005
5,Urinary Tract Infection,"Extreme diareha 2 hours after taking 1000mg dose, cleared up after 1 day","Took Zithromax for what was thought to be chlamydia, had urine test 14 hours after taking 1000mg, test revealed nothing. Either Zithromax worked incredibly fast or original diagnosis was wrong.",M,36,1 days,8/23/2005
4,upper resiratory infection,"some intestional cramping and nausea for first 2 days. 4 days after finishing medication experienced severe episodes of feeling faint, dizzy and nauseated. intestional cramping has returned along with loose stools. also experiencing a great deal of muscle fatigue after very little exertion. these symptoms have persisted off and on for 3 days now.",i would not take this drug again,F,56,5 days,8/14/2005
4,Bronchitis,"OMG... basically 2.5 hours after taking the initial two pills, I could not get off the toilet for the next 2.5 hours. I haven't made it to day 2 yet, but it should be interesting. I am definitely not taking it at work.
The worst part is that I called the nurse practitioner at my doctor's office and they said they never heard of anyone getting these symptoms this quickly and I see others having the same problems after 1 hour. Did you ever here of the Internet nurse knucklehead?","It did clear up my bronchitis fairly quickly or at least stopped my uncontrollable coughing. Although, then again, who knows, I just may not have noticed since it was coming out the other end.",M,32,5 days,08/11/2005
3,bacterial infection,"i don't recall having any side effects while on the 5 day pack and i do remember feeling much better within a very short time frame. however, a week or so after i was finished with the pills it looked like someone took a baseball bat to my shens. they were bruised badly, swollen, the skin was taunt and thin and i could barely walk from all the pain for about 2 weeks.","both my doctor and i didn't know if it was the z-pack or the infection that caused the burst surface capillaries in my shens (this is why i am giving it a three and not a lower or higher number), but i'd rather not experiment and find out by taking it again. however, i've spoken to a lot of people about it, and most seem to have few problems with it.",F,22,5 days,08/11/2005
4,Walking Pneumonia,Nausea and stomach cramps for hours after taking the first two tablets; stomach cramps and diarrhea an hour or so after taking medicine on the other days.,,F,10,5 days,08/05/2005
1,misdiagnosed pelvic inflammatory,"BE AWARE! I was in the emergency room 10 minutes after taking it with severe nausea, extremely severe stomach cramps and pain; shortness of breath, high blood pressure, racing pulse, dizziness, seizures and shaking. I wanted to smack the doctor who gave me 5 pills to take at once after misdiagnosing my condition. I ended up not having an infection at all and taking this awful antibiotic for nothing!",Worst antibioltic ever! Esp if taken in a horse dose such as prescribed by my doctor. BE VERY CAREFUL taking 4 or more pills at once because they are BRUTAL! Don't end up like me! My liver tests came back abnormal after taking it and normalized a couple of months later. I am SO glad there was no permanent damage. I will NEVER EVER take this medicine again!,F,23,1 days,08/03/2005
5,Chest Infection & Pnemonia,"Sore stomach 1st day, nothing after that. Just a cure.","Had cough for 6 weeks after working in a very dusty area. Couldn't sleep, head congestion too. I thought it was viral, but it never cured, so went to Dr. who ordered a chest Xray that showed pnemonia. The Z-pack cured 99 percent of symptoms in 5 days, they say it carries over for a few more days. I'm actually just taking day 5 pill today. I think the dusty area had dried rat droppings or other bio-hazards, that I unfortunately inhaled. Watch out for bird droppings, rat droppings, and dried urine. Bad news.",M,59,5 days,7/29/2005
3,respiratory infection/bronchitis,Itchy rash in armpit area (bilaterally) appeared on day 2. Diarrhea on day one.,"Seems to be helping the respiratory infection, but I am only on day 2 of 3.",F,35,3 days,7/18/2005
