| Key to ratings for zithromax: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
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| 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 days | 2/7/2010 | 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 | 2/4/2010 | 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 days | 2/4/2010 | 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 | 2/3/2010 | 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 | 2/2/2010 | 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 | 1/12/2010 | 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 | 1/9/2010 | 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 | 1/8/2010 | 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 | 1/7/2010 | 5 | Disease | No side effects | I'm realy very excited with buying zithromax from this drugstore http://www.buyzithromaxx.com/ thanks | F | 35 | 15 days | 1/7/2010 | 2 | Sinus Infection | Severe stomach pain, nausea | F | 25 | 5 days | 1/7/2010 | 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 | 1/5/2010 | 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 | 1/4/2010 | 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 | 1/3/2010 | 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 | 1/3/2010 | 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 | 1/2/2010 | 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 | 1/2/2010 | 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 | 12/28/2009 | 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 | 12/22/2009 | 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 | 12/14/2009 | 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 | 12/13/2009 | 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 | 12/9/2009 | 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 | 12/7/2009 | 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 | 12/6/2009 | 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 | 12/2/2009 | 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 | 12/1/2009 | 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 | 11/26/2009 | 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 | 11/26/2009 | 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 | 11/7/2009 | 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 | 11/3/2009 | 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 | 10/21/2009 | 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 | 10/12/2009 | 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 | 10/9/2009 | 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 | 10/2/2009 | 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 | 9/1/2009 | 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 | 8/17/2009 | 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 | 8/15/2009 | 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 | 8/11/2009 | 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 | 7/17/2009 | 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 | 7/5/2009 | 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 | 7/5/2009 | 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 | 7/1/2009 | 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 | 6/7/2009 | 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 | 5/26/2009 | 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 | 5/26/2009 | 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 | 5/25/2009 | 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 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |