There are 667 ratings for the drug: ZITHROMAX in the Askapatient database.

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.

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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
				F  M
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5	Respiratory infection	None at all	Generic version, made in Israel	M	48	5 days 250 mg 1X D		2/17/2010
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 D		3/24/2010
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 D		3/28/2010
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 D		5/21/2010
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 days 250 1X D		6/30/2010
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 D		7/12/2010
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 days 250 mg 1X D		8/18/2010
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 D		8/26/2010
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		9/5/2006
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
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
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
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
5	Walking Pneumonia	none	Great Help! Wonderful medication	M	14	5 days		1/22/2007
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
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
5	Strep throat	Loose stools	No pain associated with swallowing after the firts day	M	39	5 days		11/17/2004
5				M	39	5 days		11/24/2004
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		11/8/2004
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
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
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
5	pneumonia	stomache upset	great stuff. stopped a nasty case of pneumonia in a few days	M	38	1 weeks		2/9/2005
5	Strep Throat	No Side effects	Did it's job	M	21	5 days		2/23/2005
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
5	broncitis	none	on day two i feel as good as new	M	22	5 days		5/28/2005
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		3/3/2007 Email
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
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	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
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
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		6/9/2007
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		4/3/2008
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
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
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		5/1/2009
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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		7/11/2008
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		7/23/2008 Email
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
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
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
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		12/17/2007 Email
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	earache	bright green stool		M	3	5 days		3/1/2007
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		5/6/2005
4	sinus infection	headache, slight drowsiness	Good effectiveness..felt a big difference within 12 hours of first dose.	M	17	6 days		11/7/2002
4	sinusitus			M		10 days		1/11/2005
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 uncontrolable coughing. Although, then again, who knows, I just may not have noticed since it was coming out the other end.	M	32	5 days		8/11/2005
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		10/9/2007
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
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 days 250 mg 1X D		5/17/2010
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
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		9/2/2006
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
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 days 500mg 1X D		7/27/2010
4	Strep and sinus infections	Decreased appetite		M	26	5 days		7/19/2001
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
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		1/7/2006
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		10/12/2005 Email
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
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	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
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		7/4/2006
3	strep	I was dizzy,tired,nasueas,stomach cramps.		M	15	5 days		7/14/2005
3	phomnia (amonia)	wierd feeling in my right side of uperchest area		M	28	4 days		12/19/2002 Email
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
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
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
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
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		1/10/2005 Email
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	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
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		2/4/2005
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	respiratory infection	nervousness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, big pimple-like bumps on my back.......	1 month later infecton is back	M	36	3 days		4/2/2005
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		3/2/2007
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		6/1/2005 Email
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		1/10/2008
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
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		5/5/2007
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
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		8/10/2007
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		9/4/2007
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
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		6/7/2008
3	bronchitis	Occassional diarhea and abdominal pian	Could have been worse I guess	M	26	5 days		3/20/2009
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
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		3/1/2008
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
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		4/9/2008 Email
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	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

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Average rating for drug: 2.6. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

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.

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