1,Just had a baby- female infection,"First day cramps and intense diarhea, 2nd day broke out in full body spotted rash (didnt itch), skin does itch but not from rash, rash lasted about 30 minutes and was dizzy all day, 3rd day morning- had a migrane from hell, 4thday today- tried working out and threw up breakfast everywhere, still feel like absolute crap and want to throw up but i cant anymore. I would totally have smacked the nurse in the face if id have known what i would be going through this week because she acted like","I took the dose that comes in a packet- it is powder, you take it one time and it lasts a week supposively. it is the strongest doseage. I have an infection but i still feel the same as i did before taking the drug. Except i get occasional contractions that stop me in my tracks.",F,20,4 days,7/16/2005
1,Just had a baby- female infection,,"First day cramps and intense diarhea, 2nd day broke out in full body spotted rash (didnt itch), skin does itch but not from rash, rash lasted about 30 minutes and was dizzy all day, 3rd day morning- had a migrane from hell, 4thday today- tried working out and threw up breakfast everywhere, still feel like absolute crap and want to throw up but i cant anymore. I would totally have smacked the nurse in the face if id have known what i would be going through this week because she acted like",F,20,4 days,7/16/2005
3,strep,"I was dizzy,tired,nasueas,stomach cramps.",,M,15,5 days,7/14/2005
5,throat problems,"My stomach hurt very bad a few hours after taking it, and the next couple of day right after i took it.","i love this drug, it is the only drug that makes my throat feel normal",F,19,5 days,7/13/2005
3,"Bronchitis, walking pneumonia","Stomach pain (mild), gas, diarrea, sweats, difficulty sleeping","I was feeling ok before I started zpack, but the cough and congestion was annoying. After the 1st dose, I felt really jittery, and then had explosive diarrea within an hour. I had trouble falling asleep that night. Two hours later, i woke up with a jolt, my arms and legs tingling. this lasted for about 15 seconds, then i was fine, but panicky. I finally fell back asleep, and woke up 2 hours later covered in sweat. i've been monitoring my temp, but it hasn't been over 98.6. Today has been ok. In 24 hours, my cough has improved, and sinus pressure lessened. I've been sleeping A LOT by choice, but I'm also tired and weak. I still have mild stomach pain and diarrea. I'm about to take the second pill, and have fingers crossed that side effects won't worsen. All very annoying since I didn't feel too bad in the first place, and I took zpack to get well before a big trip in a few days.",F,28,2 days,7/13/2005Email
1,burning cough,"Strong stomach cramping hit within 1-2 hours of taking the dose; followed by extreme fatique, and extremely itchy, crawly skin irritation (no hives). Day 3 of the 3 day Rx I was wiped out, could not stay awake. Took a 5 hour nap!","Four weeks after taking the 3-dose Rx of Zithromax, traveling strong/annoying body aches, low fever, blah-ness, occasional dizziness, blurred vision, stomach cramps,itchy/crawly skin, shingles-like itch/burn on stomach area, insomnia and an upset stomach following all meals are (rotating) daily experiences. NEVER will I take this again. All this, and I still have a lingering cough (the original complaint and why the Zith was prescribed). HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST? IS THERE ANY THING TO COUNTER THE MISERY THE ZITHROMAX HAS CAUSED?",F,53,3 days,07/08/2005
1,broncitis,Chronic outbreaks of shingles and herpes,"Four of my family members have suffered from severe side effects, which seem to involve the breakdown of the body�s immune system to fight off nerve related viral diseases, such as shingles, and herpes. All of us had been prescribed zithromax (z-pack) to fight off bronchitis, strep, or sinus infections, which the drug was somewhat successful in resolving, but not always; however, about a week or so after completing the dosage of five days, we began to suffer severe oral herpes outbreaks. In three of the cases, there were severely painful outbreaks of shingles.
My doctor no longer prescribes it mostly as a result to similar complaints like those stated on this board.
For our problems, the doctors only seem to want to treat the symptoms of herpes and shingles, and have not made this connection as being a side-effect of zithromax (z-pack) and a breakdown in the immune system. We were prescribed Zoverax, which was worthless, then switched to Valtrex, which had some effect, but only short-term relief. It was not until we received another anti-biotic that our immune systems stabilized against outbreaks of herpes and shingles. This makes no sense and most doctors argue to no end that antibiotics do not help with these viral diseases such in the control of herpes and shingles; but in our case it did.
