Azithromycin is an antibiotic used for certain bacterial infections. Like all antibiotics, it does nothing for colds, flu or viral fever.
- Generic name
- Azithromycin
- Active ingredient
- Azithromycin dihydrate
- Common brands in India
- Azithral, Azee, Zithromax, Azicip
- Available as
- Tablet, Dry syrup, Injection
- Common strengths
- 250 mg, 500 mg, 100 mg/5 mL syrup, 200 mg/5 mL syrup
- How it is sold
- Prescription only — needs a doctor's prescription
No dosage information on this page
The correct dose depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other medicines and medical history. Follow the dose your doctor prescribed, or the instructions on the pack. Never copy a dose from a website or from someone else's prescription.
What Azithromycin is used for
- Certain throat, sinus and ear infections
- Some chest infections, including forms of pneumonia
- Some skin and soft tissue infections
- Certain sexually transmitted infections
- Typhoid fever in some situations, depending on local resistance
How it works
Azithromycin belongs to the macrolide group. It stops bacteria from making the proteins they need to grow and multiply. It stays in the body's tissues for several days, which is why courses are often shorter than with other antibiotics.
How to take Azithromycin
- It can be taken with or without food. Take it after a meal if it upsets your stomach.
- Take it at the same time each day, for exactly the number of days prescribed.
- Finish the course even though it is short and you feel better within a day or two.
- Keep a gap of at least two hours from antacids containing aluminium or magnesium — they reduce how much is absorbed.
Precautions
- Tell your doctor if you have any heart rhythm problem, or a family history of sudden cardiac death.
- List every other medicine you take. Azithromycin interacts with several, including some heart and antifungal medicines.
- Tell your doctor about liver problems.
- Never take a leftover course, and never take someone else's prescription.
- Do not take it for a cold, ordinary sore throat or viral fever — it cannot help, and it does harm.
Common side effects
Not everyone gets side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these are troublesome or do not settle.
- Nausea and stomach discomfort
- Loose motions or diarrhoea
- Stomach pain
- A change in taste
- Headache
Important warnings
- Get emergency help for signs of a serious allergic reaction — swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing.
- Azithromycin can affect the heart's electrical rhythm. Seek urgent care for palpitations, fainting or a very irregular heartbeat.
- Contact your doctor for severe, watery or bloody diarrhoea during or after the course.
- Azithromycin was very heavily and often unnecessarily used in India, including for viral illnesses. That has driven real resistance, meaning it no longer works for some infections it once treated. Taking it when it is not needed makes future infections harder to treat — for you and for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the azithromycin course only three or five days?
The medicine remains active in body tissues for several days after the last dose, so a short course keeps working after you stop taking tablets. Follow exactly the length your doctor prescribed — shorter is not the same as optional.
Will azithromycin help my viral fever or cold?
No. Colds, flu and most fevers are caused by viruses, and antibiotics have no effect on viruses at all. Taking it exposes you to side effects and contributes to resistance without offering any benefit.
Can I take azithromycin with food?
Yes, tablets can generally be taken with or without food, and taking them with food may reduce stomach upset. Follow the instructions on your particular pack.
What are the side effects of azithromycin?
Nausea, stomach discomfort, loose motions, stomach pain, a change in taste and headache are the common ones. Tell your doctor before starting if you have any heart rhythm problem, as this matters more than the everyday side effects.
What this costs, and what is free
Commonly available free at government hospitals and health and wellness centres when prescribed there.
Generic versions are sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras at substantially lower prices than branded packs of the same medicine.
The same molecule is sold under many brand names at very different prices. Ask your doctor to write the generic name, and compare at a Jan Aushadhi Kendra — the saving on a medicine taken daily is often substantial over a year. You can look up any medicine's official ceiling price on NPPA's Pharma Sahi Daam app.
Source: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
Prices and scheme rules change. Confirm current details with the hospital or Kendra before you rely on them.
Looking for Azithromycin locally?Aswini Medicals is a pharmacy that stocks everyday medicines and can advise on availability.
Visit Aswini Medicals