The three antibiotics that seem to provide some relief to the side effects of zithromax (z-pack) were Bactrim DS, PCE, and Biaxon. Never again will I take Z-pack.",M,37,5 days,07/01/2005
5,abcessed tooth/gum,Mild stomach cramps first day (could actually feel stomach clenching then relaxing).,Pain from tooth greatly reduced on very first day of treatment (several hours after taking med). Recovered totally after that. Worked great for me!,F,35,5 days,6/24/2005
5,bacterial infection,"I pooped the world largest turd. The diameter was no kiding 5 inches. Other than that, I was great!",Big turd in the morning then the runs all day long.,M,56,5 days,6/14/2005
1,scalp infection,Would Definitely NOT NOT! NOT!! recommend even trying this drug - I was in the emergency room Twice! Because of it !! (after taking Only 2 tablets),Try anything else but DO NOT NOT! NOT!!!! take this drug!!!!,M,53,2 days,6/14/2005Email
2,Pelvic Inflammatory Disease,"NAUSEA!!! upset stomach, shortness of breath, feelings of vomiting, uncomfortable urination, moody, sick, weak.","My doctor prescribed me to take 500 MG ( 4 Pills in one shot! )for one day. I dont know if i may be sensitive to these medications due to the fact that i had a stomach ulcer but other than that, I still dont know if the infection went away.",F,21,1 days,06/12/2005
3,Bronchitis,"mild stomach pain, mild diarrhea, sweats",-had taken on 3 previous occasions with no side effects. Now they are popping up. Some difficulty controlling asthma in spite of the fact that this time the bronchitis was mild. This last problem is worse at night. During the day i feel fine. Probably will switch off Zithromax next time. DOn't want the side effects to worsen as it seems to be doing. The stomach pain and mild diarrhea were on day 1 only. Sweats have appeared on day 3. Still some mild symptoms of bronchitis which usually disappear after day 1-2.,M,36,3 days,6/1/2005Email
5,sinus infection,none whatsoever,worked great for me,F,50,5 days,5/29/2005
5,broncitis,none,on day two i feel as good as new,M,22,5 days,5/28/2005
3,Ear Infection,None that I noticed.,"After the first two days I was feeling a lot better, by day 10 I was fine and pain free..By day 13 the ear infection had returned and was as painful as ever. Seems to me that this drug is pretty effective with some infections but everyone I've spoken to who was treated for an ear infection ended up with a bounce back infection..I'd probably try this drug again but not for another ear infection.",F,31,5 days,5/27/2005
2,Upper respiratory infec./bronchitis,"2 days after taking my last dose I've expierienced the worst case of dizziness, disorientation and fatigue ever in my life! 7 days later I have gotten worse adding nausea to the list. I cannot function on a normal basis. Cannot think clearly, always too dizzy. Probably could not pass a field sobriety test.","Will never take this drug again. It got rid of my illness, but gave me another. I think I prefer to have the upper respiratory infection with bronchitis.",F,36,5 days,5/27/2005Email
4,Respiratory infection,"Stomach cramps and abdominal pain in front and back. Kind of alarming at first since I have kidney problems and thought I was having an episode. Moderate diarrea major, sweats and low grade fever, slight dizziness and muscle aches.","Weird, I have taken this before and never had any side effects. The symptoms of my infection were gone within hours of taking the first 2 pills, but my stomach was girgling out of control.",F,39,3 days,5/25/2005
4,sinus infection,"dizziness, stomach cramps, loose stool","still working, kept taking the pills, side effects no big deal.",F,35,5 days,5/25/2005
2,SINUS INFECTION AFTER A COLD,NONE,I had a persistent and troublesome cough from a sinus drip into the throat after a cold. Family doctor prescribed Zithromax as there appeared to be some infection.[yellow-green mucous ]Symptoms cleared somewhat after 10 days but cough contined and got worse there after. It seemed that the drug was in effective as the symptoms returned after taking the drug.. Currently taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.,M,67,5 days,5/23/2005
2,Sinus Infection,"SEVERE stomache cramps, nausea, and diahrrea.
Wish I'd been clued in with the side effects, the cramps were really scary and set on fast.","An hour after taking the first dose with food I got nauseous and then SEVERE stomache cramps, I didn't think I could drive home from the restraunt. Slight, diahrrea but nothing too bad yet, however I have not eaten since taking the pill. Cramps have continued since then, but not coming as rapidly, still painfull enough to double you over though. I'm only on day 2 with the meds so I hope this goes away soon. Pepto-bismol does nothing to help the cramps, it only makes your poo black. On the upside my sore throat is almost completely cleared up and it hasn't even been 24 hours yet. Cough still around, but I think the congestion in my chest is clearing up as well.",F,21,2 days,5/17/2005
3,Sinus Infection,"Intense nausea, stomach pain and loss of appetite. Within 1 to 2 hours after taking the medicine, I felt very nauseous and thought I would throw up. However, I never actually vomitted. Sleeping was difficult, because my stomach pain kept me awake.","I have taken the Z-pack 4 or 5 times before this and NEVER had any negative side effects whatsoever. I don't know what is different this time, but my first instinct is to blame a bad batch/lot of the medication. Also, my infection has not improved. What was just a sinus infection has now migrated into my lungs such that I am coughing up copious thick, green mucus and nearly choking on the junk when I try to clear my bronchial tubes. I am going back to my doctor ASAP to get a different medication this time. My cough has gotten worse and my voice is still very raspy and gruff, like a man's. The ONLY change is that my throat doesn't hurt intensely anymore.",F,27,3 days,5/15/2005
1,infection on shoulder from biopsy,HORRIBEL ABDOMINAL PAINS!!!!!!!!! GASES ANS THROWING UP!!! WHAT HE HECK??!!!! THERE SHOULD BE SOME PAIN MEDICATION FOR THIS STUFF.,I guess everyone is different but this is horrible!!,F,49,2 days,5/13/2005
4,upper lung infection,this is not the first time i am taking zithromax but this time i am feeling general tiredness and feel very sleepy. all muscles ache.,,M,38,5 days,05/06/2005
2,tonsilitus,stomach pains and loose stools became more frequent with each dose. by last day i had a,more research in clinical trials please!!! this is too much risk. i will never take again...,F,31,5 days,05/06/2005
3,sinus infection,"VERY minimal stomach cramps. Broke out in an allergic rash on extremities, itchy after first day of taking.","Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction to this medication. I was on it for two days and had no other bothersome side effects. If not for the allergic reaction, I would have stayed on it.",F,29,2 days,05/05/2005
2,whopping cough,"VERY dizzy and sick to my stomach after the 2 pill dose. shortness of breath, and now my right ear is aching.",Had to take it because i was exposed to whopping cough at work and caught a nasty case of it. i wouldnt recomend this to anyone unless you have no other choice. penecillin would have been great! just take the single pill instead of the 2 pills at once because that is HORRIBLE!! i was checking my email and thought i was gonna vomit everywhere but didnt amazinly. it feels like your having a mild asthma attack. i still have 2 pills to go and have stopped because this is a nasty antibiotic. just beware and and dont freak out when you have trouble breathing and stomach aches.,M,20,3 days,4/27/2005
1,bronchitis,"After taking 4 out 5 pills I awoke from a deep sleep with my heart racing about out of my chest. Urgent care said no heart attack, just a reaction to the z pack. It finally let up after 10 days of what felt like a never ending panic attack.",Would rather suffer from the bronchities than ever feel that way again. Will not retake.,F,48,5 days,4/24/2005Email
3,strep throat,"abdominal pain, nausea, vomitting",Unsure if side effects are from the medicine or the illness,F,31,5 days,4/18/2005
2,sinusitis/bronchitis,"Disoriented and dizzy after 2nd dose, On 4th dose, ears got blocked and still dissoriented. Wow, what will the last dose have in store for me???",I won't use this drug again. I've been feeling unwell for 1 month now. God make it end!!!!,M,31,4 days,4/15/2005
2,sinus infection,"mild diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain. About a week after I finished taking it I broke out in an itchy rash on arms, legs, chest, back, neck, and face.","Although it cured my sinus infection, I wouldn't take it again. Too many miserable side effects.",F,28,3 days,04/11/2005
2,bronchitis,arthralgia,"2 hours after the first dose - achy stiff fingers and wrists that was better after waking up the next day.
2 hours after the second dose - severely achy and stiff fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees and hips. Stopped taking it after that.
Won't take it again.",F,32,2 days,04/10/2005
2,strep throat,"had extraordinary stomach pains that drove me to tears within an hour of taking this medicine. This cumulated with sitting on the toilet with diarrhea, and throwing up in the bathtub at the same time. I thought it would get better after time, but after 2 doses it was so unearable I had to call my doctor and have her switch my medication.",the side effects were worse than the strep! This is the ONLY medication I've ever had an adverse reaction to.,F,25,1 days,04/08/2005
1,Ear Infection,None.,Zithromax was not an effective treatment for my Ear Infection even after taking the full Z-Pac dose. I would be very cautious about trying this medicine again.,M,19,5 days,04/06/2005
3,strep throat,Had hives (red to purple color)all over my body. This include hives on my palms of my hands. These hives on my hands caused pain in my hands which I believe was caused from being swollen.,"Wouldn't take again since it didn't appear to agree with me. Did get rid of my strep throat, however still not completely recovered from hives so not sure if I will see more side effects besides the hives.",F,34,7 days,04/05/2005
2,strep throat,Had hives (red to purple color)all over my body. This include hives on my palms of my hands. These hives on my hands caused pain in my hands which I believe was caused from being swollen.,"Wouldn't take again since it didn't appear to agree with me. Did get rid of my strep throat, however still not completely recovered from hives so not sure if I will see more side effects besides the hives.",F,34,7 days,04/05/2005
4,strep throat / tonclitis,Weird Horrible stomach pains an hr. after taking it...convultions maybe? Im surprised the neighbor hasn't heard me crying. 1st day lasted min. of 5 hrs! food doesn't really help. 4th day some diarreah. But that's nothing compaired to the dagger like pains!!! thought about going to the hospital...but driving there myself is deffinetly not an option! & who knows if theres anything waiting there other than ER waiting room.,"however after the first 2 pill dose, my throat was sooo much better the next morning! I could swallow again and didn't even need a shot like in the past.
Good LUCK!",F,22,5 days,04/03/2005
3,bronchitis,"explosive diarrhea within 1 hour of first dose, extremely tired","Taking anitbiotics is a last resort for me. My cough is only occasional, not different from when I started taking Zpack. Took the antibiotic in attempt to knock the bronchitis out once and for all. No stomach cramps as have been reported, thankfully. Looking up homeopathic treatment for bronchitis now",F,34,4 days,04/03/2005
3,respiratory infection,"nervousness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, big pimple-like bumps on my back.......",1 month later infecton is back,M,36,3 days,04/02/2005
2,respiratory infection,"nervousness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, big pimple-like bumps on my back.......",1 month later infecton is back,M,36,3 days,04/02/2005
1,strp throat,I Was on the crapper all day because of this abomination..also i had more syptoms the second day.i think the medicine just aggravated my sickness ... also stomach aches and vomiting ....which reaks havok on a sore throat,ok normally i dont go to the doctors and things like this is the reason. i am on day 4 of the zithroHELL plan and i am contemplating laying down in traffic because even that would do more for me then this medicine..after day one i felt 10 times worse now on day 4 i cant eat solid foods or even popsicles because of fearof throwing up even water comes up with this med and i have this strange feeling that i have bronchitis even though the er doc said its possibly strep. i miss the days when i never got sick and if i did i beat it with echinaca and orange juice one word of advice ..STAY AWAY FROM THIS MEDICINE,M,23,4 days,3/29/2005Email
5,sinus infection,Never had any side effects at all.,Worked great,F,50,5 days,3/28/2005
3,bronchitis,"dizziness, agitation, a feeling of being","i do not take medicine generally, but was so sick i conceded. though the zithromax did help my bronchitis, it has made me feel unwell do to the side effects, and i am not taking the last 2 pills in my dosage. if i get bronchitis again, i will ask for a different antibiotic.",F,33,3 days,3/27/2005
3,Bronchial infection,"Itchy hives over most of my body, swollen lips & chin","Have taken Zithro previously with no side effects and good results. This time, though my symptoms of infection are better, This horrible rash-like condition has made me cease taking the dosage after only taking 3 pills from the Z-pak. Hope to be seen by Dr. tomorrow and that this goes away quickly but am concerned after reading posts from others with similar experiences. Sounds like this can continue for some time.",M,42,1 days,3/25/2005
4,bronchitis,"sore, achy gums",this is only day 2. feel much better than i did yesterday though.,F,31,2 days,3/20/2005
5,Strep Throat,No Side Affects...always have loved the z-pack!!,My son had it too (he's 17yrs) his Dr gave him amoxicillian..which I think is one of the useless antibiotics on the market today.,F,46,5 days,03/07/2005
5,Sinus Infection,Minimal stomach pain. Mininmal Diarrea.,VERY effective and almost no side effects. Probably the best antibiotic I have ever had the option of taking. I wish they were all this nice.,M,35,5 days,2/25/2005
3,Bronchitis,None that I can think of.,"This is the 2nd time I have gone to the Dr with this case of bronchitis. The first time I was prescribed AMOXI/CLAV, Prednisone, and Atrovent inhaler. Didn't help much. 2nd time, I was prescribed the Zithro-3 pack, AMI-TEX LA, and Serevent Diskus inhaler. This is my 3rd day and the color of the pleghm is clearing up and I think I am getting better. I have been sick with a cold since December and Bronchitis since January. If this finally goes away and doesn't come back, then I will give Zithromax a 5. We shall see.",M,,3 days,2/25/2005
3,strep throat,"I have big angry red spots all over my torso and neck - not hives and not an allergic rash exactly (they don't itch), but definitely some kind of reaction. They look like giant chicken pox marks. Started showing up on day 3 of 5 (which I'm on now)and continue to pop up.","Started working on my severe sore throat on day 3, brought down my fever, but haven't totally cleared the whole thing up yet. Throat glands still swollen. It's day 5.",F,37,5 days,2/24/2005
5,Strep Throat,No Side effects,Did it's job,M,21,5 days,2/23/2005
3,pneumonia,"the runs, real bad, within an hour i'm on the shitter, then my ass just explodes. then im good for the rest of the day. also seem to be breaking out with the hives or something all around my neck and begining on my face kinda itchy too. about to go back to the doctor.",seem to work well for my actual sickness,M,24,6 days,2/22/2005
3,Bronchial infection,Severe cramping and nausea followed by almost uncontrolled diarrhea. Symptoms have persisted for 3 hours or more after taking medication. I am also using asodophillis while taking this to counter act the weakening of my immune system. I am second day of a 3 day dosage...... Nice not to have to take it for 10 days I agree.,,F,34,2 days,2/16/2005
3,Bronchial infection,Severe cramping and nausea followed by almost uncontrolled diarrhea. Symptoms have persisted for 3 hours or more after taking medication. I am also using asodophillis while taking this to counter act the weakening of my immune system. I am second day of a 3 day dosage...... Nice not to have to take it for 10 days I agree. But wonder what is going on inside to feel this sick fromt the meds.,,F,34,2 days,2/16/2005
3,Bronchitis,none,"Myself and my mother-in-law came down with upper respiratory infections the same week. We both took the same meds (z-pack 5 day) and we both got better. Unfortunately, a week later, all of my symptoms came back and I'm taking my 2nd Z-pack. I'm pregnant and my OB thinks this is the safest route of treatment. My mother in law had the same problem with the infection coming back and her doc has switched her to another antibiotic and put her on steroid shots.",F,28,5 days,02/12/2005
5,pneumonia,stomache upset,great stuff. stopped a nasty case of pneumonia in a few days,M,38,1 weeks,02/09/2005
2,Sinus Infection,"1st day mild itching; 2nd day dizziness and headache. Nurse & pharmacist both say could be normal, but nurse recommends me stopping the medication - to see what happens.",My daughter 2 years old has a great reaction to this. she usually feels better within days,F,26,2 days,02/07/2005
1,Dental Surgery,"Ringing in the ears, hollow feeling in my head, no appetite, general feeling of being unwell. Stopped taking it after the third pill.",I think this drug should be researched further. I wish I had not taken it.,F,57,3 days,02/05/2005
3,bronchitis,"no side affects,this is 3rd time for bronchitis in 4 months.Other times biaxin was used.no side affect from that either.",hope this works.also using inhaler advair,M,61,3 days,02/04/2005
1,strep throat,Severe allergic reaction that was misdiagnosed as chicken pox and appeared ten days after taking Zithromax. Spots appear as purple-reddish hives/rash that cover extremities. Itching present. Allergic to Amoxicillin. Prednisone prescribed to counter the reaction.,,F,11,5 days,02/03/2005
5,strep throat,it was amazing. i took the first dose in the afternoon and by the next morning i felt as though i never had any strep throat problems. i experienced no side effects.,,M,25,5 days,1/30/2005
2,Bronchitis,I haven't noticed any side effects.,"I catch brochitis at least once, sometimes twice a year. I went to a doctor's office that is open on the weekend because my regular doctor is closed until Monday. I couldn't wait until Monday or I would have ended up in the hospital with pnuemonia.
I was prescribed Zithromax after asking for Biaxin 500mg. I know for a fact that Biaxin will get me well but this doctor insisted that I use the Z-pack. It's a 5 day treatment with 2 pills the first day. I also took a shot of cortisone and something else. Today is my second day and I don't feel any better than yesterday. I am still coughing horribly. But, at least the phlegm is breaking up and coming out. I guess that means it's working. I still don't see how a 5 day treament of 250mg Zithromax is going to make me better when I am used to taking Biaxin 500mg for Bronchitis. I rated this medecine a 2 because I don't see any change in my condition. If I were on my last day taking the Z-pack and still felt like this, I would have rated it a 1.",F,30,2 days,1/23/2005
1,bronchitis,"very dizzy, disoriented",was NOT effective at all..in fact I felt worse after taking it,F,52,5 days,1/13/2005
4,sinusitus,,,M,,10 days,01/11/2005
3,Sinus Infection,Terrible stomach pains within first 2 1/2 hrs of taking. Currently on day 3. Some dizzyness and ringing in ears began after first dosage. Sinus infection appears to be gone though.,,M,27,3 days,01/10/2005
2,sinus infection,"Nausea, very frequent diarrhea, dizziness, lack of appetite",I was only able to take 1 of the 3 doses of 500mg's. I was extremely nausea and dizzy with diarhea for the first 5 hours after taking the drug. After that the nausea became moderate and the diarhrea was persistent for the 2 days since I took the one pill. The sinus infection was better than dealing with the side effects. I can't eat..I'm just wasting away....days after taking only 1 pill!,M,22,1 days,01/10/2005
4,Sinus / Bronchial Infection,The only real side effects were loose diahrrea and some stomach pain the first two days. Symptoms were completely elminated when I started eating live culture yogurt with L. Acidophilus. I strongly recommend the yogurt with ANY antibiotic.,"The Zithromax cleared up the respiratory infection and increased my energy level within a few days. It did not, of course, cure my asthma, but it significantly reduced the phlegm production and chest pain aggravated by the infection.",F,43,5 days,12/26/2004
5,cold that made sinus infection,"I didn't notice any, but I tolerate antibiotics well","I love this medicine because it works so fast, and only takes three doses. It's great for sinus colds.",F,43,3 days,12/15/2004
2,ear each,after third dose suddenly felt shot of breath for several minutes. Started taking Neuroten on 6th day after zithromax and had seviar anxity attack and had to call 911.,,F,,3 days,12/14/2004
2,ear each,after third dose suddenly felt shot of breath for several minutes. Started taking Neuroten on 6th day after zithromax and had seviar anxity attack and had to call 911.,,F,,3 days,12/14/2004
4,pneumonia they thought after africa,"This initial 3 days I felt dizzy, disoriented and never should have been left alone at home. That was followed by 2 days of feeling just wonderful; then followed by agitation, breathing difficulties and spasms. I have had some indigestion and sweats.increase in my cough that had disappeared prior. Ironically, I do feel better after 10 days of ups and downs and have been ill with whatever this was that I contracted on the plane trip back from Africa. I had been on other meds with no luck and after 4 months zithromax did it. I am wary of ever taking it again though due to the side effects. It obviously got rid of whatever the bug was cause the xrays and blood tests were all negative for pneumnoia!! The pharmacists told me that very few folks have reactions to these meds and I have never had any prior reaction to any types of medication at all.",,F,52,10 days,12/11/2004
5,,,,M,39,5 days,11/24/2004
5,Strep throat,Loose stools,No pain associated with swallowing after the firts day,M,39,5 days,11/17/2004
1,Strep Throat,No side effects,"Did not work against strep throat. It was prescribed by a prompt care doctor. My personal physician later informed me that Zithromax doesn't work against strep throat. Because it didn't work, I ended up in the hospital with further complications. My physician and my ear/nose/throat doctor later prescribed Augmentin. I just started taking it, so I can't comment on that drug yet.",M,30,3 days,11/17/2004
2,Infection,Severe itching in my head and shoulders to begin the first day then itching spread to my stomach and privates. I could not sleep because the itching got so bad. On the fifth day after all the medicine was taken my were swollen like a melon (left side first then the other). I am still on day five so I cannot report how long this will last.,I have taken the medicine in the past and have had no problems. This is the first incident. I am also allergic to penicillin.,F,34,6 days,11/10/2004
5,Strep Throat,None,Best thing since slice bread! Cure for the lazy man. Take one pill a day for three days and you are done. Usually feel better within 6-10 hours from first dose.,M,29,3 days,11/08/2004
1,Ear Infection,Diarrhea,"Last year my infant daughter had many ear infections, one after the other. The first one, we were prescribed amoxicillin - she's allergic & broke out in hives after only a couple hours of the first dose. The doctor prescribed Zithromax and it seemed to work wonderfully. AND so very convenient only having to do one dose per day! My daughter did well while taking the medicine, but as soon as she was done with it the darn ear infection came back. After a couple trips back to the doctor's office we finally had to tell him PLEASE - NO MORE ZITHROMAX, we need something that WORKS!",F,1,10 days,10/28/2004
3,tonsilitis,"Symptoms cleared up withing 48 hrs of taking it. Loose stools began occuring around the time of last dosage. These continued on for about a month, the doctor put me on another antibiotic claiming that the zithromax damaged my intestinal lining and caused another infection, he must have been right because i began getting better after i began the second antibiotic.",,M,24,5 days,10/24/2004
1,sinus infection,"severe allergis reaction including seizures, heart arythmias, constricting of the throat- breathing problems. It's been 6 months since taking the 1st (and only) dose and have been to the ER 4 times with seizures. Still very dizzy, confused at times. Don't know when it will get better. Seizures continue....","I guess I was the 1% that reacted badly to this medication. Unless you like to gamble with your health, I wouldn't recommend it.",M,41,1 days,10/18/2004
2,Bronchitis,"Mild nausea during taking the medication. After I was finished with the full 5 days, I continued to have 2-3 days of abdominal pains and nausea and severe fatique.",I would avoid this medication if possible and opt for a 10-day medication.,F,35,5 days,9/28/2004
5,bronchitis,No side effects for me.,"Every time I get bronchitis (about 3 times a year) I take this. It works wonders for me. It eases the pain in my chest about 12 hours after the initial dose. After the second dose, the pain is almost gone in my chest. ER Dr. wanted to argue not to take anything for bronchitis, said it was a viral thing. I told him, without Zithromax, I will be in the hospital with pneumonia. He wrote it reluctantly. And now I am WELL! Maybe I should stop by the ER and show him how much better I can breathe!",F,33,5 days,09/06/2004
3,Strep Throat,"Felt better after first day , 3rd day fever spiked to 101.5. and cough started. Had trouble breathing, chest felt heavy for a couple of hours. Phelm peppered with blood. Also had loose stoop.",,F,42,5 days,09/06/2004
3,Bronchitis,dry mouth,Felt much better after the first dose. Bronchitis returned a week after the final dose.,M,17,5 days,8/26/2004
1,strep throat,"Horrible stomach pains!!! I was contemplating on stopping the treatment! The worst part is you can't really take anything for the stomach pain, you just have to wait it out.",,F,22,3 days,8/23/2004
1,Ear Infection/Bister on Ear drum,"I was fine when I took it, but days after - going on 5 days in a row -- loose stools galore. I poop alot not fun. and you never know when you have to fart or poop.",However ear infection cleared up.,M,31,5 days,7/25/2004
2,dental appt,"Red itchy, sore, hives on back, shoulders, neck, and face. Itch eyes",This reaction occured 1 week after taking only 1 pill.,F,41,1 days,6/22/2004
4,Strep Throat,"Horrid stomach pains in the first hour or so after taking pill - but my strep symptoms cleared up very quickly. The stomach pain was severe enough to be frightening, though.",,F,35,5 days,06/03/2004
3,sinus infection,"some dizziness, bit of nausea",infection came back after finishing treatment,F,45,5 days,4/23/2004
4,sinus infection,"some dizziness and pressure in ears increased , some nervousness and sweating","i am continuing this med , as long as i have no life threatning allergy to it ...i have used it before with nbo real side effects",F,42,12 days,02/06/2004
1,pneumonia,"Became irritable, had insomnia, was off balance; not wanted to be held.",,M,1,3 days,02/02/2004
5,sinus and chest infection,none,I am allergic to a number of antibiodics. I have taken this several times with no ill effects.,F,70,5 days,10/30/2003
1,pneumonia,Hives all over my body (including the bottom of my feet)--itch is maddening because it is a,I had previously taken zithromax for pneumonia and experienced no side effects. This second time has been an entirely different experience and I will never agree to take it again.,F,36,2 days,05/03/2003
3,phomnia (amonia),wierd feeling in my right side of uperchest area,,M,28,4 days,12/19/2002
4,sinus infection,"headache, slight drowsiness",Good effectiveness..felt a big difference within 12 hours of first dose.,M,17,6 days,11/07/2002
3,Bronchitits,"diarhea very bad and painful stomach craps, but it did clear up the pain in my chest due to the bronchitis",,F,33,5 days,10/03/2002
3,Bronchitits,"diarhea very bad and painful stomach craps, but it did clear up the pain in my chest due to the bronchitis",,F,33,5 days,10/03/2002
3,to prevent flu symptoms worsening,"high blood pressure, anxiety which may also have been casued by cough syrup (antihistimone and decongestant)and Sudafed.","in the past - it has worked well in preventing the progression of flu/cold symptoms i.e. ear ache, upper respitory congestion and coughing.",M,58,5 days,9/14/2002
5,strep throat infection,mild diarrhea and brief stomach pains within an hour of taking it. No other side effects.,"Overall, I was pleased with the drug. Taking 6 pills in 5 days is much better than 20 pills in 10 days! And I did feel better within the first 24 hours.",F,32,5 days,7/30/2002
1,sinus & chest infection,"Hives deep under the skin on hands, feet and shoulder areas.
Took Allegra D antihistamine and immediatly stopped taking the drug on day 2. This was the worst pain of my life, my hands were swelled and red can I couldn't move them. Docter said it will take a good month for side effects to go away.","The first time I took this medicine, it worked for me, then when I got this infection, the medicine didn't work, so the Doctor gave me a second dose. I don't know if this is the reason this happened to me, or I just got a bad reaction this time?!",F,38,2 days,7/29/2002
5,sinus infection,skin sensitivity,"Very effective to clear sinus blockage while taking the drug.
Symptoms reappeared shortly after I stopped taking it.",M,34,6 days,6/21/2002
1,ear infection,"Broke out in severe hives from head to toe for several weeks, every square inch of body, including breathing difficulty. Relieved temporarily with Epinephrine at ER. Now unable to eat many normal foods such as dairy, nuts. Have been in the ER 4x - must go see an allergist now to determine what other foods might pop up and land me in the hospital again. This drug has been an absolute nightmare and 1 1/2 months after taking it, still unable to assimilate normal foods. Afraid to drink any alcohol whatsoever. Uknown how long this will go on. Dr's perplexed - always carry an EpiPen now.",,F,36,4 days,5/27/2002Email
2,Cold,no side effects,,M,62,6 days,5/21/2002
5,Sinus infection/Bronchitis,,,F,22,4 days,05/02/2002
4,typhoid,"nausea when taken in oral form, pain at insertion site when taken in IV form",this drug was taken in combination with other drugs ... together proved to be effective,F,22,12 days,8/26/2001
4,Strep and sinus infections,Decreased appetite,,M,26,5 days,7/19/2001
5,throat infection,none,symptoms cured within a couple of days.,F,34,,12/29/2000